Tels,
T> The entire old skin design is more or less flat
Negative. Old buttons are bordered and gradiented.
T> I think making them 3D (especially the search button!) is a solution in search of T> a problem :)
Even in overall flat design it is highly recommended to have one's control (interactive) elements highlighted. Usability. The volume is the best way to do it.
T> * The new edit buttons are nice, but apart from the 3D problem, they also T> suffer from reduced contrast. That might be due to JPG compression, but T> IMHO the black "A" was much better readable than your new dark grey T> version, especially because the background is now also more grey/silver.
Not JPEG compression. Intentionally - to compensate its large, relatively to other pictos, strokes. But perhaps you are right. Let's compare: http://tactics.indians.ru/tmp/wiki/wiki3.shtml
T> * In additon, the blue buttons stand out more, the silver ones almost T> vanish on the white background (since they don't have a black border, T> either)
Another variant - to not to vanish. But it is more complex, less flat. http://tactics.indians.ru/tmp/wiki/wiki5.shtml
T> I think a flat button design that matches the "1px solid dark-grey" T> borders of the rest of the site might be a good idea - in fact, just like T> the current search button.
I had this idea too. http://tactics.indians.ru/tmp/wiki/wiki5d.shtml
And I don't like it. It looks like a work of a man who doesn't like his work.
Thank you, Tels.
Alex Bobrov____________________________________________ Indian Summer Studio http://indians.ru/