Reader UI of the Week: Vanity and Vanid's UI

Each week, WoW Insider brings you a fresh look at reader-submitted UIs as well as Addon Spotlight, which spotlights the latest user interface addons. Have a screenshot of your own UI that you'd like to submit? Send your screenshots along with info on what mods you're using to readerui@wowinsider.com.

I am a man of many words, as you fine readers have grown to understand over the course of my tenure here at WoW Insider. Talking about stuff in the most proverbial sense is where I feel the most comfortable. Sometimes the columns that I write take on this rambling nature, mostly because the dialogue that I am having with myself is accurately portrayed and transcribed on the digital page.

For instance, when I first saw Vanid's user interface, I was impressed with the careful minimalism but wanted to ramble on and on and on about the bottom action bar. A single, solitary bar caused me much vexation. Maybe, if I use my words correctly, I can paint a beautiful picture of why style occasionally fights with form.

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Vanid's UI -- healer, priest, bottom-bar UI

Whatcha got for me, Vanid?

Thanks for the email and the submission, Vanid. We've seen some pretty nice bottom bar UI setups on Reader UI of the Week before, but this one in particular runs with a single action bar -- a feature I have, shall we say, thoughts on.

A natural border

My favorite aspect of Vanid's setup is the allowance of space between interface elements, allowing for the background to bleed through enough to create a "natural" border between interface elements. By keeping each bar, timer, and addon a few pixels apart from each other (make sure that you pick a common number for maximum uniformity), the background becomes a de facto separator from addon to addon. What could be done with a simple black bar or kgPanel setup can be accomplished with the game's own world -- truly a user interface that lives on top of the game world.

I am a fan of keeping this separated by small amounts of pixels. While I do enjoy a stacked system of addons that have little to no space in between them, just enough space to separate things out gives the UI that on top of the world feel opposed to here's the stuff that's taking up the bottom of my screen look.

The single bar

Sit down, kids. I've got words to type. The single bar of action buttons works when you've got a single bar of action buttons to work with, including keybindings and other click-utility buttons. Plus, the single bar is great for saving space and UI height, and I heartily recommend doing it if you can.

There is a style versus function debate, however. If you're the type of player who works better when your action bars closely resemble your keyboard layout, you're going to have a rough time adjusting. I am one such person. My action bars are set up to look exactly like my keyboard, closely assembled to create a "keyboard" experience on the screen. When I need an ability under my finger, I can make an approximation where that key will be based on my hands' spatial positions.

Now, that isn't the case for everyone. I am too fond of an "alt bar" living on top of the main action bar setup that closely resembles the "1-=" keys and their alternative functions. There was a time in my life when my alt bar was to the side of the main bar, and it was unnerving. My eyes began to dart around the screen. I got chills. The reason for the alt functions of many of my abilities, especially as a warrior, was closely tied to abilities that played off of each other. For instance, Charge and my opening threat macro were "1" and "Alt 1" to save time and quickly move from each ability.

The single bar is a great setup, but take it slow if you are someone who likes the traditional double action bar setup.

Gridding it up

Since I started writing up Vanid's UI, I wanted to add in a paragraph about Vanid's awesome Grid setup. However, as time went on and paragraphs were formed, I realized that adding in a paragraph about Grid was not really needed. Vanid's Grid setup speaks for itself -- it is central, compact, and pretty. Plenty of notification addons have been added to bolster Grid and make it healer-suitable, while still retaining its prominence as a simple group and raid information hub.

The decision to move and keep the group frames actually works. I was worried when I first read the email since clutter and redundancy is one of the most annoying things about some addons as well as people's UIs. However, Vanid makes the best of space and a simple look to make the redundancy less of an issue and keep the added functionality. The key is simplicity -- the less redundant information in the group frames, the easier it will be on the eyes.

Oh, look, that turned into two paragraphs about Grid and group frames. How careless of me.

Great job, Vanid.

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Interested in getting the most out of your user interface? Come back once a week for more examples of reader UIs. For more details on individual addons, check out Addon Spotlight, or visit Addons 101 for help getting started.