Outlook 2013 (Office 2013) Help to De-Uglify

[jimbo45]

Hi there

Whoever designed the base colors for Office 2013 must have been totally STONE DEAF and COLOR BLIND at the same time. I can't believe that comments weren't made before this stuff was allowed out of the door.

There's almost no possibilities to customize the backgrounds or colors and on a large monitor the base white looks really HIDEOUS -- you need a good pair of Sunglasses while working with it.

The only other choice is some type of Grey (shown in screenshot) which looks very similar to "The Fruit Company's Window colour scheme. Still looks hideous and that Blue !!!!!.

Outlook also displays the unread message titles in the most sickly blue (can't seem to change it) I've ever seen.

Before I remove this POS from my computer is there anyway to De-Uglify or customize like I had in Office 2010 with the Black background.

I don't like it opening with a prompt screen before I get the base screen (often needs another TWO keyboard strokes !! -- example for EXCEL 2013 shown) -- I should be able to open it in a Window with the menus just like like Office 2010. It means I now have to make a load of extra keyboard strokes before I actually get a workbook screen to start getting my work done.

I don't want the sign in reminders either -- I don't intend to use Cloud services etc.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[Forz19]

No there isn't a way (that I know of) to change it. It was too cumbersome and hogged my Internet Speed with Cloud and whatnot; so I went back to good ol' office 2010. Maybe you should too

 

[bassfisher6522]

Metro or Tiles style...got to love it being forced upon us...sadly it looks like everything is moving in that direction.

I too will stick with Office 2010.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
Thanks for the replies

I've stuck Office 2013 on a VM -- I'll have to use it sometimes for Work compatibility --but I've reverted back to Office 2010 for my day to day work on my own work laptop.

Can't understand why as we move into late ist quarter of 21st century why we can't customize more of this type of stuff - we all have different colour sensitivities etc etc.

We should make stuff MORE customisable -- shouldn't have to lead to more complex operations or maintenance if it's done right.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[bassfisher6522]

I agree ... but it looks like as MS advances with it's software it has been slowly taking away bit's and pieces along the way for what ever reason.

 

[Neutron16]

I don't like it opening with a prompt screen before I get the base screen

2013: In Word/ Excel: FILE - Options, General tab, last line - uncheck Show the Start screen when this applications starts.

 

[Neutron16]

I don't intend to use Cloud services etc.

Also, I've just created a tutorial for that.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...how-get-rid-sign-link-cloud-capabilities.html

 

[jimbo45]

I don't intend to use Cloud services etc.

Also, I've just created a tutorial for that.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...how-get-rid-sign-link-cloud-capabilities.html

Hi there
Thanks for the info I'll use that on my version on the VM.

I still HATE the whole color scheme etc - so for my normal work I'll stick with Office 2010 for the foreseeable future and only use Office 2013 when I have to for work purposes.

Rep'd you +1 for the info -- not obvious to find it.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[Neutron16]

jimbo45, thank you for rep.

I think, the only way to influence Office colours is customizing High Contrast Themes somehow.
I think, someone have created a Classic theme for Windows 8 from High Contrast theme or something...

 

[timtak]

If anyone has any more suggestions on how to make Office 2013 less ugly I would love to know. Can't one import themes other than the ugly three (grey, dark grey and white) in settings? I wish that all programs had a "make me look like the last version" and I think that I would stick with XP.

 

[Ranger4]

No, there is no way of changing the colour schemes in Office 2013 that I know of. I use Office 2013 & I just live with the existing schemes & don't let it worry me. The most important thing with any program is whether it will do what I want it to & not what colours can be used.

 

[timtak]

Colour matters a lot to me (when it is this unpleasant) so I hope someone eventually comes out with a third party hacked theme　or something.

There are many people on many forums saying that they have gone back to 2010 due to the ugliness.

I am trying out f.lux now
https://justgetflux.com/
I'll help at night.

 

[darkrats]

This has been a problem for users since Windows 7/Office 2007 and is never going to change. I'm sure that hidden away in the code is a simple way to add new colors but MS lost any empathy for their users a long time ago. Being stuck with whatever color scheme they care to offer is just their way of giving us the finger and showing us just who is in control. That's my rant about this.

 

[timtak]

I guess that there are a very large number of people in Redmond (30-40,000, 90,000 worldwide) who vaguely realise that they no longer create anything of utility, but rely for their income upon rent taking their past creation:, Windows and the Office suite (which was in large part a port of Lotus, Wordstar, Wordperfect and Apple writer).

I guess these 90,000 people justify this with thoughts along the lines of "We provide a stable platform for content creation" "Without us, the world of desktop office software would fall apart." Westerners are good at providing stable systems, so this kind or reasoning may be used in may in many areas, and it is not entirely untrue merely greatly overemphasised.

In order to ensure that they can keep charging rent it is important that we do not see the rent as rent but payment for creation of an "upgrade". In order for us to see Office-whatever as an upgrade, it is important that we notice change.

Hence, Microsoft does not allow the would-be-really-simple re-skinning or colour changing of their products lest there be a variety of looks and feels within any "upgrade" step, and thus far less of an awareness of the steps in the "upgrade" path. Microsoft wants us to be painfully aware that "Oh you have Office-whatever," "I still have Office-whatever-1." In that endeavour it is important that each step in the "upgrade path" be as recognisable and homogeneous as possible. Hence the lack of colour control. I think the lack of colour control is not simply sadism, but directed by rational economic self-interest.

Even more philosophically, Jacques Lacan, and perhaps Ernst Mach, argue that reality is simply the intersection of words and vision. There are no things in themselves but merely their illusion formed by this intersection of words and vision. In order to promote value and significance in one or other side, stability or even degradation of the other becomes important. I have argued elsewhere (! on my blog) that American obesity does not merely covary with their incredibly high linguistic self-esteem but helps to promote it. "I don't care about that (body, look). I am all into ideas (functional, thought = language). Thus the death dirge drab look of word 2013 may also promote positive impression of its functionality.