[chromy]

Look for tracing/profiling/binary analysis UIs:

- https://superuser.com/questions/1117466/using-windows-perfor...

- https://github.com/wolfpld/tracy

- https://github.com/WerWolv/ImHex

3D modeling / CAD software:

- Blender/Rhino etc

- Similar for audio you can search for 'DAWs' (https://blog.landr.com/best-daw/)

Many examples on https://x.com/usgraphics/media only some software.

Not on the data side but can be useful just for contrast from todays software:

- https://www.zachtronics.com/wmp-skins/

- https://cari.institute/aesthetics

[rollcat]

Agree on DAWs. Even though I'm familiar with the general concepts, every time I try out a new one (Logic, Reaper, Ableton), it's quite overwhelming at first. You have a pretty good idea about what's supposed to be there, but the sheer amount of knobs and buttons... But once you get in the flow, you quickly find out it has all the information you need, nothing more nothing less, it becomes second nature.

(Notable omission: GarbageBand. It has the opposite effect, it instantly puts you into action, but becomes more frustrating the more you use it.)

[marttt]

Ardour has really good default settings.

Another, maybe forgotten one is Wavosaur on Windows [1]. Great modularity, one can quickly remove cruft that's not needed, or add a lot of data on waveforms when necessary. I admit being a fan of the Classic Windows era UIs, though. :)

A third, also forgotten one from the Win2k/9x GUI era is maybe Waveshop [2], also a great example of keeping things simple.

Funny thing: I used Reaper for years (occasional pro-level radio production), then had to switch to Pro Tools because of studio demands. Afterwards tried going with Reaper again, but got really overwhelmed with all those endless possibilities for customization. So... I ended up using Ardour, which was easiest to grasp from day one. Really well thought out and polished GUI. Possibly a great example of why it makes sense to have a subscription/payment based, non-free open source project.

Oh, and Audacity up to version 1.26 was also great. After 2.x, it started to add bloat IMO. I remember Eric S. Raymond highlighted it as a great example of modular, unix-y design in "The Art of Unix Programming" [3].

1: https://www.wavosaur.com/

2: https://victimofleisure.github.io/WaveShop/

3: http://www.catb.org/esr/writings/taoup/html/ch06s01.html#aud...

[tgv]

Logic Pro X really impressed me with its accessible UI. Yes, there are a lot of functions, but they don't get in the way, and the important ones are fairly discoverable. Reaper, OTOH, not so much. Its routing is ... flexible, but unfortunately also in places where it doesn't matter, or even gets in the way.

[interloxia]

I like that the U.S. Graphics Company link has a bunch of TUI examples.

htop came to mind.

https://htop.dev/

Here's a gallery of a bunch of TUI apps.

https://www.linuxlinks.com/100-awesome-must-have-tui-linux-a...

[artvandelai]

DAWs and audio plugins are a good example. Digital audio workstations can be somewhat varied in UI, but plugins can be vastly different from each other even for two of the same tools.

Creating intuitive interfaces for complex technical controls is challenging. Fabfilter has been a popular developer for years. Oeksound and Denise Audio are great examples too. Newfangled Audio makes good stuff and their limiter elevate handles multiple pages well. They all pack parameters into tight, cohesive UIs that look good and remain intuitive.

Fabfilter often uses submenus that can feel convoluted, but they're arguably necessary given their plugin's depth. Denise Audio takes a different approach with standard, simple UIs across their product line. Everything is visible with no submenus, though they may offer fewer controls overall.

Deciding what controls to expose and how to organize them intuitively presents a unique challenge. Multiple pages like how Newfangled does it works well. I don't find Fabfilter's submenus to be the best but that's often because they are unlabeled and use small, unique icons that are hard to grok. The overall UI for primary features is usually quite good though.

[flakiness]

https://ui.perfetto.dev/ is also good in this line.

[chromy]

heh, I worked on that one so I didn't feel like I should put it. I'm happy you thought of it though.

[3036e4]

Renoise is a DAW with a very high density tracker UI that I think works well. It is a bit friendlier to new users than any oldschool tracker I have tried to use.

https://www.renoise.com/products/renoise

[porphyra]

I love Rhino's CLI-focused UI. Too bad it is nearly impossible to run it on Linux with Wine [1]

[1] https://github.com/smola/wine-rhino3d

[rfl890]

have to agree with you on the DAWs. The first time I opened FL Studio I felt like I was looking at an aircraft's control panel.

[sunshinekitty]

The zachtronics website is completely broken on mobile with constant full-screening images, had to re-open my browser to exit..

[therealdrag0]

Great idea. From Java there is Java VisualVM and “JDK Mission Control”.

[wackget]

As someone who recently tried to use Blender for an extremely simple task... Blender's UI is absolutely terrible and should not be used as an example of anything except how to design an unintuitive UI.

[jwagenet]

Professional tools are often made for the efficiency of a professional user and are hard to grok at first glance. Other examples from the parent, like DAWs, suffer from this and Blender is no exception. By all accounts it used to be a lot worse.

[chromy]

I think intuitiveness and density are orthogonal properties (although often both desirable).

Regarding Blender specifically:

Do you have a background in 3D modeling?

I am genuinely curious.

I don't come from an digital art background and I bounced off Blenders UI several times but after doing a tutorial or two now I find I can use it for simple things. I have always wondered how much it was 3D modeling in general vs. Blender specifically.

In a similar case I have used both Inkscape and Illustrator as an amateur and, much as I love open source, there is no comparison. Illustrator was significantly easier to use and worked better.

[phatskat]

I definitely get that. When I did 3D modeling, my start in Blender was very rough. After I got used to it and did some tutorials it got much easier to navigate. That was probably a decade ago, so I’m sure it’s only gotten more complex since

[cluckindan]

It is geared towards keyboard use, but I agree, the UI is not structured very well - too much mystery meat!

[VectorLock]

Sometimes I watch HOWTOs with Blender and it says stuff like "Hit NumPad +" and it makes me think, damn they going to tell me to start using the META key next?