The Java^TM Look and Feel -- Swing's official  cross-platform pluggable look-and-feel implementation -- is the creation  of Project Metal, a JavaSoft^TM design team that  was assigned the job of creating a unique and distinctive PL&F for  Swing 1.0 (JFC 1.1).

Sun Microsystems, Inc., created Project  Metal and assigned the team its mission in response to feedback from developers  who had used Swing's Organic look and feel -- the predecessor of the new  Java L&F design.

This article outlines Project Metal's design goals; reviews the team's  work on the Organic look and feel; and presents some of the visual elements  that have been incorporated into the Java Look and Feel design.

The article was written by Chris Ryan, chief designer of the Java  Look and Feel. Ryan also wrote the high-level specification for Java Look  and Feel, which you can read by following this link.

Our design goals for the Organic look and feel included  the desire to present a unique appearance and identity without the use  of logos, to reduce clutter and decoration from the interface, and to  place more emphasis on application content and less on the components.

We received a tremendous amount of feedback on Organic. Several areas  of concern emerged from this feedback. First, it became apparent that  we needed to create an appearance and behavior that is compatible with other environments (for example, Windows 95, Mac OS or CDE/Motif).  For instance, we saw that Internal Frame must not clash with the native  window frame.

Second, we saw that consistency between and among components is  important for the user experience: Our usability testing made this apparent  as well.

Third, we understood that everyone wants to see something that is visually  appealing. Organic was, for some, an acquired taste.

These principles informed several design problems and issues in the design  of the look and feel which we called Metal, and which is now officially  designated the Java Look and Feel.

Three-dimensionality, pro and con

Dimensionality at the interface has been a controversial topic  throughout the look-and-feel design process. Much current thinking suggests  that excessive 3D can be a problem. Visually noisy  and often wasting a significant amount of space, it is sometimes tempting  simply to throw it out.

On the other hand, pseudo-three-dimensionality is probably the best and  most stable means of providing affordance cues in graphic interfaces.  And it is perhaps time to stop apologizing for including some aesthetic  appeal in the interface--as long as it doesn't dominate and distract.

Aesthetically, certainly, the 3D effect has become  a design burden. Some seek to solve the problem by eliminating bevels  on some buttons (usually only those found in toolbars), and adding a bevel  effect on rollover only. But a major part of the problem with the 3D effect throughout the interface is its distracting "bumpiness."  Here is a typical toolbar using this effect:

The Java Look and Feel solves this problem using an etched or "flush 3D" look as the standard three-dimensional border.

Color

Users and developers want to be able to define and change color themes;  they also need something that does not clash with the native environment  and other applications. From the beginning, the Java Look and Feel was  developed around a simple, well-defined color model, designed for flexibility  and consistency, and with the limitations of the various color spaces  (Windows, Mac, and "web-safe") in mind. With a much simpler  color model than Organic, and some clearly defined rules for the application  of color, the interface has a more unified and consistent look.

Accessibility

One consistent criticism of Organic was that its low contrast and small  targets were a potential accessibility problem. With a simpler and more  flexible color model and more standard target sizes, one of the aims of  the Java Look and Feel was to address accessibility concerns.

To learn more about the Java Look and Feel, see the high-level specification. Keep in mind that this is still a work  in progress. The Java Look and Feel is scheduled to be part of Sun's JDK  1.2 release, and we would appreciate your comments in the meantime. Sending  them to javahi@sun.com.