Suggestion for BitDefender products GUI

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/311399#Comment_311399

Hi @getaid

First of all, I like your taste in music :)

I do like the layout the way it is, except that @Flexx brought up some good observations from this thread that I agree with:

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/311401#Comment_311401

I like the 6 Quick panels on the main Dashboard, with the ability to change their order. I like the left-side navigation menu.

I also like the size of the panels (boxes) within Protection, Privacy, etc. as they are small enough to show multiple options within that window so as to not have to do a lot of scrolling up or down to see all the options. I do have another vendor's AV where those panels are so big, that you have to do twice the amount of scrolling up or down just to find the option you're looking for.

Dark mode was a nice addition. What changes would you like to see?

Hello @Scott, thank you very much for your response. I like your taste in music too!

I understand what you said and I understand your opinion.

Since 2019 (if I recall correctly) the Bitdefender products (I'm talking about Bitdefender Total Security) have similar GUI. Since 2019 no serious changes have been made in Bitdefender programs' GUI, 2022 is coming to an end it's been 3 years without any big changes in the programs' GUI. As a result, one cannot see the difference between the versions, and they get bored or tired of seeing the same things over and over again with very small changes.

We're in 2022 and everything changes. Windows changed (Windows 11), Android changed, iOS changed (iOS 16) etc. For me, having a very similar design or GUI for three years when everything has changed is a bit tiresome and shows no progress. As I've mentioned in my previous message, I believe that programs (just like in real life) shouldn't stay the same, but they to change, refresh and improve in all stages.

I'm not a graphic designer or something like that to suggest any specific changes for the GUI, but I truly believe that Bitdefender programs' GUI need a big change/refresh in the appearance.

Thank you again for your reply.

Skin options?

@Scott

No need for skin options, it is not audio and/or video player.

Like the OP already said, the GIU should be finally changed/refreshed/improved.

For me, for the past 5 (five) years the GUI hasn't been changed at all.

(Almost) all other anti-virus vendors change their GUI every year or at least every second or third year.

Kind regards.

@Gjoksi lol :) :)

@getaid ;)

Hello, thank you for your replies.

I totally agree with what you said @Gjoksi!

@Scott First of all, I like your taste in music too (PINK FLOYD FOREVER).

Let's get back to the topic now. I understand what you mean and I understand your opinion.

Of course I'm not just talking about a skin option, but for A BIG CHANGE in the Bitdefender programs' GUI that will result in a complete refresh of the programs' appearance. (I'm talking about Bitdefender Total Security, Bitdefender Mobile Security etc.)

Since 2019 (if I recall correctly) Bitdefender's GUI (I'm talking about Bitdefender Total Security) is pretty much the same without any serious changes, that's pretty sad. 2022 is coming to an end, it's been three years without any important change in the GUI of the Bitdefender programs that will result in a complete refresh in the programs' appearance.

It's 2022 and everything has changed. Windows changed (Windows 11), Android changed, iOS changed (iOS 16) etc. Seeing the same design or appearance for three years with little to no change is, in my opinion, really tiresome and boring. As a result, the user doesn't see any difference between the new versions and the old ones, which shows that there's absolutely no progress. As I've said in my previous message, programs (just everything in real life) shouldn't stay the same, but they must change, improve and refresh in all stages.

I'm not a graphic designer or something like that to suggest any specific changes for the GUI, but I truly believe that the Bitdefender programs are in true need of a big change that is going to make the GUI and appearance in general look a lot different than the one we have now.

Thank you again for your response.

Hello everyone,

I have to say this is a very good topic. I like to fantasize and I was thinking of several themes that you could use in the UI. I truly believe this would be something really cool to have. I know it's not a media player, but i think that any interface, no matter the product, should provide such customization options. This way, the user won't get bored as time goes by and it could also boost interaction with the respective product. And you will get the feeling that you are using something new and fresh with every improvement.

But this isn't something that can be done easily, I guess. I think there are also other reasons for which some UI stays the same over the years, such as familiarity for the user. I'm not reluctant to change, but there are few things that are more frustrating to me than having to start from scratch with a product that I could configure with my eyes closed before. It's like when you go to the supermarket and they have all the products rearranged. So before, you could grab your groceries instinctively and now they are scattered on different shelves and you have to reset what you knew and start over. Same thing happens whenever someone decides to change something that was working fine before, just for the sake of a refresh. And because reinventing things takes vision and innovation, many end up screwing things or making them worse than before.

There is a saying: if something isn't broken, don't try to fix it.

Nevertheless, this is an interesting perspective and I will ask some opinions from the brand and design teams, to see if there are any prospects to upgrade the UI in the near future.

Cheers and thanks for sharing your thoughts with us!

@Alexandru_BD I agree.

There is a saying: if something isn't broken, don't try to fix it.

It may be nice to see something different, a change, but I really like how this layout that has progressed over the years to get to this point. Maybe Flexx cosmetic idea he posted (my 1st reply) would be nice. I do have Kaspersky Plus on my work CAD/CAM PC simply for the ability to right-click to Pause services, and if needed, to Quit services due to the intensity of the resources used by that software. But, the interface and the amount of scrolling I need to do to get to the settings is too much. Bitdefender size of the options menus in Privacy, Protection etc is wonderful and easily accessed, without a lot of scrolling up or down.

If there is anything I would like to see "changed", is just to focus on the stability of the software itself, pop-ups, notifications, and of VPN and the Password Manager. This is where I would like to see greater attention being brought too. If this were an operating system that I was looking at daily for hours, then I could see that desire but, we have options as far as wallpapers that can be downloaded and set as a slideshow, or add-on customizations like Object Desktop (which at times can get glitchy). With Bitdefender the only time I see it, is if I'm curious about something, or in getting a screenshot to help on the forum; otherwise, it for me has been a set it and forget it app.

This is really going the ideation route, I love it.

I can't wait to collect this feedback and send it to our developers on Monday morning :)

@Alexandru_BD and @Scott

Disagree with both of you.

It's like going in a Mercedes car dealer store to buy a new car and every time you go there, you see only one model from that factory. That one model is for sale this year, and the next year, and the year after the next year etc.

Speaking of changes, why on earth the Update and About button can be only accessed via the system tray icon?

They should be implemented in the main program interface.

Kind regards.

I agree with the manual Update option in the main UI. Voted :) Maybe even an option as far as it being a Quick Panel update?

Hello, everyone.

I agree with @Gjoksi and the example he provided with the Mercedes car. It was correct and smart and well done for what you said. (I really hope BitDefender doesn't have this logic)

I totally disagree with @Alexandru_BD and @Scott. (sometimes disagreeing is helpful, because disagreement brings the best ideas)

Thank you @Alexandru_BD for finding my topic interesting, but I disagree and I'm going to explain the reasons below.

In my country there's a saying, "if you don't break eggs, you won't make an omelet".

About the saying you used "if something isn't broken, you don't have to fix it", if people had the same logic then we would have absolutely no progress as mankind. We would still be climbing on trees.

BitDefender products need a big change in their GUI, so that they have a completely different appearance. For 3+ years we have a GUI that has very little to no changes. This, in my opinion, is quite sad and unacceptable, it gets tiresome and boring, you can't even see the difference between the versions because they are pretty much the same every year for more than three years.

GUI is what the user sees in a program and what they interact with. Seeing a program that, for more than three years, hasn't changed at all is something that shows a lack of progress and vision. That's why I truly believe that BitDefender products need a great change to their GUI, and a big refresh to their appearance.

As I've mentioned in my previous post, we're in 2022 and everything changes. Windows changed, Android changed, iOS changed, programs are changing, other antivirus companies change their GUI and appearance (like Kaspersky, Avast, FSecure, Avira etc.), you can look that up if you want.

As for the skins, skins aren't the solution. As @Gjoksi said we aren't talking about a audio and/or video player or browser, but for a security application that needs to inspire innovation and seriousness.

I really wish my suggestion and all the topic I created is useful to you and a big change will finally be done to the BitDefender programs because they need it a lot.

Thank you in advance.

Best Regards.

@getaid Let's first agree to disagree, right? 🙂

I think it's great to have so much diversity and different perspectives on things, because this is the real path to improvement and innovation, when someone comes with an idea or suggestion and someone else challenges it. This is how we learn, because most of the time we could be focused solely on our view on things and if no one challenges it, we would never find out what are the possible faults and weak points. It's impossible to see them all, by yourself. And when challenged, one can built on it and come up with an even better idea or concept, with the contribution of others.

Going back to our main topic, I think that in the past years, the main focus was on innovation, technology and research, but also on developing the solution set. The first half of 2022 was a busy period for our teams, with new products and services emerging one after another. In just six months, Password Manager, Antivirus Free for Windows, Identity Theft Protection, the Ultimate Security bundle and Safety Check were launched, culminating with a brand new website design and adding the relaunch of this Expert Community. But these developments and their implementation required preparation, investment, testing, resources and more.

Knowing the amount of work that was carried out in the background, I can understand why redesigning the graphical user interface was not a priority. Of course, this doesn't mean that the GUI will stay the same forever, surely there will be updates at some point. Frankly, I like the current graphics, they are clean and intuitive. This layout is the creation of the brilliant design minds we have here at Bitdefender. And it was conceived with the user experience in mind. The ease of use is the primary rule or principle on which this GUI is based.

I also like @Gjoksi's example. Mercedes is a good example. But what about Porsche? They've been using the same shape for almost 60 years with the 911 and they are one of the most recognizable brands on the planet. 🙂

The technological landscape evolves rapidly and we should do our best to keep up with it, but I think we should also keep some distinctive elements, something that is unique to the brand and makes the product easily recognizable and user friendly at the same time.

Cheers

@Alexandru_BD

Don't bother checking who clicked on the "Disagree" button on your comment. It was me. 😁

lol...:) :)

Flexx

Interesting things happening here 😅

Finally got time to review a single post, lol 😜

Before we start or stop discussing about GUI, why is the community website not featuring bitdefender name in it. While I came to know that quotes were placed besides the bitdefender logo but the name of the company should reflect in order to make it feasible for the community or bitdefender users worldwide who do not have proper navigation skills know that they are surfing the correct forum.

And by name, I mean the company name next to bitdefender logo excluding the statement "Welcome to bitdefender community" on the main page of the community forum.

Regards

@Alexandru_BD so far we both have 3 Disagree's in this thread, care to make another post to break our tie 😂😂😂

Hi @Flexx

We wanted to have a community motto, one that defines what this forum is all about and we came up with "real devices, real people", an unique "trademark" that was very well received.

On the homepage, we had "Expert Community" featured in two places, so we have updated the logo on the left side to display the new community motto. It's really hard not to make the connection with Bitdefender, since the homepage shows the welcome message and there are in-product links that lead to the forum and the official website displays a special tab for it as well.

When it comes to search engines, the community is displayed with the Bitdefender name and logo. We have also learned that when users are searching for answers, the community is not really mentioned in their keywords, but the actual problem/situation/how to's are searched. So basically, if a topic relevant to the search exists, the results will display it and this way the users may find their answers quicker.

Cheers!

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/316518#Comment_316518

As for the GUI, any changes or future plans to upgrade it are subject to business and internal strategy decisions that I cannot disclose. So I cannot confirm nor dismiss this, as i'm sure you understand :)

Flexx

Sounds good 😎

Regards

Do you have any news about the upgrade and refresh of the programs' GUI?

Adriana_S

Hi, everyone!

Although I don't usually post around here a lot, I'll start by saying that @Alexandru_BD makes sure your ideas and opinions reach us each and every time. However this specific thread garnered my attention because I do see some 'conflicting' opinions and I want to take this opportunity to share my perspective, as the Product Manager for the security solutions, but at the same time also use this context to learn more about the perception and actual need behind all this.

I'm sure some of you, especially those who have been using Bitdefender for multiple years, have been accustomed to having product versioning changed each year, along with a bigger yearly release which included, among other technical advancements, UI changes or even complete redesigns. For a while it was part of our way of doing things as we gathered feedback and worked on it across the year, then accumulated everything in one big release.

However, for a few years now, we have shifted the paradigm from having a 'traditional' antivirus solution via a versioned license and product, to a subscription-based security service with ongoing updates and improvements across the year - which is the real advantage of dropping the versioning. There's no longer the need to have a specific version of Bitdefender, upgrade the license or the product to benefit from the latest improvements as they now reach everyone who has access to the service as soon as we're done deploying it. This enables us to be more agile and deliver faster.

I wanted to provide a bit of context on how things have changed in an attempt to reply to @getaid‘s concerns: Bitdefender products have continuously progressed, refreshed, improved in all these years, even though changes to the GUI were sometimes minimal. Because the products' evolution, at least from a pragmatic standpoint, should mostly refer to what's under the hood and how they manage to keep you protected as the threat landscape evolves - because this is our number one priority. Of course, not changing the GUI could create the perception that the product itself is no longer evolving - I do understand that, but at the same time this is a design that addresses both users who want to easily change/check something – as @Scott mentioned - and those who want to fiddle more with everything that’s included.

As a side note, while I’m a car-enthusiast myself and I do agree that I wouldn’t be staying loyal to the same manufacturer should they keep the same model for years, I believe that the comparison to software products in general is not necessarily fair. At least due to the nature of the ‘relationship’ one might have with cars, where beside the functional use, there’s also a social component as we sometimes choose cars to be representative of who we are and maybe our social status.

Now, after this long intro on my perspective, I wanted to reach the point where we discuss the needs behind having a GUI redesign. For example, @Gjoksi and @Scott mentioned that the update and/or about buttons should be present in the main UI. Could you help me understand more about your specific need for this? I’m sure you already know that updates are done automatically and the need for manually checking is not something prevalent for most users, that’s why the option to do this isn’t so visible, yet it’s easily accessible (it would actually take the same amount of clicks as opening the interface, then using an update button 😊) – and adding it to the interface for everyone would actually create the perception that there’s a need to manually update the product. The suggestion of adding it as a shortcut is a good one, but I’d still love to understand the need and why the existing solution isn’t useful.

Similarly for the build, where displaying it upfront in the product interface would become a nuisance for most users as it would bring a bit of noise. This info’s currently available from the systray icon and the support section.

I’d also love to hear more about @getaid's take on improving the UI. Is there something that you’re trying to do and it’s not easily accessible at this point, any specific need that could be accommodated to benefit Bitdefender users, or is it simply the perception I’ve been discussing earlier?

I’ll be staying around, getting your opinions either directly or with @Alexandru_BD's help, but rest assured that while it’s not always possible to integrate everyone’s needs or wishes, we’re consistently trying to balance them to bring most value for those of you who have chosen to use Bitdefender 🏆️

Gauthey

Hello thank you for your feedback,

The current Bitdefender interface is precisely all the charm of this antivirus. whether or not it changes the importance is what's under the hood and Bitdefender beats all competitors.

I understand and approve of those who want the dashboard to evolve or change, even when the Security Widget disappeared we had fought internally to bring it back, something the product service had taken into account and had spent many days has paufinated his return.

I apologize for my bad English I translate

gur_helios

@Adriana_S

Hi Adriana

Thank you for your survey regarding to implementing additional features in Bitdefender. First of all, I'm all satisfied with the functionalities of Bitdefender.

Spontaneously said, I would like to see two points being implemented in Bitdefender as "expert features".

1) When a new update appears, it takes sometimes a week or even more till I get it on my system(s). It would be nice to have an on and off switch to force Bitdefender to install the update immendiately after being released. Since I'm used to make daily backups of my system and even if the update had bugs contained I can always jump back in time and restore a completed backup.

2) I would also like to see an on and off switch which allows me to take part of the beta program of Bitdefender just by the click of one button.

Best wishes, Uwe

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/321384#Comment_321384

Hi @gur_helios

As far as 1) It would be nice if the staged roll-out times could be tightened up on Bitdefender's server side. Some of us are a week out in getting the build updates.

2) Since the beta campaigns are pretty much over for now, I think that option would be put on the back burner.

Scott

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/322117#Comment_322117

I agree, the UI is fine with me, I'm more concerned about the stability and functionality of the app itself. Some little added features would be nice., but, as an example, the Password protection disabling itself, Game profile not saving Postpone Windows Automatic Updates etc. I get these things happen, but that would be my main focus and concern other than cosmetic changes.

gur_helios

Hi @Scott

Yikes! Yes, you are right. I completely forgot to mention the bugs you described (password protection disabling itself, trouble with profile settings and so on).

Guess, I was already so used to them that I missed them out while I was jotting down my post. 😊

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/322134#Comment_322134

lol..."so used to them", yes, sometimes I forget too, until a member posts about it and reminds me :)

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/322109#Comment_322109

Hello, guys.

The "Password protection disabling itself" bug was fixed with the latest version 26.0.34.145.

Since i updated to the latest build, the bug is gone, the Password protection doesn't disable by itself anymore. 😉

BUT, the "Game profile not saving Postpone Windows Automatic Updates" bug is still here! 😁

Regards.

fedor

good evening to all,

exult at the translation.

In my opinion the interface can remain in the current state the main thing is that bitdefender does its job properly as it currently does.

bitdefender could on each forum put a box of ideas.

bitdefender could set an alarm as soon as it detects a virus or problem.

I think the full version Premium Security Plus.

cordially.

RedsFan

The UI is fine with me, we can also choose between white or darkmode :) and thats a big plus.

[Deleted User]

As a longtime BD customer, I am satisfied with the GUI. It is familiar. What I am paying for is comprehensive and quality anti-malware protection.

That said, it has often been suggested that two major improvements would be very welcome:

The ability to totally disable BD with a simple click, as you can Malwarebytes Premium and some other anti-malware products. I understand the security concerns, but perhaps it could be tied to 2FA as is done with BD Central access. There are times when one wants to ensure that BD is not incorrectly blocking some process or program, as has happened in the past. For users to have to uninstall it, and consequently Malwarebytes Premium if they use that as I do, is a real time waster. For that matter, why does BD insist on eliminating all of the "competition" before it will install/reinstall?
The ability to import exceptions. Again, I understand the security concerns. Perhaps doing that via BD Central or some 2FA system could be implemented. As it is presently, it is a real pain to have to manually add each file, folder, URL, or whatever to BD exceptions, starting at the C: drive and navigating to the appropriate file or folder.

Those are just some of my thoughts for the future development of an outstanding product.

I thank the BD team for making their quality product and support available to us. Thank you, and have a great day.

Regards,

Phil

SaurikSI

Honestly, I think the current UI is good as it currently is, I don't think it should be changed.

My only suggestion is to be able to completely exit Bitdefender for the reasons I have discussed in my post: https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/91650/exit-bitdefender#latest

And also for Bitdefender to have have password protected uninstall, as the settings passwords is completely useless if it's not enforceable when trying to uninstall: https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/94809/password-protected-uninstall#latest

Nunzio77

The only thing I would do is add the possibility of having direct access to quarantine among the main "buttons". To access the quarantine you have to follow a somewhat convoluted path.

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/333510#Comment_333510

Hello,

Just following up on this thread. Based on the feedback received from the community members, the developers worked to refresh the interface on Windows and the latest build 27.0.27.125 brings some nice visual improvements.

Regards,

Alex

Hello @Alexandru_BD,

Finally a step was made. I hope that the changes in the GUI of the program will be many, important and significant. I also hope that the changes will be made in all other BitDefender products, not only for Windows products.

As I said in a previous message I wrote, I really liked the new GUI from F-Secure, it looks simple, beautiful, easy and modern.

Because unfortunately, until now, I haven't received version 27.0.27.125 so I can't comment on the changes you say were made to the GUI. Can you send us some screenshots from the program so we can see the changes in the GUI?

Thank you very much!

Best regards.

@getaid

Hello.

Regards.

Hello @Gjoksi! Thank you for posting screenshots of the program to see if we have any GUI changes.

Unfortunately the GUI is pretty similar, it's almost the same GUI, no significant changes have been made.