What's up with Schiit's graphic design? (rant)

[klettermann]

• Their control labeling in illegibly minuscule.
• It's not really labeled anyway, they just use unintelligible hieroglyphics.
• The coloring is apparently designed NOT to be read, it's grey against black or silver, so poor contrast.
• This design cuteness, or whatever it is, extends to their website. Again, a tiny grey font against black backround.

It's clear that somebody sat down with the deliberate intent to make all their stuff as hard to use as possible. WTF? What kind of people are they??
>Rant over. Happy Holidays.

 

[threni]

I guess you get used to what the controls do after a while.

Power light coming out of holes in the top of the amps instead of a light at the front; power switch at the back of the amp where you can't see it instead of a button on the front... bad graphic design is the least of their problems.

 

[HalSF]

As with Schiit’s brand name, which leaves some people appalled and aghast,I feel pretty confident that the company’s house style for graphics on its components and website is having an insignificant negative impact on its reputation and sales. The prevalence of extreme persnicketyness is far less in real life than it appears on the internet.

I hope your rant has provided a healthful and therapeutic release.

 

[mhardy6647]

Frat boy humor.

But, from my perspective, their most bizarre products (to wit, the SOL turntable and the SYN Hafler-circuit-on-steroids box for artificial multi-channel 'extraction') veered from their usual juvenile marketing antics into performance art worthy of, e.g., Andy Kaufman. The SOL, especially, seemed to poke fun at (or raise a middle finger to) the fiddly, obsessive vinylista culture more than it strove to be a serious record playing product. Its existence as a product was nasty, brutish, and short. The SYN fared little better in terms of longevity in their product catalog.

I did buy our church a Schiit Mani (2?) headphone amp to monitor our livestream mix. Dollar for dollar, it's excellent... but I don't think they even make these any more(?).

Oh, sort of on topic vis-a-vis Schiit ergonomics -- the pilot light for the aforementioned Mani is a bright white LED located inside the cabinet. It is kind of, sort of visible through the vent holes if viewed at the right angle. Maybe easy to see in a dark room?
EDIT: Except for Christmas Eve candlelight and Good Friday Tenebrae service, darkness doesn't tend to play a big role in the church service application.