FM Designer

Create betterDesignsin FileMaker Pro

The user interface is decisive

The user interface of software is at least as important as its functionality. For the user, the user interface is decisive. Whether a software is understood or is easy to use is decided here. Design is not a decoration, but an essential understanding of how functionality translates into a user interface – thereby improving usability. Design makes functionality understandable and tangible. How do you create a successful user interface without completing a design degree?

3 tips for a better design

You cannot not-design. Everything is designed – one way or another. The question is whether it is effective. By adjusting just a few details, design frequently can be much improved. For example, you should use a design grid, take different screen sizes and resolutions into account and work with uniform information as far as possible. How does that work best? Three things should be considered:

1. Consider the output medium
2. Use layout grids and design prototypes
3. Use style templates (in FileMaker they are called: Themes)

Style templates are managed as sets in FileMaker. Each set is a “theme” and usually includes several styles for each type of object. A uniform appearance can be achieved particularly easily with good style templates.

Improve your products by improving the design

The design exemplifies the functionality. With a good design, the user will intuitively grasp where he is, what he can do and how to get to the next step. The better the user interface, the less support and training it needs. Anyone who shines with a tidy and good user interface also shows what it looks like inside the application. The user interface is the developer’s calling card. If the user interface is good, one can be sure of praise from the customer.

What can you do with FM Designer?

FM Designer offers 10 different themes, which ensure a uniform appearance. All elements have been carefully coordinated with each other. Each theme is shown on three pages and each style is shown directly by a dedicated object. FM Designer has a comprehensive representation (or: catalog) of all styles. It is now particularly easy to compare different themes.

FM Designer is also a tool that can be used to make adjustments or even create own designs for your products. If the existing pages and elements are duplicated, this also ensures compatibility with the other themes of FM Designer. If a theme needs to be changed, it can be easily switched.

10 themes

  • Standard (same theme as in FM Starter, gray tones, quiet)
  • Dark (Dark mode, quiet)
  • Flat Earth (earth tones, calm)
  • Flat Green (shades of green, calm)
  • Blue Sky (blue tones, calm)
  • High Contrast (high light/dark contrasts and color contrasts)
  • Print (for print layouts)
  • Color blind(adapted colors, especially for red/green color blindness)
  • Lollipop (bright colors, for example for POS and kiosk solutions)
  • Screenplay (other possibilities as a starting point: color gradients, background images, etc.)

The tool

  • Index of all style sheets with own objects
  • Each theme is displayed on 3 pages: Overview, Side parts, Objects
  • Quick comparison through clear navigation
  • Compare multiple themes in multiple windows side by side
  • Direct switching from one theme to another
  • Two playgrounds for own customizations
  • Easy to duplicate for your own theme developments

Optimally integrated

  • Examples of application are on the overview page
  • 100% Compatible with FM Starter
  • Better layouts in the blink of an eye.

10 themes, each with the overview page.

Simplify your work

Developing a good design is time-consuming. If you don’t have the time or experience, FM Designer will be a real relief for you.

  • An experienced developer can import the designs into their files and immediately start using them
  • Anyone looking for design basics and possible applications will find specific examples in the file
  • If you want to create a unique theme or adapt one of the existing ones, you can do so much faster with the file. There are also color palettes for each theme, which are essential for system-wide color coordination.
  • The manual is available in German and English
  • Introductory videos are available in German and English.

Each theme is presented on 3 pages: Overview, Parts and Objects.

Simpler and better

The idea behind the development of FM Designer was to create a selection of new themes that are both compatible with each other and 100% compatible with our starter file FM Starter. This means that every developer immediately has a wide range of excellent themes to choose from.

There are not so many FileMaker Themes available. A few themes are included with FileMaker, and some are available from the community. These variants are not very extensive. There are also a few paid designs that seem expensive compared to FM Designer.

FM Designer summarizes many requirements and also offers a tool for developing or further developing any theme. This is unique to FileMaker.

Tip for FM starter users
Anyone who already works with FM Starter will find the same structure here. If you have already created a file with the style templates from FM Starter, you can simply load one of the designs from FM Designer and switch the entire design at the push of a button. This means that color adjustments for customer projects can be implemented much faster. There is no other product known to us like this.

Simplify and improve your design

Do you know how much time it takes to develop good themes? How do you bring sophistication and reliable design options into play? Now compare this effort with the purchase price for FM Designer. You receive an endless license including free updates and upgrades for one year and can use the documents for any number of projects in your company. Get started! – revolutionize your design approach

Endless license incl. 1 year of free updates and upgrades.