Fix the Drum State product cover graphics - this is embarrassing

MLARS · 2025-08-05T12:50:57+00:00

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Fix the Drum State cover graphics, replace it fast - this is embarrassing.

The quality of NI graphic design on official products have declined considerably. NI has been way stronger.

There are Kontakt libraries (Instruments and Leap) and Maschine expansions which either looks like like they were made by AI or quickly put together by a sound designer without experience in graphic design or understanding on creating more consistent product design.

You cannot cut corners here. Hire professionals. Pivot fast, NI. You cannot sell products looking like this.

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Comments

PK The DJ

Maybe I'm feeding the troll here, but….what's wrong with it then (in your opinion)?

What exactly should it look like (in your opinion) to be "professional"?

BJQ1972

Have you seen a TR-909?

Vocalpoint

Looks exactly like what this library sounds like. A Roland 80's era drum machine. Works for me.

MLARS

It still does not warrant cheap graphics. Strongly disagree.

You can still have consistent high quality great looking graphics and keep the theme of a 909.

This is cheap doodles and may hurt sales.

PK The DJ

I'm curious how you know what those graphics cost. How do you know they were cheap?

superd

Can we vote on whether it's the graphic that's embarrassing or this thread?

Vocalpoint

Put me down for one for the thread.

MLARS

Haters and NI fanboys to the left.

Monochrome

People buy Expansions because they (want to) make music with it. How it sounds is relevant, everything else is irrelevant in the end. It's not even a Kontakt library where you sit in front of a GUI all the time… and I'm just saying this because you keep on creating discussions/posts lamenting over what you perceive as "old GUIs" or alleged "AI creations".

But, apart from all that: Drum State is literally a little over a year old. It took you a whole year to complain about something so trivial.

Please… get your priorities in check.

Vocalpoint

"People buy Expansions because they (want to) make music with it. How it sounds is relevant, everything else is irrelevant in the end"

"But, apart from all that: Drum State is literally a little over a year old. It took you a whole year to complain about something so trivial. Please… get your priorities in check."

Nailed it.

Can't remember a single time I used any Expansion library icon in a new track….

MLARS

This is a forum where you provide feedback to improve products. Just a reminder when the regular forum trolls go crazy.

Questioning when the feedback was given from release is a weak argument. Maybe similar feedback has been given before? This is also a comment on general decline in graphic design and product design on multiple products being released as late as just a few week and even days/hours ago.

Product presentation and UX is also important part of a product. Do you think NI makes the best sound design products in the world? Just curious why providing feedback on certain dimension about products is such a problem. What are your priorities?

Btw the "sound first" argument is frankly weak and an extremely predictable one on this forum. Wake up - this is a competitive market space - MANY PARTS that makes up a product is important to get right to be able to market and sell them.

There are countless of feedback over the year on this forum and elsewhere where product presentation like GUI etc has been commented on as a growing issue and it has given results - we are now seeing planned improvements in products like older synths are getting facelift and possibly other products are hinted to be updated with similar facelifts. Product presentation matter.

Feedback eventuelly leads to improvements - that's why giving it is important. Simple.

PK The DJ

The way you're wording these posts, they're not coming across as feedback, but demands.

It reads as if you're insisting that NI need to immediately change things because you said so. You've decided it's broken. You've decided what they can and cannot sell.

You're not running NI. You don't get to decide.

MLARS

If you have problems with how people provide feedback I am curious what your priority is. Is this value you are providing now? This is a product forum.

Go give feedback on something that you want improved - that is value.

Vocalpoint

"Just curious why providing feedback on certain dimension about products is such a problem. What are your priorities?"

My priorities are to create content with the Drum State library. That is all. As long I can install it and get on with it - happy customer.

Now - there is nothing wrong at all with providing feedback to improve products. I mean - if a library legitimately sounds horrible - yes by all means - provide feedback to make it sound better.

But picking on the graphics? Or icons? Or whatever else - graphically - annoys you about the entire NI product line?

It is coming off as another ham handed attempt to simply complain. About anything. Even (like this case) if it has zero to do with the overall intent of the product.

If you want to register legit feedback about product presentation - consider taking it to the teams that manage NI marketing, branding etc - none of whom BTW are on these forums.

This is a user to user support forum with a focus on the technical and workflow aspects of the respective product lines - and I am pretty sure that for 99.99% of us - the look of an icon is simply a non-starter.

D-One

I 'complain' a lot but it never occurred to me someone would take a thumbnail this serious… I meanTBF I don't like how all Maschine Group/Kit's have the Pad overlay on the design that makes them all look the same for example… But going as far as not geting a product over this seems a bit much.

I kind of like the minimalist flat design, I'd take that over skeuomorphism any day.

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