[CJdamaster]

I'm looking for a skin that even the most technophobic of users can successfully navigate. They can just about use other set top boxes and I think that XBMC should be no hurdle to them.

Currently using the Rapier skin, which my dad can just about use but my step mother cannot. Confluence was a little worse in terms of its usability score too. Generally, they find it much too complicated - too much on the screen at once to take in.

I've crammed all sorts of extra instructions in the remote.xml file to make the experience a bit easier and more instinctive, but on its own it isn't enough.

I'm looking for a sleek and pretty skin that's heavily abstracted for ease of browsing. It should be clear how to get the TV guide up in Timeline mode, clear how to get to Videos, iPlayer through Video Addons and playing DVD films. I'm now about to try the old Alaska Revisited skin (despite it not being maintained anymore) because it looks very nice and uncluttered.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

[lockdown571]

I'm not sure if it quite meets your specifications, but I always thought Quartz 3 was nice and simplified. It was designed to replicate the Apple TV.

[CJdamaster]

Could work, I'll give it a try.

I also just tried this Xbox-like skin which seems to be going down reasonably well. It's called Xperience1080; it's a very clean interface that makes the process of using the HTPC simple. I'll see how long the folks last on this before they get fed up.

[MassIV]

I am working on such a skin. Trying to figure out how to make it as 'new user' friendly as possible.
Although still subject to major changes, i try to keep it fully usable. You can find it here:
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=141437
I would value any feedback, as the intended target audience isn't that big.

[CJdamaster]

Brilliant! Could you upload some screenshots to your post so I can see what it looks like at a glance?