RE: User interface suggestions

[David Grega <webmaster overtech zzn com>]

I would be more supportive of this idea if the icons were not the same kind 
of grayscale as a disabled button.  Rather, I'd prefer something like 
colored and uncolored - like the old MSIE 3 toolbar where icons are colored 
in grayscale colors then when you move your mouse over them, it becomes 
colored. Something like that I would support since it is not confusing and 
this type of format would not be confused with the disabled type of 
grayscale we're used to.

- dave

----------
From:  Adrian
Sent:  Sunday, November 26, 2000 5:08 AM
To:  Gguilist
Cc:  Nicolas Mailhot
Subject:  Re: User interface suggestions

On Thu, 23 Nov 2000, Nicolas Mailhot wrote:

>
> Le jeu, 23 nov 2000 11:32:52, Adrian a ecrit :
> > Hi,
> >
> > Again some suggestions, this time about a reviewed version
> > of the
> > most-used item concept, applied to the desktop and to
> > applications in
> > general:
> >
> >   http://www.dit.upm.es/~aferrer/open/gnome/suggestions-november2000-II
> >
> > Main points:
> >
> > * Most-used item technology :) extended to only-icon bars,
> > like the
> > launcher bottom bar of the desktop, by converting in
> > greyscaled icons the
> > less used ones - in color the most used ones.
>
> I don't think that's a good idea.
> grayscale is already whidely used as a < disabled action >
> indicator.

Not exactly... disabled icons are "whited", and in the suggestion, low
used icons (whited or non-withed) are greyscaled. If you see at the
desktop-suggested image, there're 4 minimized tasks for the Abiword
program, so the're whited, but 3 of them are low used, so they're
greyscaled too, and the other icon is maintened in color (and whited). Or
in the application-suggestion, the "Avanzar" icon is disabled and very
used, so it's whited and in color. As you see, they're not incompatible
criteria. But I think it can be theme-able to personalize more the look.

> What you might do without confusing users is to use :
> * < colored grayscale > for example < bluescale > for less
> used icons
> * < aura-ified icons > add a subtle aura around most used
> ones.
>

Yes, these are good possibilities for the themes...

> > * In the tasklist, the concept has been applied too,
> > including minimized
> > tasks. I think here it'll be more useful to apply only to
> > the tasks in
> > current sesion.
>
> If something is not used, it shouldn't be run. What you can
> do is order tasks by usage. Anyway, I don't think there are
> enough tasks in a tasklist for this to be useful.
>

The idea in the tasklist is to show which of the current tasks are most
used, this means, which of the currently opened windows have been more
time selected (in the front).

> > * In the suggestion for applications, menu&tool bars
> > (which in my opinion
> > could be fusioned in only one type of bar, with all the
> > possibilities of
> > only-icons, only-text, vertical-icons&text,
> > horizontal-icons&text,
> > ...) have received the technology too.
>
> I agree on the fusion. Apps should provide lists of actions
> (name + big/middle/tiny icon + tooltip + extended help +
> accelerator + callback) and let the user populate menus and
> convert between menus/toolbars/etc* (that's a gtk decision).
>
> * text-menu, text-menu-with-tiny-icons, big-icon-menu,
> big-icon-toolbar, icon+text toolbar, tiny-icon-without-text
> toolbar ...
>
> That's how the panel is starting to behave. But that
> shouldn't be restricted to the panel, all gnome apps should
> benefit from this too.
>

Yes, I agree...

> Right now accelerators/names (translated names)/icons are
> not synchronized between menus/context-menus/toolbars
> because they are treated as independant controls.
>
> I disagree on your use of grayscale,
> since it already means something else. And anyway what we
> must agree on is < are less/most used items something useful
> ? >.
> The way they are colorized afterwards is a theme
> decision.
>
> > * Finaly the concept has been extended to files&folders
> > management, as we
> > can see in the application suggestion. It'd be applied in
> > general to every
> > window/dialogue that manages files/folders, like the
> > open/save/find ones.
>
> This part should be taken directly to nautilus lists IMHO.
>

Or perhaps nautilus gui should be integrated into gnome gui for general
disscusion? :)  Tnx


								Adrian


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