Re: [gnome-love] UI love

[Calum Benson <Calum Benson Sun COM>]

On Mon, 2004-08-02 at 13:00, David Hugh-Jones wrote:

> I was wondering if anyone could spot any ways to
> improve HIG compliance, or generally make it a bit
> prettier. Especially the "Peers" tab, which seems a
> bit awkward at the moment.

I haven't used the app, so I'm purely looking at the Glade file here...
but here are a few suggestions off the top of my head:

- Lose the separator above Close-- the notebook border is visually
sufficient.

- Add mnemonics to all labels, and terminate with colons to those that
label a separate control (e.g. list or text field).

- If web address, blog feed and peer list URL always start with "http",
consider using that as a prompt.  This will save the user from having to
type that part, and wondering whether they have to.  E.g.:

Email address:     [ bob pacific net             ]
Web address:       http:// [www.pacific.net      ]
Blog feed address: http:// [www.pacific.net/blog ]
Text message:      [ Bob... bob... bob...        ]

- Be consistent with your terminology-- you talk about web address on
one tab, but URL on another.

- "Configure" is one of those words the HIG doesn't really like (like
Options and Settings); "Preferences" would be better if this dialog
applies to the whole application, or "Properties" if it applies to
one-of-many fish.  (Again, I haven't used the app so I don't know.)

- Limit your numeric text fields to the width of the expected input--
e.g. the max number of peers field should ideally only be a couple of
characters wide, rather than flush with the controls above and below. 
The ragged edge will actually make your dialog more readable, not less.

- Give the list on the Peers tab, and the entry field underneath it,
appropriate labels with a mnemonic and a colon.  This will make it more
obvious what they're for, and allow quick keyboard access to them.

Cheeri,
Calum.

-- 
CALUM BENSON, Usability Engineer       Sun Microsystems Ireland
mailto:calum benson sun com            Java Desktop System Group
http://ie.sun.com                      +353 1 819 9771

Any opinions are personal and not necessarily those of Sun Microsystems