[Rhythmbox-devel] [REPORT] Part 1. Design & HIG

[Luca Ferretti <elle uca libero it>]

OK guys, it's better, really better, and I use it for a week.
But we want the best, and as Mr. Joey Ramone was used to said :~(, Hey!
Ho! Let's go!


--
Used fonts.

HIG said: "Do not mix more than two or three font sizes and styles
(underlined, bold, italicized) in one window, as this will look
unprofessional and distract the user from the information being
conveyed."

This is _absolutely_ true. IMHO we should use only <span xx-large/> for
current song title (and/or status) and <span underline+link_color> for
artist/album link. 

This second one is very important IMHO (I prefer gnomeHref widget, but
probably we can't hellyps labels), 'cause now you have to "scrub" those
labels in order to find they are links (I know rb has this feature, what
about middle/new user?)

"<b>All</b>" label il browser can be replace with "[All]": we need only
to show it's a special entry, bold make it "flashing" in the middle of
window :-)

Statusbar info: <b> it's a little ugly here. BTW: IMHO the old label ("x
songs, y time, z MB") was more useful, I should explain it in another
mail. Please revert to it. We have space and users need infos.


--
Disclosure widget.

Sorry, I don't like it: 
      * the arrow_down is really ugly 
      * Hide browser / Show browser is IMHO an HIG break. At least it
        should be simply "Browser" (see old "Run Application..."
        dialog") 
      * it don't should be horiz expanded: space between "Browser" and
        "Search" label should be "free", but I'm not sure about it 
      * latest "Run application.." dialog uses a checkbox !!!
      * latest Search file too
      * it change switching from Lib to Radio (if lib_browser is opened
        and radio_broser is closed): it's ugly and confusing

Besides I don't think it's so useful: we want people learn/love to use
browser, so IMHO View->Browser is enough. Plus and I'll finish: it add
visual noise


--
Lists.

Do we really need a key accelerator for each list's column? First
underline add a lot of visual noise, second it's a mess to keep
different accelerators (translations!!!). 

IMHO we can keep sources and browser accelerators and remove from song
list: remember you can simply use keyboard navigation (GTK+2 is really
great)

Before I forget it: can't we add a vertical line to separate columns as
in iTunes, isn't it?

--
The 'Organize' menu.

It's really cool. We can place here all stuff relate to import to
library and export (write to cd). By now I think: 
      * if we use "Add to library" we should use the GTK_ADD icon 
      * IMHO is better "Import from xx" (see glade)


--
The 'Music' menu.

Can we add here an alternate way to choose source? I mean: if I like to
hide source list I've to show it, choose the source, hide it. In
nautilus, when you hide the location bar, you can use Ctrl+L or
Go->Location...

What about something like Music --> Source... to focus the source list
and/or open it like locationbar in nautilus?


--
Preferences Dialog.

It's really ugly :-( But we can wait a full feature release :-)


--
General Appearance.

You know, I'm not a fan of this UI, but it works. I think we can add a
little coolness using a 12 px border and removing the hspacer (besides
it add a lot of visual noise, better use 12 or 18 px spacing). See
glade.

My big troubles with this UI is that I expect to find the big label of
current song in the middle of top area [1] and that this top area is
very tight: all space is used by source managers, but rb is
manager+PLAYER!!

IMHO now we have a really great 'music manager area', but we lack a good
'player area': it looks like we build it saying "OK, I've a progress
slider to place somewhere... Oh, good this space is free, I can use
it!". Yeah, I'm making the devil's advocacy, but try to compare rb_HEAD
using Simple theme (Note: the default GNOME theme!!) with iTunes: true,
iTunes uses a skin, but its appearance is more clean, polish, neat.
Sorry, more comfortable :-(

--
Buttons

All stuff in this mail come from using rb with GNOME default appearance
(just switch to Bitstream Sans 11). Now take a look to attached
detail.png : IMHO it seems like buttons are quite invisible. This is a
theme issue: if you choose a theme like Wasp (gnome-theme-extras module
on cvs) buttons are perfect (well, if you like the yellow :-))

I think we should interact with theme mantainers to make a better
default theme.

About is see also 

http://mail.gnome.org/archives/usability/2002-August/msg00068.html
http://www.osnews.com/img/1495/mockup.png
http://www.osnews.com/story.php?news_id=1495

--
Dialogs 

Sorry, next mail :-P


Cheers


[1] This area is empty for a long time, if you don't have very long
titles. I'm not an usability expert, but it seem like this empty space
"move" my eyes from title line to "From - By -"[2] line

A little example:

XXXXXX XXXXX
>From YYYYYYY by GGGGGG GGGGG


My eyes go to the middle, then I move them to left searching XXXXXXX
string/place, but GGGGGGG "capture" them.

IMHO is better try to find a better placement/font/color.


[2] If I find time I'll send a patch to use spacing, don't "From " and "
by " labels.

-- 
Think bigger

			My uncle