Re: [Usability]Re: A "cheat" to full window manager integration

[Christopher Warner <zanee kernelcode com>]

James Ramsey wrote:

> --- Christopher Warner <zanee kernelcode com> wrote:
>  
>
> > James Ramsey wrote:
> >    
> >
> > > I can think of two problems with wrapping a window
> > > manager theme and a GTK+ theme together:
> > >      
> [snip]
>  
>
> > > 2) It may not be desirable. It is relatively easy
> > >      
> > to
> >    
> >
> > > design a window manager theme that looks exciting
> > >      
> > and
> >    
> >
> > > visually strange but doesn't interfere with one's
> > > work. It is far more difficult to design a GTK+
> > >      
> > theme
> >    
> >
> > > that is both striking and interesting, but not hard
> > >      
> > on
> >    
> >
> > > the eyes. Users wishing to strike a balance may
> > >      
> > simply
> >    
> >
> > > use a funky window border theme with a less
> > >      
> > exciting,
> >    
> >
> > > but more manageable GTK+ theme. IMHO, this is a
> > >      
> > more
> >    
> >
> > > compelling argument against a combined theme.
> > >
> > >      
> > You're talking about a poorly designed theme, 
> >    
> [snip]
>  
>
> > What 
> > you say above doesn't provide any technical reasons
> > as to why combining 
> > themes might be bad except for the fact that some
> > theme designer made a 
> > poor choice.
> >    
>
> My point is that it is easier for a theme designer to
> make poor choices in widget theme design than in
> window frame design. It's the difference between
> designing something that one looks at all the time and
> designing something that one glances at. Widget themes
> are more complex and thus more prone to design errors.
>
>
> With a combined theme format, one is likely to see
> window frame themes good enough for use saddled with
> hard-to-read widget themes.
>
> Don't underestimate the user too much. It's easy
> enough to visually distinguish between a window frame
> and the contents of the window. It's jargon like
> "widgets" that will tend to get in the way.
>  
Don't underestimate the designer.. especially if he/she has tools to 
make a theme with. What I'm talking about is not a patch or hack (even 
though it accomodates the non unified with the unified); it's a complete 
rewrite on the way themes work and taking that idea and applying it to 
gnome.

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