Re: [Usability]rhythmbox interface

[Jorn Baayen <jorn nl linux org>]

On Fri, 2002-11-22 at 04:13, Jeff Waugh wrote:
> <quote who="Jorn Baayen">
> 
> > The current Rhythmbox interface isn't very good, and we've been thinking
> > about improving it, but it's hard. So some input from you guys would
> > rule.
> 
> (First, I'd echo most of Jakub's comments, but here's some random crack from
> me just in case that's not enough.)
> 
> > Current interface, with it's problems:
> > ======================================
> 
> > 1. The interface changes when clicking a button in the sidebar, just
> > like Evolution. My opinion is that it sucks, badly. I tend to remember
> > where items are in the menus, and if they get messed up all the time, I
> > get confused.
> 
> Easy to fix -> don't do that. :-) I would love to see exactly the same
> tri-list interface when I'm using sublibraries (these should just be called
> playlists, but that word is muddied with your interface suggestions below).

Don't do that. How? There are some very view-specific UI bits:
- groups: delete/rename group
- library: view browser
- iradio: add station
- audiocd: eject disc
etc..

> 
> > 2. The toolbar with the playback controls and the area with the currently
> > playing information are static; they don't change when switching between
> > views, and act on the playing view. This is really, really confusing. Even
> > though I wrote it, I still find myself being dizzy when using it. (Just
> > hiding these wouldnt work either: because it still is playing. Or stopping
> > playback is not an option either, since you may just want to browse your
> > playlists or do some organization.)
> 
> That's an interesting one, and something that hadn't occured to me... I
> don't suffer from dizziness when it's showing something playing from another
> library.
> 
> I would suggest adding another 'link' to that section, noting the library
> that it's currently playing. When clicked, it would take you to the position
> in the list of the library that is currently being played - ie. the current
> track.

This is just a workaround for the problem; and it's not really clear
either... A small bit of text saying "Jump to current view", hrm, this
means you have to actually read and cant tell whats going on at a quick
glance.

> 
> > 3. It's not obvious how to add songs to groups/playlists. (Right now you
> > have to dnd songs from the lib to the sidebar button, or use C&P)
> 
> Interesting problem, couldn't it be solved by adding a context menu? I think
> the track listbox needs one anyway.
> 
>   *Play* (default)
>   --
>   Add to playlist > Rock
>   --                Ha ha
>   Cut               --
>   Copy              New...
>   Paste
>   --
>   Delete
>   --
>   Properties

Primary functionality *never* should be only in a context menu,
surprisingly few people know about context menus. 

> 
> > 4. Users cannot specify what song to play after the current one.
> > Playlists are not enough here; if you are playing from the library, you
> > want to be able to say which song is to play next.
> 
> I've assumed, from the UI, that the third listbox defines that, unless
> you've turned on shuffle. If not, it should. ;-)

Yes, but that's only in a quick mockup.

> 
> So, solutions:
> 
> > What we need:
> > =============
> > 1. The music library we have now
> 
> 'Library' special playlist icon.
> 
> > 2. A way to specify what song to play after the current one
> 
> Reorder the third list.

Yes, if we do that third list. But it's not a very good solution IMHO,
at least on my mockups, it looks rather complicated.

> 
> > 3. Playlists (reorderable subsets of the library) [1]
> 
> 'Sublibraries' are 'playlists' and should be reorderable just like the
> special 'Library'.

Yeah, definetely. They aren't yet because of some treeview stuff I need
to figure out.

> 
> > 4. A clean way to do this, without awkward views or stuff like that :)
> 
> ... not changing the user interface much at all. ;-)

See above.

> 
> > Things we have now, that will probably be moved out:
> > ====================================================
> > 1. Audio CD. Got this in because we had the views stuff, but it prolly
> > belongs in a separate app. [For ripping we would ideally have nautilus
> > support browsing audiocds, and support copying oggs off it]
> > 2. Internet radio. Same as above.
> 
> Disagree with both.

Okay.

> 
> > 3. The sidebar :)
> 
> Disagree, in that I think the above system would work very well. The sidebar
> is a nice, pretty, big-stuff-to-click way of handling it. (My only worry
> with it is how it would handle a very long list of playlists, but anyway.)

Long list is a big problem..

Cheers

> 
> - Jeff
> 
> -- 
>                                    A: No.                                   
>                Q: Should I include quotations after my reply?               
>                                - Nick Moffitt                               
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