[Usability]Re: Toolbar editor

[Ray Strode <halfline hawaii rr com>]

> I was pretty excited about the toolbar code that was presented lately
> and considered to include it into The GIMP. 
I assume you're talking about my toolbox code.

> The toolbar I was proposing looked as outlined by the HIG and noone
>
> out there liked it. 
Hmm.  Maybe this should be brought up on the usability list, so the 
design can be changed to reflect what people will like to use.

> Arguments against it were that it uses too much screen estate 
Well, this might actually be a problem specific to my version.  The 
little button things in my initial version were much larger than the 
mockup in HIG.  I'm going to devote sometime today to redo my code to 
use Mark's new disclosure widget, which should make the toolbox take up 
less vertical screen space.

> users seem to prefer to see all tools visible at the same time. 
>
> Noone of the people I asked said that they would want to hide 
>
> particular groups of tools.
Hmm.  This should be brought up with the usability people.  I agree, if 
no one has any desire to ever hide any tools, then there really is no 
need for hide buttons. 

> Tool grouping was considered to be a good thing but everyone disliked the labels since they use too much space.
Again, this is probably a problem of with my incomplete implementation.  
Did you show them the mockup from the actual HIG?  And if so,  did they 
still think that labels took up too much space?

Oh I just noticed that you already have Calum and the usability list 
CC'd.  :-)  That's good.

--Ray Strode