Re: [Usability] User centered redesign of desktop preferences

[Reinout van Schouwen <reinouts gnome org>]

Hi Maarten,

On Mon, 21 Feb 2005, Maarten wrote:

> - Remove preferences that can be placed in applications

I think that's the wrong way around. Applications should have as little 
preferences as possible, only those that can't be placed in the GNOME 
control center! (For instance: network proxy settings.)

Furthermore, by moving application prefs to the foreground, you 
emphasize the application centric model, which is exactly what GNOME is 
moving away from, in favour of focus on the content. Evince is a nice 
example.

> Made a small demo
> http://home.wanadoo.nl/sbm/pictures/Desktop-preferences.html

Plays nicely using swfdec. :)

> http://home.wanadoo.nl/sbm/pictures/personal-info-applet.jpg

Comments:
- how many pictures and avatars would you want to have in the capplet? 
Three is already a bit much, but you're still missing a gdm face, and 
who knows what.
- You should probably label the 'Cancel' button 'Close' instead.

> A lot of the desktop preferences can be removed by allowing a user to
> access them via the computer folder.

Good point, but the question is how much GNOME should do and how much is 
better left to the distro vendor...

> devices the user can see physically connected (real) to the computer.
> Cd-roms are "a bit of a weird duck in tha bite" (Dutch) as not the

That expression _really_ does not translate, Maarten :)
(For the non-Dutch speakers: the expression is "een vreemde eend in de 
bijt", where "bijt" is an archaic word for an area of open water 
enclosed by ice, and "vreemd" (weird) means "unfamiliar")

> Outside folder

This seems to be close to the contents of the Places panel menu, but in 
a window. Am I correct?

Aside: just now I'm noticing that both Nautilus and the GNOME panel have 
a Places menu item now, with some identical, some different items. Why, 
oh why, can't these two menus match?

regards,

--
Reinout van Schouwen			student of Artifical Intelligence
email: reinout cs vu nl			mobile phone: +31-6-44360778