Re: [Usability] Gnome applications: future development

[Marcus Moeller <mmoeller econet ch>]

Dear Jan,

> Since I am new to the mailing list I briefly want to introduce myself. My
> name is Jan Dittrich and I am a undergraduate at the Bauhaus Weimar studying
> media design. Since many years I am interested in Interaction Design. At the
> moment I am mainly working on digital and paper prototyping. I have a strong
> interest in cognitive psychology as well.
> During a mail-conversation with Brian Cameron he suggested to ask here my
> questions regarding gnome usability and my (possible) future involvement.
>
> Studying at the Bauhaus, there is the possibility for me to do projects
> together with my fellow students as part of our curriculum. Supporting gnome
> usability could be such a project -- and I hope both sides would benefit in
> case there is a good opportunity to work together.
>
> Being new here, I would like to start with a general question concerning the
> future of the gnome applications
>
> Myself and some fellow students as well  would be especially interested in
> applications for gestural/touch Interfaces. Writing about this to Brian he

This is something I am personally intereted in, too.

> told to me that the gnome shell was already designed targeting touch
> interaction too. He pointed as well out that the gnome applications itself
> need to evolve towards a better UserExperience which acts in concert with
> the improvements made by gnome shell.
> I would be especially interested in that issue (whether dealing with
> touch-input or not) and would be grateful about any further information on
> that.
> Is there already any material on that like...
> - improvements that need to be made to the applications GUIs
> - changes that are necessary because the current application design is not
> "compatible" to the activity-based design of gnome shell?

We are planning something like a Desktop Usability FAD (Fedora
Activities Day) where Fedora developers and users as well as everyone
else who is interested in improving desktop usability is invited to
take part. This will hopefully happen at an event called FrOSCamp
(http://froscamp.org) in Zurich.

The idea is to think of and work out usability improvements,
especially for GNOME shell.

If you are interested, I would really like if you could join us, there.

Best Regards
Marcus