kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Wayne Stambaugh <stambaughw@xxxxxxxxx>]

On 7/6/2016 10:05 AM, Fabrizio Tappero wrote:
> Totally true Wayne, that is why I think we should talk about this and
> kind of find the best solution that kind of satisfy all. Currently we
> have 4 icons and all 4 have a pen. just a bit weird. 
> "A pen in the icon equal its an editor" is an easy association but not
> really needed. The icon of github edit Atom is a green atom. Once you
> lean about the editor it is not really needed a pen in its icon because
> you know that Atom is not a viewer but an editor.
> 
> I think you are reasonable in wanting a pen but I also think that it is
> not needed.
> 
> fabrizio

I was just playing devil's advocate.  I really don't care about the pen
but I know how KiCad works so I'm not an unbiased user.  I am about as
biased user as you will find.  You could make the button blank and I
would know it does.  I've often wondered over the years how many icons
have come to be.  I've seen people who weren't very computer literate
struggle with icon metaphors so when I think about icon design I try to
convey a message to someone who has little or no computer knowledge.
Yes, at times they can seem simplistic (to paraphrase the 5th grade
comment) but I would error on the simplistic side as to the "what the
hell that does that icon mean" side.

> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Wed, Jul 6, 2016 at 12:14 PM, Wayne Stambaugh <stambaughw@xxxxxxxxx
> <mailto:stambaughw@xxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
> 
>     That's a fair question that I'm not sure I can answer.  Can we
>     reasonably assume that the user expects the default action to be edit as
>     opposed to view or any other action?  I just don't know.  I do know that
>     icons should be reasonable (which is always subject to interpretation)
>     metaphors for the action they represent.  In this case the metaphors are
>     edit a symbol library and edit a footprint library.
> 
>     On 7/6/2016 6:10 AM, Simon Wells wrote:
>     > As the normal is edit is there really a need of a pencil icon as
>     > opposed to just having the magnifying glass on gerbview as its only a
>     > viewer?
>     >
>     >
>     >
>     > On Wed, Jul 6, 2016 at 9:22 PM, Wayne Stambaugh
>     <stambaughw@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:stambaughw@xxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
>     >> On 7/6/2016 3:20 AM, Fabrizio Tappero wrote:
>     >>> Dear All,
>     >>> few years have passed since the last main Kicad icon restyling.
>     In my
>     >>> opinion, the current icons are serving us quite well except for
>     very few
>     >>> which could use a little face lift.
>     >>>
>     >>> The few icons that make me particularly itchy are the main Kicad
>     icons
>     >>> for which this very imposing pencil does not play very well. I
>     know that
>     >>> some of your really want a pencil to suggest that those tools
>     are for
>     >>> editing. The truth is that now a days icons can be a little more
>     subtle.
>     >>>
>     >>> I'd like to propose these new set of icons for the main KiCad
>     toolbar.
>     >>> Please let me know what you think and please if there is anybody who
>     >>> wants to help out please, now is the moment.
>     >>>
>     >>> Cheers
>     >>> Fabrizio
>     >>>
>     >>
>     >> Fabrizio,
>     >>
>     >> The symbol library editor bitmap is too generic.  We have two library
>     >> editors, a symbol library editor and a footprint library editor. 
>     Your
>     >> proposed symbol library editor icon is ambiguous (it just an icon
>     for a
>     >> library metaphor).  If it had a symbol such as and op-amp
>     superimposed
>     >> over the top of the books, that may be more clear.  I may also
>     need some
>     >> edit metaphor (such as the pencil in the current icon) as well
>     because
>     >> it could be confused as library viewer rather than and editor. 
>     Although
>     >> our current icon is also ambiguous.  It looks like you are going
>     to open
>     >> a text editor.
>     >>
>     >> Your footprint library editor icon could be confusing as well. 
>     Most PCB
>     >> layout users are familiar with the concept of component footprints.
>     >> It's what they do.  The human footprint may be more familiar to
>     >> non-technical users but I don't think that is relevant for KiCad
>     users.
>     >> There is also no edit metaphor.  Perhaps you should use your symbol
>     >> library editor icon with a component footprint and some edit metaphor
>     >> (pencil?) superimposed over top of it for the footprint library
>     editor icon.
>     >>
>     >> Cheers,
>     >>
>     >> Wayne
>     >>
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