ubuntu-touch-coreapps team mailing list archive

[Michael Spencer <spencers1993@xxxxxxxxx>]

On 07/07/2013 02:52 PM, Valerio Ponte wrote:
> Hello everyone,
> in the past few days I worked a bit on the emailclient app with the
> objective of laying out the basic user stories and extract from them
> ideas for a basic UI.
>
> Since I think that nowadays e-mail is an important part of everyone life 
> I'm gonna skip reporting what are the user stories that identify the
> need of an email client, but if you want we can discuss them of course!
>
> For now I will just say that I created a mockup for the UI of a basic
> email client which will let the user:
> 1. read incoming emails
> 2. create new mail of answer to incoming emails
> 3. mark incoming emails as important
>
> I tried to design the UI to be as clear and conformant to Ubuntu design
> principles as possible, but please keep in mind that I am a developer so
> I'm very open to suggestions and modifications.
>
> Anyway, the first screen which is presented to the user is the
> following (main view from now on), which display the list of the incoming 
> emails:
>
> https://2.233.208.136/public.php?service=files&t=d3ab7a7008141ed95921af387f5bc5b2
>
> Unread emails should be highlighted somehow, but I haven't had the time
> to do it. 
> By pressing on a message the user opens it on a second page:
>
> https://2.233.208.136/public.php?service=files&t=8ca2c02e99a866c91e3a7e54ee54c8de
>
> E-mail details are hidden in order to maximize the space for the message
> itself, but can be show by expanding the dropdown:
>
> https://2.233.208.136/public.php?service=files&t=de3cfd7b664ea0d20b4bec18765ba187
>
> The toolbar on the 'mail details' view shows common actions that can be
> performed on emails, like respoding and forwarding:
>
> https://2.233.208.136/public.php?service=files&t=d5ac3d13c4f210d89c08ca40ad9999ad
>
> Back on the main view, the toolbar shows actions that can be performed
> on the email client, like configuring the settings and composing a new
> mail. Moreover, if any email is selected the toolbar appears with the
> 'Actions' button:
>
> https://2.233.208.136/public.php?service=files&t=6c381960d1157d53a2789ab8f52b9ee3
>
> The action buttons are common actions that can be performed on a group
> of emails, like deleting and marking them as important:
>
> https://2.233.208.136/public.php?service=files&t=f4feafed91bf3c98c5fc0abf96d56995
>
> This is the part that I'm least sure of. I'm starting to think that 
> actions related to a group of emails should be kept separated from the 
> actions in the toolbar that involve only the mail client itself, maybe
> with a topbar in the list that appears only when emails are selected and
> shows the actions as button, what do you think?
>
> The last screen I have is the settings view, which basically is just a
> list of settings for now:
>
> https://2.233.208.136/public.php?service=files&t=f4feafed91bf3c98c5fc0abf96d56995
>
> This is basically where I am at now. The open points are:
>
> 1. view used to compose a mail. I think it should have 3 fields always
> visible: To, Subject, Message; CC, CCN and Attachments should be made
> visible with some sort of expansions. 
> 2. Important mail view: I'm not sure if it should be a separate view or
> the same main view that has a transition where the non important email
> disappear and only the important ones collapse on each other.
>
> Anyway, what do you guys think? Feel free to comment and point out
> obvious things that I missed. 
>
> Also, the images are hosted on my personal OwnCloud instance, if they
> don't work for you don't hesitate to say it so that I will move them
> somewhere else.
>
> BR,
> Valerio Ponte
>
Sorry, accidentally sent this just to Valerio.

Nice work! A couple of things I'd suggest. First, since a user might
have other folders, I think the messages list could say Inbox. Also, I
think previews of the message might be nice. For the message view, maybe
it would be nice to have the subject as the page title? The problem with
that would be what if it is too long.

For the actions popup, I like having the actions button, but I think the
popup should be attached to the button, instead of centering in the app.

Something I love about the Gmail app on android is swipe to archive, and
I'd really like that in the Ubuntu Touch email client as well. I've
added that it my test branch, see below.

Another feature that would be really nice to have is conversantions,
grouping the messages by subject. The Gmail app for Android does a nice
job at this. However, if you do add a conversation mode, I think it
would be nice to turn it off, since some people don't care for it.

I was tinkering around with ideas for the email app and created a test
branch if you'd like to take a look at it:
https://code.launchpad.net/~mdspencer/ubuntu-emailclient-app/initial-ui

Are those just mockups or are they real QML code? Are you the one coding
the UI? I'd like to help with coding the UI if there is anything I could
help with.

-- 
Michael Spencer - ibeliever.github.io

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
- Proverbs 3:5-6