unity-design team mailing list archive

[Frederik Nnaji <frederik.nnaji@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, Jun 21, 2010 at 11:42, James Putt <putt.james@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Whether colours come or not, I'd like to suggest some refinements for
> the existing (lucid) set.
>

i'm curious..


> Something that confuses me is the offline icon's similarity to the
> "i'm visible" states' icons.


thank you.
the problem i have with it is that it is bold-faced, which indicates
activity, ON or "open".
..When it is clear enough that clicking it doesn't open or activate anything
whatsoever:
i still have to move to the other side of indicator date time to the
messaging menu, in order to "activate" chat.


> I'd suggest the current icon used for invisible (the dull speech bubble)
> would be better suited to
> offline, and a bubble with a dashed outline and no fill to represent
> invisible.
>

Nice! Much more suitable visual metaphors.
Perhaps you may want to contribute these to the icon metaphor project here:
[1] <http://tango.freedesktop.org/Icon_Metaphors>
Towards the bottom of the page you'll find the section "Status", containing
the current metaphors for "user-away" etc. - there is none for
"user-invisible".

Comparing your words with the table on that page and the concept of a DE
relevant DnD mode, i think it is easy to conclude that the icon language we
will eventually use does not solely represent IM status, but also real
presence status for all the local appliances thereof.

Meaning: more generic symbols, perhaps rather like in those in the Icon
Metaphor project, rather than IM-specific speech bubbles.

Honestly, circle, square, color and the absense of color are semantically
sufficient to express all states we need to map. To map it explicitly:
circle = ON
green = available
yellow = away from keyboard
red = do not disturb
dashed stroke = invisible   // like this, James?
square > OFF


> My other gripe is that the filled speech bubble is quite heavy
> compared to the elegant power symbol and surrounding text. Maybe
> basing the icons on the outline of a bubble may be worth a test?
>
> Agree/disagree?
>

yeah, absolutely. Especially the bubble doesn't convey the full meaning of
AVAILABLE, AWAY or DO NOT DISTURB. These values are not IM specific, they
have system-wide relevance, let us not forget the notification system, power
management and other stuff that could be interested in that information.


¹ http://tango.freedesktop.org/Icon_Metaphors