unity-design team mailing list archive

[Shane Fagan <shanepatrickfagan@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Ill reply to this entire thread with a counter idea. How about
removing the other two buttons and just having the ubuntu button in
the left hand corner. Myself in practice I clicked on the ubuntu
button and searched for the thing I wanted to do and since the search
is good I got to the app or file in the same time. I also like how
there are shortcuts for the most common behaviour browse the web,
listen to music...etc.

For the dash when you hit the ubuntu button you can use it for
anything and the other two are a limited scope fall back if you cant
really remember what the title of the program you want or if its not
already shortcutted.

Ill explain a bit more my dad doesnt know anything about Ubuntu ive
tried to convert him loads of times but he is comfortable with windows
so I can usually factor how hard it is based on if he can figure it
out or I have to tell him. I handed my computer running stock 11.04
because he wanted to do something on firefox he clicked the firefox
icon in the sidebar and then as an experiment I asked him to open a
file he clicked the top left hand corner and clicked find files. He
didnt even notice that there was a folder button in the sidebar but
the dash made it pretty handy since its text based. The sidebar and
icons in general contain some learned behaviour that we have to teach
to users and the less they need to learn the easier the system is.

So the entire point of that rant above was you can look at it the
other way and say what are those buttons doing in the sidebar when
they are already in the dash and the search is better since its a
global search of everything files, folders, stuff thats installed and
stuff thats not. So it could be really really really powerful if we
guide users there by default and not have even a little fragmentation
by putting the app and folder shortcuts in the sidebar. So the
justification I have in my mind for what im saying is we would want to
guide the users to the fastest possible way of doing everything in one
place rather than giving them a few different places where it may be
more convenient but if they then get lost id prefer them to get lost
in the place that offers the most options.

I know what I just said there was a big wall of text but still I think
I made a good point somewhere in there :)

--fagan



On Sun, Mar 6, 2011 at 1:50 PM, Marc Lajoie <manorapide@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I love where Unity is going, but there is one part of the interface that
> makes no sense to me: the upper-left ubuntu button. I cannot imagine
> ever wanting to click it.
>
> Try as I might I cannot find a usage scenario where the dash screen with
> the big "shortcut" buttons would be useful. If I want applications, I
> click the applications place; files, the files place; etc. So the
> "shortcut" buttons are shortcuts in name only, since they require an
> extra click to use.
>
> Since it is the most accessible and visible button, the ubuntu button
> really should be given a useful function. Right now it brings up a sort
> of intro interface, possibly useful new users who haven't yet figured
> out where everything is. But new users don't stay a new users very
> long--after a few minutes figuring out Unity they will never want to see
> that screen again.
>
> Possible ideas:
> - Make it bring up the user-assigned "place". I, personally, would have
> it bring up the applications place. Others might set it up differently.
> - Have it bring up a "place" which is a condensed amalgamation of all
> the other places, so that users can have quick access to apps, files,
> people, simultaneously.
> - Have it be a trigger to recall the dock. This would be useful in the
> case of a touch interface, so that the dock's autohide may be used on
> touch-enabled devices (esp. ones with limited screen real-estate)
>
>
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