unity-design team mailing list archive

[Niklas Rosenqvist <niklas.s.rosenqvist@xxxxxxxxx>]

I'm well aware of that my sketch is certainly not the best solution, but I
don't think yours is either. There must be a better way to keep the panel
indicator functionality without taking up so much launcher space!

I made yet another sketch on how the visibility of such indicators could be
toggled and easily accessible, since I believe your design has overlooked
one thing: that many indicators main function is that it's displaying
information at all times, without any interaction. Like the many
applications showing system information like "RAM: 50%, CPU: 70%" which the
user wants to be able to see at all times without opening a lens from the
launcher. (An even better example is the system time)

2011/5/23 Ed Lin <edlin280@xxxxxxxxx>
> The panel icons have the same size but the target area is much bigger,
> see Fitts.
> Shutdown only was an example, what about battery, network, Bluetooth,
> audio, messaging...?

I believe that the most commonly used function will be the one easiest to
target and since all these items are located relatively close the
corner/edge I think that this won't have such a big usability impact,
correct me if I'm wrong.

> You need to add some visual separation in any
> case which means you'll lost quite some space no matter the design.

Does it really need to be separated more than it is in my design? This is
the design in full HD resolution and I think it's pretty clear what's what:
http://i.imgur.com/biN5v.png

The reason that I have based my design on the Win7 task bar notification
area is that it provides easy access to the information you want to be able
to see quickly, e.g. date and time. And these won't be shown with your
design. Therefore I just tried rearranging this launcher area and moved the
session menu to the top of it and a toggle panel button next to the
workspace switcher. What are your thoughts on this?

http://i.imgur.com/xX7z8.png

and with the indicator panel toggled:
http://i.imgur.com/wSLus.png

I don't know if this would be the best solution but at least I think it's
better than the lenses since they more or less remove the whole idea of
indicators.

2011/5/23 Ed Lin <edlin280@xxxxxxxxx>

> On Mon, May 23, 2011 at 8:29 PM, Niklas Rosenqvist
> <niklas.s.rosenqvist@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> >> Altogether four icons which I think would leave room enough for app
> >> icons on smaller screens.
> >
> > Do you really think that? Four launchers are in my view a lot of extra
> > launchers. What I tried to achieve with my design was that it shouldn't
> take
> > up more space than 2 launchers, and it only took up roughly 1.5.
>
> But your mockup isn't doing half the things the current panel (or my
> lenses) does. Try adding a few more icons and it *will* not only look
> but be too overcrowded. You need to add some visual separation in any
> case which means you'll lost quite some space no matter the design.
> Why not do aim for consistency and high usability (large targets on
> the edge) then?
> The design together with the positioning would still be different
> enough not to be mistaken for actual app launchers.
>
> > How are you thinking concerning the indicator's which only interface is
> > often a drop down menu and only supporting a 16x16 pixels (roughly) sized
> > icon? How would that go well into a lens? We can't force developers to
> > create Ubuntu specific panel indicators instead of Gnome as they always
> have
> > done.
>
> I took care of that simply by doing away with 3rd party indicators.
> The functionality should be put into the (Unity specific but
> abstracted via API) launcher overlay and context menu.
>
> This isn't a poor excuse or workaround. It actually aids the intended
> design: to reduce clutter in the notification area.
>
> >> It's too cramped, the targets are too small and the major problem is
> >> the shutdown button, it's not on the screen edge.
> >
> > They aren't smaller then they are today in the top panel, it's the same
> > size. And why is it such a problem that the shutdown button isn't in the
> > corner? I mean it's not close to being the most used panel indicator, you
> > only use it when you want to shutdown and not during a session on which
> you
> > use the others much more frequently.
>
> The panel icons have the same size but the target area is much bigger,
> see Fitts.
> Shutdown only was an example, what about battery, network, Bluetooth,
> audio, messaging...?
>
> For reference: Windows 7: http://i.imgur.com/aUFCg.png
> and even more interesting, what happens when you click on an outer icon:
> http://i.imgur.com/t0ZpO.png
>
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