unity-design team mailing list archive

["Stefanos A." <stapostol@xxxxxxxxx>]

2011/8/28 huff <huffylinux@xxxxxxxxx>

> The fact that you keep bringing up the corner means you aren't
> getting my point.
>

I do not believe I was replying to you, directly or indirectly. Feel free to
exit the discussion if you do not find it constructive anymore. I do think
there are a lot of things that merit discussion, however, so it would be
useful if you could install Oneiric and try it out to gather some first-hand
experience of the UI.


2011/8/28 Jo-Erlend Schinstad <joerlend.schinstad@xxxxxxxxx>

> Den 28. aug. 2011 16:25, skrev Stefanos A.:
>
>  Why are they shown but the window buttons not? Wouldn't it be better if
>> the application name took up the whole panel, especially on smaller screens
>> where the indicator icons get in the way and cut it short? These icons can
>> always be shown when the user needs them, so why not?
>>
>
> Interesting question. I agree that those do not need to be visible
> at all times. However, the indicators do. One solution could be to
> move them to the left of the indicators and hide them, but that
> would make them more difficult to hit. I also think that would be
> somewhat confusing since they appear to be similar to other
> entries. Also, the cog and user menu are used frequently and
> really needs to be in a corner. Should all the indicators be pushed
> to the left then those became visible?
>
> I would probably want them to be hidden, but I don't really know
> any non-disruptive way of doing that, unless you were to move
> them to the bottom of the screen or something. I've never
> suggested that things should be hidden at any cost. Only when
> it improves usability and doesn't hurt anything else.
>
> Ideas?
>
>
First of all, consider that the window buttons (and especially the X button)
are used much more often than the powercog. In my current session, I have
opened and closed more than 15 windows. In comparison, I've used the
powercog 3 times: once to check for upgrades, another to connect and
external monitor and a last to lock my screen. I've only used an indicator
once: to connect to the wireless network.

It would be interesting to run a study on the relative usage rate of
elements on the desktop. This would help recognize which should be made
given a more prominent place and which not. For what it's worth, I feel that
the current layout is close to optimal, as far as placement is concerned,
with only minor scruples (no way to open the dash without aiming the mouse
and window buttons are not touching the edges).

I do not believe the indicators can or should be hidden, as their use is
primarily optical (Signal strength? Time? Language?) As long as the
indicators are visible, the powercog cannot be hidden without breaking the
uniformity of the layout (and it's much too important to move to the left of
the indicators). Additionally, I feel this is an important part of the
visual identity of the desktop - this small icon is something people have
come to expect and like (as they have come to like the username display,
given the reactions when it was proposed for removal).

My major qualms with the layout have to do with discoverability. This has
been covered to death already, but I do not believe the hidden window
controls and menu are discoverable enough. This is not because people do not
know they are there(*). It's because they break your aim - can you aim the
help menu or the minimize box in a single smooth motion? That's what I would
love to hear ideas about. Much as I like the hidden controls/menu visually,
they do impact my workflow negatively - can this somehow be improved so we
can keep both hidden menus and avoid the downsides?

(*) Note: this problem is *much* worse on non-english locales, since some
applications are localized and some aren't, leading to different-sized menu
items. Even worse, different windows of the same application tend to get
different menus, which make things even more problematic.