unity-design team mailing list archive

[Eylem Koca <eylemkoca@xxxxxxxxx>]

OK, sorry, I got it wrong it seems. But then, why oh why did the
Ubuntu button have to leave the top left corner? If it did not look
like a button, then make it like a button, not displace it. The OP
includes a very good mockup for example:
http://sites.google.com/site/gandreoliva/hybridbutton

I really really think that moving the Ubuntu button out of the
very-top-left-corner is a huge mistake.

If you really have to place the window control buttons to the
very-top-left-corner, then I have a proposal. This just popped into my
mind, and goes like this:

- Make the Launcher cover the whole left edge, going over the top
panel at the top left corner. The Ubuntu button (whatever the design)
is at the top of the Launcher.
- When the cursor is not directed to the top panel, the Launcher shows
or hides according to normal behavior (dodge, autohide, etc).
- If the Launcher is showing, the window controls on the left of the
top panel are hidden, the active-app name (and title?) is displayed on
the top panel (starting from where the window controls would end) and
the appmenu is hidden.
--- While the Launcher is showing, IF THE CURSOR HITS THE TOP PANEL
BEFORE IT HITS THE LAUNCHER, then the Launcher hides, the window
controls and the appmenu is displayed on the top panel and the user
can interact.
--- While the Launcher is showing, the user can activate Dash by
either clicking on the Ubuntu button or by pushing the cursor to top
left corner (second part should be a user configurable option).
- If the Launcher is somehow hidden, and the cursor is NOT on the top
panel, the window controls are replaced by an Ubuntu logo (monochrome
ala 11.04), followed (towards right) by the active-app name (and
title?). Note: this Ubuntu logo is not clickable.
--- While the Launcher is hidden, IF THE CURSOR FIRST HITS THE TOP
PANEL BEFORE IT HITS THE LEFT EDGE, then the window controls and the
appmenu is displayed on the top panel and the user can interact.
--- While the Launcher is hidden, IF THE CURSOR HITS THE LEFT EDGE
FIRST, the Ubuntu logo on top gracefully grows into a button of its
own, while (at the same time) the Launcher fades and/or slides into
view (very nice visual attractions can be achieved here). Once the
Launcher is shown, the user can click anywhere outside, at which
instant, the Launcher and the Ubuntu button fade out of view kind of
in a reverse visual effect.

(If anyone can make a mockup of this, I'd really appreciate it)

I strongly suggest that Canonical and other decision makers consider a
design of this sorts, and not move the Ubuntu button completely out of
the very-top-corner. I'm certain a compromise (as above suggestion)
that is clever ans usable can be achieved between window controls and
Ubuntu button.




On Tue, Aug 30, 2011 at 9:38 AM, Matthew Paul Thomas <mpt@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
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> Eylem Koca wrote on 27/08/11 03:49:
>>
>> The current design is justified by the motivation to move the window
>> control buttons to the top left.
>> Apparently, the usability tests for 11.04 design showed that the
>> window controls are better on the top left, so they moved the Ubuntu
>> button out of that location.
>>...
>
> No, the usability test didn't show anything like that. (How could it
> have, when the test environment used only one placement?)
>
> What it did show was that, except for a bug, everyone managed to close a
> window. However, 4 of 11 people clicked the Me menu thinking it might be
> the close button.
>
> - --
> mpt
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