unity-design team mailing list archive

[Jo-Erlend Schinstad <joerlend.schinstad@xxxxxxxxx>]

On 05. feb. 2012 20:44, Marco Kirchberger wrote:
> Hi,
> I think if we want to replace the old menu with the HUD we need a kind 
> of hierarchical structures.
> Otherwise you have no option to get familiar with the functions of an 
> application.

I don't see the HUD as a replacement for menus at all. But something 
needs to be done about the menus. Of that there can be no doubt. But if 
the goal is to redesign the menus, then that needs to be the main 
discussion; not how the HUD can be redesigned into becoming a menu 
replacement. I actually think the HUD should stay as non-dominant as 
possible, providing hints about available actions, without blocking too 
much of what's behind. It's in the name; it's supposed to be a Heads-Up 
Display.

To me, the two primary reasons why menus needs to be redesigned and 
fixed is that they are very hostile to users with reduced eyesight or 
control of their hands, such as patients of Parkinson's disease. (but a 
lot of people have problems with this for varying reasons) As a 
replacement for menus, I would rather have something like an AppMap, 
which would be an overlay similar to the keyboard shortcuts overview. 
The menus would not be seen at all when not in use, and would be 
accessed using a new button on the window titlebar. It would not require 
any space on the screen while not in use, but utilize bigger parts when 
it is. And like the keyboard shortcuts overview, it would have a nice, 
big header to show what window it belongs to, such as «Thunderbird 
Composer» This makes it a better overview than the classic menubars. It 
also reduces the chance of traversing into the wrong submenu while mouse 
traveling. This can be a problem for people who are not accustomed to 
using the mouse, have issues with fine muscle movements, etc. It might 
also make menus less of an extremely horrendous ordeal when using a 
touchpad. The ability to increase font size on hover would help to 
reduce the problems faced by those with reduced eye sight. For larger 
applications, the app-map could be scrollable.

In any case, I think replacing the menus is very important. It is 
important enough not to be added almost as an after-thought. It is an 
important subject in its own right. Since keyboard shortcuts, toolbars 
and menus are all just different ways of interacting with an 
applications actions, they are related. That doesn't mean that accessing 
shortcuts and displaying menus should be considered parts of the same 
problem. If the new menu style -- whatever that might turn out to be -- 
could be combined with the HUD in some way, that might be nice. But I 
don't think it should be a primary goal.

Jo-Erlend Schinstad