unity-design team mailing list archive

[Thibaut Brandscheid <randaltor@xxxxxx>]

> As well as being simple for a basic user facilities that more
> sophisticated users need must be provided.  Next you will be
> suggesting removing split screen and tree view from Nautilus.  No-one
> would ever suggest that.
>
The split view is not a feature in the main UI window of nautilus causing
any average UX problems... I have nothing against the split view.


>
> >> On Tue, Dec 11, 2012 at 9:27 PM, Gabriel Pettier
> >> <gabriel.pettier@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >> I would hate this too, even if you seldomly use it, doesn't need you
> won't
> >> find it infuriating that > it went away when you'll actually need it.
> I'm
> >> pretty sure people would hate to have them
> >> removed.
> >
> > Yes, we need the sort functionality, but do we need this
> one-click-buttons
> > in the "front UI"?
> > If you would have to go to the settings, or would have to right click to
> > unlock and make the Sort-By buttons visible and editable, would that be
> such
> > a big loss?
>
> That is a different suggestion to your original idea, which was to
> remove them completely.

All I try to say is that we have a UX problem with the Sort-By buttons - I
have no final solution for the problem.

Move the action that is triggered by the Sort-By buttons to the preferences
could be one solution.
Moving it to the right click menu another.
Or locking & unlocking the Sort-By button row.
Or a single small button on the right of the Sort-By menu to change the
sort pattern.
No setting at all could be a solution too - a bad one - but it would work
for 95% of the time...

I have no final thought, just come up with something better/more suitable
for average users.

> How often are the buttons used?
> > rarely
>
> Most days by me, for sorting columns in nautilus for example.  It
> would be painful to have to go to the preferences to change it.  Often
> I switch to date sorting to see which files have changed then back to
> sorting by name.
>
If you use it that often, then maybe you would be okay with some shortcuts
- like for switching the folder view in nautilus by pressing CTRL + [1-3].
"All" of my thoughts are base on the assumption that changing the sort
pattern is a rare issue for average users - I could be wrong.

How often is the change-sorting-action being used is the key question to
find a good UX design. If its widely used by all user groups it should stay
as it is. If its only often used by power users the action could be
re-design.

> How much space do they take?
> > They use horizontally quite much space (horizontal space is really
> valuable
> > space)
>
> I don't see how they take space in nautilus, or do you think the
> column headings are not necessary?  They certainly do not take up any
> horizontal space.
>
I think the information that is present in the Sort-By buttons is
negligible most times (Nautilus & Thunderbird, but not in Rhythmbox).
Looking at the file column tells me all I need to know (filename, size,
type, date - its pretty easy to grasp and everyone who cares about the
displayed information can distinguish them).