[Sugar-devel] nitpicks on the sucrose 0.83.6 UI

[Eduardo H. Silva]

2009/2/22 Eben Eliason <eben at laptop.org>:
> On Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 11:42 AM, Eduardo H. Silva
> <hoboprimate at gmail.com> wrote:
>> The Sucrose 0.83.6 Release Notes said that we can comment on it UI on
>> the sugar mailing list, so I hope you don't mind me making my wish
>> list. Many of these things are perhaps nitpicks, but so be it :)
>>
>> 1 - I'm unsure about this one, but you tell me: Boxes around all
>> desktop objects when hovered:
>
> Yes, that was the intent.
>
>> a - For prettiness sake, they could have rounded corners
>
> Yup, see mockup. ;)
> http://laptop.org/en/laptop/interface/index.shtml

I keep forgetting that there _are_ future ideal mockups of the
interface, which already solve many of the issues I find! :)
>
>> b - They should always appear even if the resume by default choice
>> isn't toggled. In fact, all actionable graphic on sugar should have
>> some graphical change when hovered. For example, in the frame, the
>> background for icons change from grey to black. I think this could be
>> easily made with the activity icons by adding to them a new light-grey
>> rounded square which is only visible when hovered. This would mean all
>> icons on the "desktop", XO users, Activity icons, network icons.
>> c - this also makes the interface give more feedback to the user.
>
> Yup yup, this was exactly our thoughts when introducing the rounded
> rect on hover.  It should be ubiquitous in the zoom levels, and Also
> in other places with actionable icons, such as the Journal.
>
>>
>> 2 - a laptop icon to be placed in the bottom of the frame
>> a - It contains in its palette the options:
>>  - Configure
>>  - Logout
>>  - Restart
>>  - Shutdown
>> b - This leaves the current XO in home with only the option "About me"
>
> Actually, we discussed this possibility, and Christian and I were
> averse to it because we want to maintain the idea that the XO itself
> is the hybrid online identity of the user and their machine.  This is
> precisely why the XO is shown at start up, transitioning from stroke
> to colored fill (and why, ideally, the reverse would happen at
> shutdown).
>
>> c - This allows one to access any of the above options from any view,
>> via the frame.
>
> This is possible in the latest builds.  The fact that the XO menu for
> yourself wasn't consistent everywhere was a bug.  You can now access
> the actions you mention from the XO in any zoom level, as well as the
> Frame.
>
>> 3 - Add a "don't Keep" option in the "name this fresh activity"
>> dialog. Perhaps a Keep icon with a cross over it? Or just the erase
>> icon to keep symbols consistent throughout the interface.
>
> I think it goes without saying that this is a desired feature.  I
> guess we need to work out the DS details.
>
>> 4 - Change the "View details" icon to the latest try at it that Eben
>> gave. Perhaps I just don't understand why > is preferable.
>
> I'm with you on the [...] idea.  Christian adamantly opposes.  Perhaps
> it's something we can discuss at an upcoming design meeting.
>
>> 5 - I'm unsure about this one, so I'll just throw it out as food for
>> thought. It takes approximately one second to reveal the primary
>> palette (which usually only titles the object), and another second to
>> reveal the secondary. Perhaps these times could be decreased? Is it
>> really discoverable that a secondary palette exists for a icon, if it
>> takes 2 seconds of a stationary cursor for it to be revealed?
>
> It's a fair question.  It's worth noting that we actually *increased*
> these times after the early releases, because we found that nearly
> everyone would wait for the secondary menu to perform *any* action at
> all on an object, including the simple starting of activities.  This
> wasn't the intent.  The secondary actions were meant to be just that,
> with the default action (the first in the list of the secondary
> palette) being invoked with a simple click on the object.
>
> It seems to me thus far that this was the right decision.  The people
> who cared (because they really wanted the secondary features) then
> learned that right-click reveals the secondary palette immediately.

Perhaps when adding the rounded cornered boxes to actionable icons,
that will signal kids and adults that they are actionable with just
one click. Also, from the experience I've seen with a kid, he doesn't
wait, he just goes ahead and click what he wants to get/have.

> What you say about indication is true, though.  I wonder if there are
> any thoughts on how we could indicate "there is more here" without
> speeding up the reveal.

You know those pieces of paper (usually publicity or fliers) through
which you can detach a part of them because the division has already
been "dotted" (perforated in some manner). The bottom of a primary
palette which contains a secondary palette could have such a bottom
edge, as if it had been ripped from a larger piece of paper (which
would be the entire palette).
>
> Thanks for all the good thoughts!
>
> - Eben

Welcome, I'll try to be at the meeting next saturday.

Eduardo
>
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