[Sugar-devel] nitpicks on the sucrose 0.83.6 UI

[Eduardo H. Silva]

Just another nitpick I've remembered. When in resume mode, the option
to start a fresh instance of an activity is just named "Start". Could
it perhaps be made more explicit, like "Start new activity"?

Eduardo

2009/2/22 Eduardo H. Silva <hoboprimate at gmail.com>:
> 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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>>
>