[Sugar-devel] [DESIGN] Global create-new/modify icon

[Walter Bender]

On Mon, Mar 14, 2011 at 11:28 AM, Gary Martin
<garycmartin at googlemail.com> wrote:
> Hi Simon,
>
> On 10 Mar 2011, at 17:16, Simon Schampijer wrote:
>
>> One of the major functionality in activities is creating and/or modifying, for example creating a new game in Memorize a new abacus in the Abacus activity and so on.
>>
>> I am wondering what would be a good icon to use for that. I have seen the use of a scissor (like editing an activity), or the gear like we use in 'view source'.
>>
>> Any other ideas? And then it would be great if we could set on one and be consistent in activities and use the same icon in all of them.
>
> Thanks for raising this, I've added this topic to next weeks Design Team meeting, I'll try and get a few mockups together before then:
>
>        http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Design_Team/Meetings
>
> Some misc. thoughts regarding using the existing scissor/edit tool and secondary palette.
>
> Pros:
>
>  * existing Activity edit secondary toolbars usually have only copy, paste, sometimes also undo & redo (so there is usually plenty of UI space)
>  * no need to add yet another primary toolbar widget (less complex primary UI and/or space for other tools)

Most existing activities that have this sort of functionality already
have some room allocated on the toolbar, so this doesn't really offer
much advantage.

>  * Sugar design model, editing is what you do during an activity to change it, 'creating new' activities should be done before an Activity begins (e.g. home --> start new, and/or proposed Journal duplicate feature). BTW, Think it is OK for an Activity to support clearing/erasing/reseting state (such as Paint, Memorize), though ideally with reliable undo or versioning support to help prevent accidental data loss.
>
> Cons:
>
>  * overloading an existing UI category (traditional OS users have certain expectations for an edit menu)?
>  * will folks overlook the edit sub-palette and miss the extra modification features?
>  * editing vs. customising/modifying, different enough concepts to need a new primary category?

I think your 'cons' are all spot on.

I remain a fan of the gear, even though it means view source on the Frame.

While we are at it, we have another consistency issue with the <o>
(eye) icon used for view and for record/camera/sensors (the latter in
at least Record and Turtle Art). I wonder if you could come up with
other standard icons for record/camera/sensors??? Or change the icon
for view?

-walter

>
> Mockup of Memorize using existing scissor/edit widget & toolbar:
>
>        http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/User:Garycmartin#Memorize_Toolbar_Mockups
>
> For those who have not seen it, here's the activity customisation design that Walter currently has in Abacus:
>
>
>
>
> Regards,
> --Gary
>
>
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>



-- 
Walter Bender
Sugar Labs
http://www.sugarlabs.org