To comment on the following update, log in, then open the issue: http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=85309 Issue #|85309 Summary|GUI: Radical New GUI Design Component|framework Version|OOo 2.3 Platform|All URL| OS/Version|All Status|UNCONFIRMED Status whiteboard| Keywords| Resolution| Issue type|FEATURE Priority|P3 Subcomponent|ui Assigned to|tm Reported by|discoleo
------- Additional comments from [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wed Jan 16 21:40:35 +0000 2008 ------- This issue is more extensively discussed in the wiki: http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/User_Experience/Grand_Concept/GUI Please note, this is work in progress and still needs a lot of fiddling around. The graphics that I will attach are very early attempts and need a lot of improvements and rework. Unfortunately, I am a little bit short of time and so I decided to post this issue unfinished. INTRO ===== Current dialogs are based really on old concepts. Therefore: * much space is wasted (dead space) -- user clicks only on very small areas of the dialog and everything else just fills the area -- big dialogs often overlap the document/program * impaired users find it difficult to click on a very small button/item * visually impaired users have difficulty viewing some of these small elements inside the dialog -- some parts of the dialog get highly cluttered Radical New Design ================== The following radical new design tries to solve all these problems. Please note, this is work in progress and far from complete. 1. Dead Space ============= Most space inside dialogs is dead space: - it does NOT convey any *information* - it does NOT convey any *function* (the user can click on it and nothing happens) SOLUTION/CONCEPT Everything is a BUTTON! Similar to the UNIX concept, Everything is a file!, every area of the new dialog will behave like a button: - the user can click everywhere and the specific action will be performed - NO dead space, everything is functional 2. Travel Distance ================== The travel distance in many existing dialogs is quite huge. There are 2 solutions to this problem: the previously mentioned Everything is a button-concept and a new arrangement of the GUI-elements. SOLUTION/CONCEPT Pie/Round Dialogs The smallest travel distance can be found for radially-arranged items. 3. Selection Accuracy ===================== Many disabled people find it very difficult to click on the very small buttons and check buttons commonly employed inside dialogs. SOLUTION/CONCEPT Pie/Round Dialogs The added benefit of a circular arrangement (pie), is the significant increase in the area available for clicking. This area increases with the distance from the center. A disabled person will more readily click inside the correct pie-segment, than hitting a very small button. A more versatile user will use the small area more closely to the center, while the less versatile people can move the mouse to the outer 3rd of the pie and have instantly a much wider selection/clicking area. 4. Default Options ================== Often, one has to select some option from many items. Drop-down lists containing dozens of items are encountered frequently, although most users will mostly use only 2-3 items for >90% of the time. SOLUTION/CONCEPT Sensible Defaults Every such item/options-list should have 2-3 sensible defaults. When the user clicks on the corresponding pie-segment, the option should toggle between these 2-3-(4) defaults, then returning to the first default. IF a user needs in a rare instance another option, then he will access the corresponding drop-down list, but most of the time he will be able to click just 2-3 times (on the same area!) and get the wanted option. If users need regularly more than 4 options, then something is wrong with the design of the dialog, and the list should be probably split into 2 or more controls. See attached graphics for further details and the wiki page. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Please do not reply to this automatically generated notification from Issue Tracker. Please log onto the website and enter your comments. http://qa.openoffice.org/issue_handling/project_issues.html#notification --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
