[dev] New UI Design

[Eric Rostetter]

Quoting "Gloves (Jesse Padilla)" <jesse at pluginbox.com>:

> *Good Design/Good UI Design (in a nutshell-if possible)*
> In design school you learn the principles of design.  These are rules
> that should never be broken in design.

And rules that may be broken, but that is a different issue.

>   Some of the rules have to do with contrast, color themes, space, hue,
> lines, typography and composition.  These rules can be written down for
> anyone to follow.  If they apply all of these rules and don't break any,
> they WILL have a good design.

And we would love to have some help in many of these areas.  So even if
you can't get everything you want, I'm sure various parts would be accepted.

> [See PluginBox UI - Email] Notice how there are 3 different sized Icons.

We really need help with the graphics, but until yourself no graphic
designer had volunteered.  So the graphics tend to be, in some cases,
really bad...

> *Making the Design Work with Horde*

This is one of your main problems.  Through out your posting you refere
to what is good for "an email" application.  Horde is not an email
application (IMP is).  Horde is much more than an email application.

> I would most defiantly make new icons for many/all of the current
> modules. I will also create Illustrator, Photoshop templates and
> guidelines for anyone who would like to create their new icons for a new
> module on this theme.

This would be a tremendous service.  Right now, our icons are not even
standard sizes.  There is some effort lately to standardize on 13x13 and
16x16 for icons, but still many are different sizes yet.  And as I said
above, many of them are pretty bad (like my sork icons).  We've never
had an artist to help with the icons, more less a graphic designer, so
things are pretty bad in the some of the icons...  Help here would be
fantastic.
 
> *Unlimited Modules*
> There is always a limit.  Everyone knows that.  I imagine that 30+
> modules is on the high side and that 90% of the users might not have
> installed that may. However if they did install and were using 30+
> modules there should be an option to remove the large images above the
> module names to reduce the vertical scrolling.
> 
> Also, currently your bottom frame on the Horde suite is no-scroll.  So
> if i added 100 modules to it currently there is no way for me to get to
> some of them.

As Chuck already stated, you are looking at the old UI, not the new UI
already in developement.  Please check out the current work that is
already being done.  We've already identified and tried to fix some of
the problems you mention.

> I'm not exactly sure what specific group you are trying to develop this
> software for. <-- (may be a promotional problem.)

Actually, the idea is not to make it for any specific group, but to make it
usable by any groups who want to use it.

> Also, there needs to at least be enough room for a largely horizontal
> Logo design to be fitted.

This should be, if possible, optional, not manditory.  In other words, 
any one who wants should be able to insert a large logo at the top, but
people who want no logo, or a small logo, shouldn't have to (be forced
to) leave more than the needed amount of space at the top.

I do agree space at the top is nice, but not too much space.  Again, "too
much" depends on the end-user's needs.

> *Please Help Me*
> I have never contributed to an open source project especially one of
> this popularity. I would like it if I could find someone to talk
> to/email that would help me. (doesn't easily get frustrated with dumb
> questions) Once you guys have decided weather or not to use this design
> that is.

Well, you can try to redesign it.  Or you can help piece-meal also, towards
your vision.  And most people on this list don't mind questions, even stupid
ones ;)

One thing I will say, is that most changes happen by piece-wise refinement.
It is rare to accept a whole new design without rehashing it several times
based on feedback, comments, etc.  So, don't dispare!  Propose something,
and then modify as needed until it is acceptable to both you and the
majority of other developers.  Then you have a real winning combination.

-- 
Eric Rostetter
The Department of Physics
The University of Texas at Austin

Why get even? Get odd!