KDE/kdebase/workspace/plasma/containments/folderview

[Aaron J. Seigo]

On Monday 26 May 2008, Riccardo Iaconelli wrote:
> Ok, then please propose something. I'm saying that *I* can't really do what
> you ask, a background that will look good in any situation. But if you say
> that it's possible, then propose it, make an artwork mockup... 

i've already provided suggestions that give direction towards actually useful 
solutions. 

and black, for all sorts of reasons, isn't it. it's neither brandable, nor 
comforting, nor inspiring. it's Cool(tm) in the same way a black sweater or a 
emo black hair is. and it just doesn't work for a primary user interface 
meant to be used by Most People on a daily basis on large screens.

> > because that's really what's needed: someone to provide some visual
> > design that can step above the "hm... this one particular widget over
> > here needs this particular tweak" mentality and start thinking of the
> > whole.
>
> Nuno is doing an awesome job on this. Or you think he isn't?

looking at the results, no. i don't have issue with the individual pieces of 
art. each alone looks nice, even great. there are two major issues, however:

* completeness; we keep leapfrogging what we have available art-wise with new 
functionality leaving us to fill in these gaps by reusing svg's that were 
never meant for that.

* harmony; the harmony of the artwork that is there is pretty low. they don't 
fit together, and they don't inspire.

> He did an 
> awesome theme for Plasma. Now it looks rather old, sure. I too prefer other
> themes. But it looked damn hot the first time you saw it, and still for
> some months after that.

it's nice art. the pieces that were used in the places they were meant to be 
used are good. but as a desktop theme it's not hot. why? colour, shape. part 
of the latter is because we were forced to use a separate item for the 
handles in the last release, so i don't blame the art totally there.

but the art really doesn't mesh with what i've always seen as the embodyment 
of plasma. the plasma logo is a lot closer to that, actually. not that we 
want a rainbow theme ;) but the default theme ought to convey energy, 
sleekness and some amount of cool.

as i mentioned to some people at tokamak and as i've said on irc a few times 
as well, i really don't expect this to get sorted out by 4.1. this is one of 
my "for 4.2" things.

> But that's not for the artist fault, but for a mere simple reason: perfect
> artwork doesn't exist yet. Everything will tire you and be heavy on your
> eyes after some usage.

that isn't the issue here at all.

> > what point someone thought that using a mostly black screen would be
> > something everyone would think is cool. this isn't a turtleneck sweater
> > and this isn't a beatnick party.
>
> Oh, please... you certainly haven't seen the theme yet, 

no, i haven't. which is pretty awesome. and by "awesome" i mean "yes, i love 
the feeling of not knowing what it is i'll be presenting post 4.1 to people 
as the look of plasma". the fact that i haven't raised any issues with this, 
in spite of it being rather thoughtless, is because i do trust your ability 
as *artists* ... now:

> else you wouldn't 
> say that. I'm not really accepting such complains with such reasons, and
> I'm pretty sure Nuno isn't, either. I think we've already demostrated more
> than better that we know our topics... as Nuno would say.

you know artwork.

this is not the same as art direction. it is not the same as working on  
visual thematics for a product.

the way we are doing the artwork right now is fine from a perspective of 
making pretty pictures that look nice.

but it's also really a bizarr-o method to try and create a product image. 
that's something i've done several times in the past, working with designers 
and art teams in the past.

i hope to apply some of those principles to our art direction in 4.2. it is 
really hard, perhaps even unrealistic, for the art team themself to also 
provide the art direction.

> And I really hate how you accuse us not to be trying to find a good
> solution, asking us to create your vision of the perfect artwork, which
> would work in any case and in any situation. That simply doesn't exist.

and yet i'm using the glassified theme which, lo! does work with all the 
applets i have running including ones with heavy textual content.

there is a reason that the wallpaper and themes are in the same dialog, btw.

regardless, let's revisit this in 4.2 when i have time to actually get 
directly involved in helping with the process of defining a visual styling. 
right now it's just words, and i'm sure it's as frustrating for me as it is 
for you when it's just words.

-- 
Aaron J. Seigo
humru othro a kohnu se
GPG Fingerprint: 8B8B 2209 0C6F 7C47 B1EA  EE75 D6B7 2EB1 A7F1 DB43

KDE core developer sponsored by Trolltech
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