Widget Explorer usability problems

[Sean]

2010/1/11 Aaron J. Seigo <aseigo at kde.org>

> On January 11, 2010, Sean wrote:
> > Hello all,
> >
> > The widget explorer has some serious usability issues in my view, which
> I'd
> > like to highlight.
> >
> > 1. Having to click 10 times via the end arrows  just to get to the end of
> > the widgets is bad(Yes I know you can use the mouse wheel).
>
> i'd like to see click-and-hold semantics.
>
> > 2. Having to click 9 times just to get to the end of the category's
> filter
> > end is bad.
>
> click and hold.
>
> > 3. There are too many categories. Give the user a small selection and
> this
> > will in turn give some UI space back.
>
> do you have suggestions for which categories are redundant?
>
> > 4. The two problems above are compounded by having a smaller resolution.
>
> your list has a usability issue: not all of the items in the list are
> actually
> usability issues. hehe, sorry, i COULDN'T resist ;)
>
> > 5. Tooltips are huge when you mouse over the widgets, with a lot of
> wasted
> > space.
>
> yes, looks like some missing adjustSize()s
>
> > 6. An option is needed to remove running widgets.
>
> why? (and just to warn you, we've already been through this one; i have yet
> to
> see any compelling reason to add this to the UI)
>
> > 7. Don't overlay a small tick on the widget's image to show they're
> > running(especially on a blue coloured widget icon, since the tick is
> blue).
> > It doesn't clearly show what widget is running, despite the fact the
> > category shows a "running" filter.
>
> we either need better artwork for that or a better way to communicate it.
> it's
> something people wish to see, apparently. personally, i'd be fine with it
> not
> being shown at all.
>




The click and hold idea doesn't solve the issue, which is; You shouldn't put
too many categories in the filter UI. (Usability). Something like,  Most
used, Favourites, running. Why not mirror the Kickoff and use terms the user
knows or let the search box filter the widgets as it does now?

Not being able to remove widgets from the desktop via the UI makes it look
like some watered down place. Do you expect users to edit their plasma
config just to remove widgets that cannot be removed via the normal way?(yes
it happens) It doesn't seem logical that you can add a widget and see it
running but not remove it from the same UI.

I think the running widgets should be showed via a small green
glow underneath the widget running(green usually means on, go, working). Why
not use the same idea and make it a small button, green for on like a
switch(the green glow would disappear when you click it and it removes the
widget).

Yes I can do any artwork needed.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mail.kde.org/pipermail/plasma-devel/attachments/20100111/da2d7be6/attachment.htm