[Libreoffice-ux-advise] Altering the template manager to act as a start center

[Emir Yâsin SARI]

Considering that current start center lacks the functionality of showing recent document previews, and uses pretty much excess screen space (in most cases users mostly maximise the start center window), I thought it would be a cool idea to tweak the new template manager with the functionality of being able to show previews of recent documents, some basic marketing stuff like a small LO logo and implement it as the new start center. 

Speaking as a Mac user, both iWork and MS Office uses this approach - although Office application shortcuts directly open the main window, iWork tends to display a template/recent documents screen every time an iWork application opens. In these windows it is possible to select pre-defined templates and select recent documents from a drop-down menu. What LibreOffice could do is, adding recent document previews (though it would be better to add an option to disable previews) and placing LO components' shortcuts would be great. 

With this approach users will be able to directly select a template and start their work. And on the other hand I am not sure having a start center with lots of excess screen space usage and less functionality looks professional enough. IMHO splash screen is enough to "notify" the user that LibreOffice software is starting. 

The next step would be deactivating the loading progress bar at the bottom of the window, and replace it with something inside the template manager or displaying a smaller one, like the old "Firefox is installing the updates and will launch shortly" type of dialog. 

1. Pages Start Center: http://imgur.com/eOtXYPS,XZWONJS
2. Numbers Start Center: http://imgur.com/itI6uvS
3. Keynote Start Center: http://imgur.com/olRbw80
4. Powerpoint Start Center: http://imgur.com/sUSKHlF

The reason that neither iWork nor MS Office has one unified application startup system, above windows are all mostly concentrated on selecting templates. But Libreoffice would do a better job by unifying both application startups and templates in the same, small, elegant window. 

I have also created a thread in Bugzilla: https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=61914

Best regards,
Emir



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