[Bug 166894] LibreOffice Writer (Tabbed Compact) – Interface Redesign

[bugzilla-daemon at bugs.documentfoundation.org]

https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=166894

--- Comment #4 from Eyal Rozenberg <eyalroz1 at gmx.com> ---
Hello Roman,

First, let me thank you for taking the initiative of proposing a UI mode design
(or redesign). This is an important contribution already, as it moves us away
from the "this is what we got and we need to live with it" mindset. I mean, it
might be that what we got is pretty good, but that should be challenged.

Second, I must ask you for more mockups (or screenshots?) -  as right now, I
only see one mockup (the "before/after comparison" in the presentation). We
really need some more. Specifically, what happens when we click the various
tabs; and what happens when the screen is narrower.

Finally, I'm not going to opine on what I think about this design, because
first I have lots of questions!


1. Why did you choose to redesign the "Tabbed Compact" UI mode, specifically?
That is, what's important about it, in your view? The two 'prominent' UI modes
at the moment are Menus+Toolbars and Tabbed (a.k.a. Tab Bar). In fact, judging
by your design principles (see also later questions), it seems you may be more
interested in "Single Toolbar".

2. Why a redesign as opposed to just designing another UI mode with inspiration
from an existing one? i.e. do you want to replace "Tabbed Compact", or is that
not consequential?

Regarding "Design approach and UX prorities"...

3. In Tabbed Compact, there are no menus, only tabs; so, how can "secondary
actions go into menus"? This would make more sense if we were in the "Single
Toolbar" UI mode.

4. You write that you aim for "simplicity for beginners". What kind of
beginners are you thinking of? Younger users? Users who have not had experience
with an office productivity suite? Or users who are beginning to use
LibreOffice, and may otherwise be experienced?

5. What is your definition of "clean"/cleanliness of a UI? "Simplicity" of a
UI?

6. Can you list som e "familiar patterns" which you consider favorably?

7. The UIs of Google Docs and MS Office are significantly different; Google
Docs does not use ribbons, for example. MSO and OnlyO both have ribbons, but
these ribbons have significant differences.  How does this agree with your
desire to adopt "familiar patterns"?

8. What do you consider to be the LibreOffice "brand colors"?

9. In your mockup (slide 4, "Before/After Comparison" you place
direct-formatting controls on the toolbar, and remove all (?) style-related
controls. Can you describe the rationale for this? Do you relate this to the
principle of "simplicity for beginners"?

10. What do you envision as the interaction between this UI mode and the
sidebar?

11. In the standard UI mode, one can choose whether buttons will exhibit an
icon, text, or icon-plus-text; and the default is no-text - while the menus are
textual. DO you want your new UI mode to be fully label-free, or do you see
this as something the user should be able to toggle? If so, when and how?

12. In your mockup, the controls, or groups of controls, seem to be rather
spaced out - more so than most other LO UI modes. Can you elaborate regarding
this choice, and whether you see it as something basic, or just a customizable
seeting?

13. Do you intend the controls on the toolbar to agree with the Desktop
Environment / GUI framework's UI/controls style? So that switching VCLs will
mean the toolbar looks different? Or - do you suggest a 'bespoke' toolbar in
this UI mode, irrespective of the VCL?

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