Re: [libreoffice-design] Re: [libreoffice-design] Design Tenets Proposal

2011/6/19 Bernhard Dippold <bernhard@familie-dippold.at>:
> > *The Goals:*
> >
> >    - *Make LibreOffice easy to use while retaining its power.*
>
> I don't know if it is reasonable to have these two topics linked together so
> tigthly.
>
> Ease of use is of course one of the most important goals.
>
> But it relates reciprocally to the complexity of the task.
>
> If we come to a point where these two goals (ease of use and powerful
> feature-richness) are so oppositional that we had to reduce the importance of
> one in favour of the other, which one would be supported?

Features! We cannot lost already existing features just because a
redesigned UI.


> >    This is by
> >    far one of the biggest complaints I have when I suggest that my clients use
> >    LibreOffice - they don't understand where things are in the
> >    menu/toolbar hierarchy.  [...]
>
> I would not introduce details in this phase of the discussion, because they might
> lead to a narrowed view on the topic.
>
> Ease of use is far more than toolbars/menus: numbers of mouse clicks, mouse
> distances, tastature access/accessibility come to my mind - and there are even
> more like colors and contrast, positioning of objects and so on:
>
> Nearly every modification to the UI has an impact in this field.

Agree

> >    - *Lead current trends in technology, don't just follow.*  [...]
> >    Instead of copying another office suite, let's
> >    pave the way for others to build on.
>
> While I fully support the second part of the statement, I don't want to have the
> first one as part of our main goals.
>
> I want to see LibreOffice having the *best* UI, not the newest or trendiest one.

+1000

> There are parts in other UIs being very interesting and clever.  We can include
> them (if legally possible) in our general concept, if they fit well.
>
> If LibreOffice will be a trendsetter or not depends on the fact if we find *better*
> solutions than all the other designer out there (or if we manage to include them
> more consistently in our product).
>
> So just following others is as wrong as setting trends in technology while other
> existing ideas manage to fulfill the necessary task much better...

Fully agree with that

> >    - *Help people to be more efficient.*  This is really important if we
> >    want to get LibreOffice used in more businesses and schools, and is
> >    ultimately the best way to get any piece of software adopted.
>
> This is tightly related to "ease of use", so I'd combine these two goals.
>
> What I'd like to add as goals:
>
> - * Interoperability on different platforms.*
> LibreOffice wants to be present in a similar way on all the major platforms.
> Even if user switch from one platform to another, they should be able to work
> the way they are used to. A major task will be definition of fixed (platform
> independent) and OS-adapted (platform specific) parts in the UI in order to
> find a common way that provides LibreOffice's branding and behavior at the
> same time as smooth integration in the platform (with UI elements, behavior
>  etc)

+1000

> - *Don't forget actual users for possible future ones.*
> Microsoft lost milions of users (to OOo/LibreOffice and others) because they
> didn't take into account, that people tend to keep the Ui they are used to.
> Even with a totally new approach we should be able to find the tasks in a
> similar way to the old one.
>
> - *Let people have fun.*
> Working with LibreOffice should provide positive feelings - have a look at the
> slogan we positioned on the website:
>
> "Make it just work, and look great, too!"

Great points!

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