Re: need suggestions on UI design for Linux

Hi!

>On Wed, 17 Apr 2019 08:22:54 -0400
>LM <[email protected]> wrote:

> [...] Rather than recreate the menu as is, I'd like to do
> a paradigm shift and replace it with something that's simple,
> intuitive, more user friendly and works for small screen devices as
> well as regular or large screens.  It also needs to work with the
> following input options:  keyboard, mouse, touchscreen.

I admit I had to look up what CUA actually is, since I don't normally
work on UX. As I understand, it's the "usual" AKA "nineties" way of
making a GUI.

I honestly think CUA is hard to beat. But there is hope.

A few years back I started using Steam and I have to say I was
impressed with Steams UX. Like, I really like it.

If I were to create my perfect non-CLI computer interface (and it is
definitely on the TODO list), I would try to copy the "essence" of
Steams interface.

I'm not perfectly sure what that "essence" is, but I think it is the
way that the UI lays out the actions you can perform before your eyes.
In the sense that controls (buttons) for all the operations are *right
there* in front of you. Other options are neatly tucked under a menu
that opens in a page that has a sane organization. On the left there is
long list of "titles", and clicking on them will open a page on the
right that is filled with widgets. Occasionally, there will be a link
that will take you to a new specialized page that deals only with a
single functionality.

Another good source for inspiration in my opinion is
http://www.amazon.com/ . While Amazons web pages are literally crammed
with "stuff", all that stuff never seems to get in my way. I think that
I could always easily find whatever I was looking for (UI-wise). I
think the only exceptions to this were when I triggered an error on the
website and the website didn't properly tell me what the error was.

The Windows 10 interface, in particular the "control panel" could have
something to teach us, but it is basically the identical principle as
the one Steam uses for its "advanced operations page".

I also have *very* fond memories of Inkscape and it's interface. Sooo
fast, and inline with my expectations. Didn't fight me. Working on
Inkscape felt like washing your brain in warm goodness.

I keep thinking (when I have time to think about UX) that if we could
figure out how to copy video game interfaces into "serious
applications", we would be onto something.

> If you could design the equivalent functionality of a menu system for
> your desktop and small screen Linux devices any way you wanted, how
> would you like to see it done?

If I could somehow copy Steam onto my computer, I would.

Maybe a good paradigm shift would be to start thinking of a GUI as a
web page for you own computer. The web page then needs to showcase
everything you can do with it, but in a sensible manner. Enter Steam
and Amazon to show how to be sensible with that mass of information.

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