GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 326070
Theme manager interface is too complex.
Last modified: 2007-11-11 20:09:05 UTC
I would like to offer a better aproach for the theme manager ui, I'll attach a mockup (this is the first day that I use bugzilla so if I'm unable to attach the .png file, I'll add a coment with a flickr url). There are several reasons to propose this as a better interface that the current, theese are: - The current interface is too complex: there are no invitation to the user to drag and drop theme packages (yes, the details dialog has something about it, but that dialog is suposed not to be opened for everyone), and the Install dialog is not very usable since it uses the full path and you have to enter to another dialago more to select the package to install it. - Another problem is that there are lot of icons previews that hides the app and window previews (yes I know, maybe I have to file it as a separated bug). - Right now, in art.gnome.org we don't support one-package-themes, I mean, you have to download icons themes, metacity themes and gtk themes separately. -The theme details preference is harder to manage than the main one, you have to select themes from a text list, so, if you don't know how a theme looks like you have to select one by one until you find what you are looking for. -The "themes folder" doesn't have much sense (maybe themes:// could be better), I think that the user should manage the list from the list, and he (or she) doesn't have to go to a nautilus window to delete or ¿browse? into it. In order to avoid all those problems, I created a mockup, let me know what you think about it. Other information: I have to say that I'm not an usability expert (far from that), and I don't want to criticise the work of no one, so if I use wrong words to say something, please, notice that my english skills could (and should) be very improved ;), the work and sugestion that I've done comes from the way that I think that most users and myself, could handle themes easily. Sugestions are welcome :)
Created attachment 56909 [details] Mockup for theme-manager Notice that with this aproach the interface has no dialogs at all, so you can do everything in the main window, and what you see is what you get :P
Thanks for your bug
The problem with this mockup, is that you loose the ability to install or create "metathemes" - i.e. an item that is a collection of themes.
Thos, indeed, but the way that most people customize its desktop is chossing differents icon, app and metacity themes. The way that themes are distributed in art.gnome.org are separated pieces. This mockup is just an example on how to improve the interface for the most common use of the dialog, and I would like to discuss how would be possible to incorporate the ideas behind it on the current dialog.
Once bug 325300 is fixed, I hope that art.gnome.org will start distributing "metathemes". Some themes already install an index.theme to allow a selection from the main theme list, so I don't think it would be wise to remove it.
Closing as obsolete since the capplet got a major overhaul for 2.20.