2012/4/26 <usability-requ...@gnome.org> > Send usability mailing list submissions to > usability@gnome.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/usability > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > usability-requ...@gnome.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > usability-ow...@gnome.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of usability digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: Design in the open (Brian Cameron) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:35:49 -0500 > From: Brian Cameron <brian.came...@oracle.com> > To: Allan Day <allanp...@gmail.com> > Cc: Gnome Usability <usability@gnome.org>, desktop-devel-list > <desktop-devel-l...@gnome.org> > Subject: Re: [Usability] Design in the open > Message-ID: <4f9819d5.8090...@oracle.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed > > > Allan: > > I think it is pretty clear that the GNOME UX team is pretty amazing. > As you say, though, I think we recognize that we need to improve in > areas like engagement. > > With GUADEC around the corner, I think now is an important time to > make progress on getting better engagement between the developer > and usability communities within GNOME. Can we plan activities > at GUADEC that could help? Aside from a BOF, I wonder if it might > make sense to do some of the same sorts of activities that were > done at the UX Hackfest in London. I think it would be interesting > to do some usability testing while there, if it were possible to make > that happen. Perhaps the next UX Hackfest could happen to coincide > with GUADEC. > > Are plans being discussed on the usability mailing list? Are there > any particular design-focused talks being planned? At the Desktop > Summit in Berlin, it seemed a lot of talks were about basic design > principles. Do you think we will be seeing that again, but perhaps > more focused on GNOME 3? > > Brian > > > On 04/25/12 08:27 AM, Allan Day wrote: > > Hi all, > > > > Apologies in advance for the long mail - there was no other way. > > > > There have been a few design-related threads on the list recently. I?m > > going to try and reboot those discussions in a slightly different and, > > I hope, more constructive mode. > > > > Let?s start with the big picture - design is important for GNOME. Our > > project?s success rests upon our ability to design and execute an > > outstanding user experience. It is in all our interests to make GNOME > > design work, therefore - to work together to produce a consistent, > > integrated, well-defined, high-quality, delightful user experience. > > > > So far we have made some great progress in this direction. We have a > > small but thriving design community. We have successfully reorganised > > our development processes around design - development tends to be > > design led, and we now have new feature proposals each release rather > > than module proposals. > > > > There are very few, if any, real community projects that have achieved > > this feat. Members of other projects have even approached me in the > > past to ask how they can replicate GNOME?s success in this area. > > > > But there are challenges and things we can do better. Among those > > obstacles, I see: > > > > * lack of design resources - we are always trailing behind where we > > want to be, and there are important tasks which we are unable to > > complete (a new HIG springs to mind) > > * improving the quality of design - we can always do better > > * getting the project behind a common vision - we sometimes lack focus > > * giving people a stake in the project - the danger of design-led > > development is that people feel that the project is no longer theirs. > > They want to feel they can have an impact and that they can express > > themselves through their activities in the community. > > * design disagreements can sour relationships and lead to discord > > * letting people stay in touch with and understand design activities, > > and therefore the activities of the project as a whole > > * helping community members to participate in design activities > > > > Now, there have been some initiatives in GNOME to try and help make > > design more successful within the community. Some of those are > > well-known, like the design wiki pages and the IRC channel, but there > > have been other things too, like design office hours (remember those? > > nobody came), UX Advocates (also suffered from a lack of take up) and > > Every Detail Matters. We are also working to attract more design > > contributors, which the Outreach Program for Women is really helping > > with right now (yay!) > > > > But there is more we can do. The challenge for us as a community is to > > make design an even more successful part of what we do. This isn?t an > > easy challenge and I don?t think there are any quick fixes, but we > > have experience and a rich community on our side. > > > > It is important to recognise that improving the state of design in > > GNOME isn?t just the responsibility of designers. There are things > > that all of us can do to help - from the release team and maintainers, > > to individual developers and community advocates. Here are some of my > > ideas for things that all of us can do to make design work more > > effectively and harmoniously as a part of GNOME: > > > > * a more rigorous (and better documented) feature proposal process > > * new tools for displaying and discussing designs, such as something > > like Dribble or Design Hub > > * a process for resolving design disagreements - perhaps maintainers > > or the release team could mediate if a dispute seems intractable? > > * better communications about where GNOME is going and what the > > project is trying to achieve > > * some kind of active community management role to help soothe ruffled > feathers > > * advertised designer playgrounds and discussion areas (for people > > wanting to stretch their design wings) > > * tackle bad behaviour across the project in a more proactive manner > > (will ensure that disagreements don?t get out of hand) > > * micro release-cycles in which new features are advertised, completed > > and tested > > * better testing facilities so people can test and give feedback on UX > > changes before release time > > * keep a running list of design tasks that are appropriate for newcomers > > * work to prevent design disputes - ensure early informal contact > > between designers and developers at the beginning of feature > > initiatives > > > > So there are lots of ways that we can do design better as a community, > > and contributors on this list can all play a part in helping to make > > us to be even more successful in this regard. It will take actions as > > well as words to move forward, of course - if you want to help, or > > have your own ideas, just get in touch. > > > > Allan > > > > tl;dr version > > > > GNOME design is a community-wide effort - it is not just the > > responsibility of designers. We?ve got a lot to be proud of in this > > area, but there are also challenges to overcome. There many things > > that can help to make GNOME design a success, but it will require > > people to step up and help out. > > -- > > IRC: aday on irc.gnome.org > > Blog: http://afaikblog.wordpress.com/ > > _______________________________________________ > > desktop-devel-list mailing list > > desktop-devel-l...@gnome.org > > http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/desktop-devel-list > > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > usability mailing list > usability@gnome.org > http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/usability > > > End of usability Digest, Vol 95, Issue 5 > **************************************** >
-- ...nebot kdo se narodil z Boha, premaha svet. A to vitezstvi, ktere premohlo svet, je nase vira. 1. list Januv 5:4 -- www.bible-online.cz -- -- www.cb.cz/zbraslav --
_______________________________________________ usability mailing list usability@gnome.org http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/usability
