[ubuntu-art] Theme Update

[julian]

..on Sat, Jan 05, 2008 at 02:15:29AM +0200, Nemes Ioan Sorin wrote:
> julian wrote:
> > ..on Fri, Jan 04, 2008 at 10:25:18PM +0100, sylvain marc wrote:
> >> Good theme
> > 
> > this is a clean and eye-pleasing direction.
> > 
> > comments:
> > 
> >   i think the shading on the buttons is a bit too much, perhaps
> >   so much so that it's hard to differentiate between a button-pressed and
> >   a button-normal. could they not be 'flatter'? this may make them look 
> >   like they're more a part of the canvas than the stuff the window title 
> >   is made of..
> > 
> >   i find the diagonal pattern in the scrollbar troughs a bit too much, 
> >   perhaps even dominating the scroll-handle itself. taking the
> >   trough colour back to a simple dark gradiant might be enough. 
> > 
> >   that panel gradiant is good: just enough to give them form.
> > 
> >   the window title text is well resolved too i think: it sits out with the
> >   same depth those buttons are in relief. choice of typeface is great..
> > 
> >   i think the contrast is better in the v1.5 than v1.6. i'd be keen to
> >   see v1.5 with squarer buttons and a few of the above suggestions
> >   implemented..
> > 
> > cheers,
> > 
> 
> Sorry Julian,
> 
> you say "this is a clean and eye-pleasing direction" ...but is not 
> really ;).
> 
> really. From a functional perspective those scrollbars is not what is 
> supposed to be regarding UI Usability.
> 
> First functionality, then the candy - that's the rule in Design.
> 
> Scrollbars must mark visually that there in place, the content overflow 
>   over recipient margins and it's height/width should suggest an 
> approximative difference between how much information are hidden and how 
> much is visible.
> 
> Scrollbar must be enough distinctive place and should not distract the 
> look focus from content. In our case we have here an interesting 
> hypnotic effect created by the scroll-track bar. Moving the scrollbar 
> over the scroll-track - this hypnotic effect is amplified.
> 
> So I see here some problems - theme is nice and clean - but scrollbar 
> design denote one fact -> the author is not yet very clear on it's 
> knowledge, on it's power. Yet.No problem - time and experience will help 
> here. But the scrollbar is not usable as is now.


as you'll read in my comments, i also say the scrollbars need some work.
the buttons have problems too.

nonetheless, i agree with Ken here, the theme is a good start and well 
worth /encouraging/..

> 
> Other elements are OK (excluding colors of course - but is not his 
> choice I understand that).
> 

i also do not believe in the brown; it seems to offend too many to justify 
investment as a basis for design. given that a brown-based theme is 
unnegotiable it is hardly worth debating here however.

a 'hue-wheel' however might be just the medicine for the great number of 
Ubuntu users that dislike brown on their desktop. based on a few tests with 
Gimp i think Ken's Union theme and this theme would well in this regard:

	http://mossblaser.deviantart.com/art/Ubuntu-8-04-GUI-Design-Idea-7257460

cheers,

-- 
julian oliver
http://julianoliver.com
http://selectparks.net