[ubuntu-art] Ubuntu Powder

[Matthew Nuzum]

Hello,

Just food for thought... I like that the list of extra themes in
Ubuntu this time around has changed. I'd like to toss out an idea for
a new one in Karmic... I could try to avoid stereotyping but it's not
worth the effort. I'll just start with a disclaimer saying that I know
it's a stereotype and I know it's not valid universally.

My suggestion is to include a theme that has a distinctly feminine
appeal. I'm not suggesting eye-burning pink (like is included in XP),
but choosing a human related palette that says to women, "This is for
you."

Here are some of the thoughts behind my suggestion:

 * When going to the grocery store with my son and daughter they often
pick cereal based on the colour of the box. Yes, this is insane, but
my daughter knows that if the box is pink it's for girls and since
she's a girl she wants it. I disagree with this article on a few
fundamental (but overall minute) points, but just to show there is
evidence for this:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2007/aug/21/sciencenews.fashion

 * Most people who use a laptop with a glossy screen hate the glare
within a few hours. They spend uncountable time adjusting their screen
to get an angle with little glare. However most laptops have glossy
screens. Why? Because when you set a glossy and matte screen side by
side on the shelf the glossy screen looks better and sells quicker. It
has shelf appeal. This is directly related to the idea of fixing up
the front of a house before you try to sell it (only then it's called
curb appeal).

 * I've found that if I'm presenting to creative professionals I get
better results when I use the ubuntu studio theme. (the login screen
for intrepid with the brushes sells very well) They can tell when they
see it that it was designed for a designer.

My point is that you can impress people at a glance. We could make a
theme that would make a typical western women feel comfortable and
special, like she was using a computer designed for her. It might help
us reach people we don't currently reach.

Just an idea.

-- 
Matthew Nuzum
newz2000 on freenode, skype, linkedin, identi.ca and twitter