[ubuntu-art] Help with usability issues etc.

[Matthew Paul Thomas]

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Hi Kristina

Sorry for the late reply. I didn't see your message until now, because
it was posted to the artwork list. (Ubuntu has other mailing lists for
usability <https://launchpad.net/~ayatana>, accessibility
<https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-accessibility>, and
desktop software in general
<https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-desktop>.)

Kristina Charis wrote on 27/12/11 18:39:
> 
> Hello everyone,
> 
> Feel free to contact me if you need any help with Human Computer 
> Interaction related issues, e.g. usability, accessibility, user 
> experience etc. and I will be happy to help. I am a masters
> student in Human Computer Interaction, have been using Ubuntu for
> about 2 years.
> 
> ...


If you would like to help out with design work, that would be excellent!

Here's a simple task to start off with: redesigning the Jockey tool.

Open System Settings. Under the "Hardware" section, choose "Additional
Drivers". You should see a window something like this:
<http://imgur.com/jCUXR>

Now, think of half a dozen ways to present this interface differently.
For example, as:
*   its own panel inside System Settings (instead of a window)
*   part of the "System Info" panel of System Settings (since it's about
    hardware)
*   part of Ubuntu Software Center (since it's about installing/removing
    software, specifically drivers)
*   part of Update Manager (since installing a proprietary driver, like
    installing updates, is something you may need to do shortly after
    installing Ubuntu).

Identify benefits and disadvantages of each approach, and make a
recommendation. :-)

Some questions you might consider when choosing a design:
*   What should its title be? <http://launchpad.net/bugs/635640>
*   If there is an additional driver available, how should an Ubuntu
    user learn this automatically? <http://launchpad.net/bugs/617392>
*   What should happen if the interface is invoked manually, when no
    extra drivers are available? <http://launchpad.net/bugs/520871>
*   How can people make an informed decision about whether to install a
    driver? <http://launchpad.net/bugs/397465>
    <http://launchpad.net/bugs/512902>
    <http://launchpad.net/bugs/550083>
*   What should happen if there's no Internet connection when you try to
    download a driver? <http://launchpad.net/bugs/299023>
*   How should progress be shown? <http://launchpad.net/bugs/290242>
    <http://launchpad.net/bugs/614827>
*   What should happen if a driver fails to install?
    <http://launchpad.net/bugs/311650>
*   What should happen after a driver is installed or removed?
    <http://launchpad.net/bugs/739242>
*   Should searching for a printer driver use the same interface, or a
    custom interface? <http://launchpad.net/bugs/596141>

If you're interested in this task, or if there's something else in
particular you'd like to work on, let me know.

Cheers
- -- 
mpt
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