Edgy artworks

[jmak]

On 6/19/06, Robert McWilliam <rmcw at allmail.net> wrote:
>
> On Mon, 19 Jun 2006 15:23:18 -0400
> jmak <jozmak at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > On 6/19/06, Vincent <imnotb at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > What do you mean exactly here?
> > >
> >
> >  Oh, here I was thinking about the gtk themes. For instance, it is
> > essential that the visible structures (buttons, dialogs and so forth)
> > have clear and easily identifiable states. Otherwise users can get
> > confused. For instance, the various button states have to be clear
> > and easily recognizable; the same with the selected menu items; the
> > text and the backgrounds are often similar in tones making
> > readability difficult. Did you know that about 10% of the male
> > population is color blind? Mostly for the warm colors. These people
> > have a hard time differentiate between warm yellowish tones and blue.
> > Maybe these things sound marginal but research shows that in fact,
> > they are very important elements that designers have to take into
> > account all the time.
> >
> > J. Mak
> >
>
> I'd say that is a fairly compelling argument for keeping the artwork
> fairly similar across the different flavours: good design is hard, do
> we really need to duplicate the effort?
>
> Robert


Robert,

Kubuntu people already decided that they go their own way independent from
the rest. But if we just copy things and try to emulate the ubuntu look and
feel we never develop our own identity. In addition, we might end up using
the not so good solutions for xubuntu. Don't think for a moment that Ubuntu
artworks are that great. I remember there was a lot of angry discussion when
the dapper development started, when Mr Shoutleworth said that he wanted
orange to be the window manager color. Those with artistic training opposed
it because they understood that orange is a difficult color to work with. It
is hard to make it attractive and in the same time functional. Some even
quit the art team. Now we have the orange theme in ubuntu. Do you think it
is great? I don't think so. It is ok but far from great. And this is not the
matter of taste. Depending on its value orange could be quite disturbing,
too close to red. If you lighten it up too much it becomes noxious, you get
a headache, if you tone it down it becomes dull. I could tell you other
examples as well but don't want to tire you with these technicalities. But I
had to tell these to show that we are not necessarily on the right track if
we mindlessly copy everything ubuntu people do. Why don't we do the same as
the kubuntu team and aim for the best, rather that accepting the status of
the second violinist.

Regards,
J. Mak
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