Considering that current start center lacks the functionality of showing recent document previews, and uses pretty much excess screen space (in most cases users mostly maximise the start center window), I thought it would be a cool idea to tweak the new template manager with the functionality of being able to show previews of recent documents, some basic marketing stuff like a small LO logo and implement it as the new start center. Speaking as a Mac user, both iWork and MS Office uses this approach - although Office application shortcuts directly open the main window, iWork tends to display a template/recent documents screen every time an iWork application opens. In these windows it is possible to select pre-defined templates and select recent documents from a drop-down menu. What LibreOffice could do is, adding recent document previews (though it would be better to add an option to disable previews) and placing LO components' shortcuts would be great. With this approach users will be able to directly select a template and start their work. And on the other hand I am not sure having a start center with lots of excess screen space usage and less functionality looks professional enough. IMHO splash screen is enough to "notify" the user that LibreOffice software is starting. The next step would be deactivating the loading progress bar at the bottom of the window, and replace it with something inside the template manager or displaying a smaller one, like the old "Firefox is installing the updates and will launch shortly" type of dialog. 1. Pages Start Center: http://imgur.com/eOtXYPS,XZWONJS 2. Numbers Start Center: http://imgur.com/itI6uvS 3. Keynote Start Center: http://imgur.com/olRbw80 4. Powerpoint Start Center: http://imgur.com/sUSKHlF The reason that neither iWork nor MS Office has one unified application startup system, above windows are all mostly concentrated on selecting templates. But Libreoffice would do a better job by unifying both application startups and templates in the same, small, elegant window.
Reasonable idea, but please be mindful of over all Accessibility when adding these graphical features to the UI. Bug 61390 is already open against the template manager.
Created attachment 76042 [details] Mock-up 1 A first basic mock-up of how it would look.
Created attachment 76044 [details] Mock-up 2
Marking as NEW. Saw the discussion/ideas passing by on the mailing list.
Thank you for confirming it Joren. I hope this would get some attention.
@Emir, With the close of the GSOC work on StartCenter, and recent UX Design rework of StartCenter implemented on TinderBox builds of Master 4.2.0alpha+ after 15 Nov can we close out this issue? http://nabble.documentfoundation.org/Libreoffice-ux-advise-GSoC-Use-Widget-Layout-for-the-Start-Center-td4067078.html https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Development/Gsoc/Ideas#Use_Widget_Layout_for_the_Start_Center https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Design/Meetings/2013-11-10 http://nabble.documentfoundation.org/Start-Center-tc4082013.html http://nabble.documentfoundation.org/Welcome-screen-LO-4-2-tc4083212.html Regards, Stuart
If not, guess we could turn this into a META bug to historically track any outstanding design issues on the StartCenter, including some of the GTK+ UI Widget introduced issues of keyboard navigation and accessibility. My last note included the relevant Design and UX-advise ML threads, and I've referenced most the currently active issues regards keyboard navigation in the Widget based UI (Template manager, Sidebar and now StartCenter).
A Meta bug thread would make sense I think.
I like this idea. I am quite new to this project so please forgive any missteps in regards to the ignorance I might display in regards to the actual structure of the program. While looking at the template manager process I noticed that it seemed quite clunky -- perhaps because it opens as a dialog, rather than as a frame. Debugging the template manager, I have noticed that it seems stitched v. integrated as a core process. Should we pause here to consider what exactly constitutes a "template" ... On the one hand, long time users have certainly created templates upon which they rely; on the other hand, if templates are incorporated into the start center, there should be a guarantee of content both for established users as well as new users; not merely a link to 'download' templates but rather a distributed library or integration of libreoffice templates online.
Created attachment 89328 [details] Mateusz Zasuwik provided 20131015
Created attachment 89329 [details] MinHsien provided 20131110 move left
Created attachment 89330 [details] Mirek2 provided mocup 20131023
Created attachment 89332 [details] Astron_post_Design_teamMtg_mockup1_20131110
Created attachment 89333 [details] Astron_post_Design_teamMtg_mockup2-empty_20131110
Created attachment 89334 [details] Kendy_implemented_StartCenter_LODev420alpha1+_20131114
(In reply to comment #10) > Created attachment 89328 [details] > Mateusz Zasuwik provided 20131015 I like this. The structure seems very intuitive as the primary focus of the window is hierarchical level tabbing through thumbnails of recent/existing documents by types. Keeping the create new pane rightmost more closely follows a node/branch paradigm, whereas move left seems to imply drilling down into the node structure of the preview plane... keeping the create new pane on the right seems more intuitive to me
@Krisztian, A shame you didn't get involved int the last few design meetings where the final cuts were made--but we know how much work you put in over the summer! Thank you! Would you care to post up snips of the layouts you worked through for your GSOC project? Or should I pick a couple starting with Mirek's original mockups? Stuart
@Marc (In reply to comment #16) > (In reply to comment #10) > > Created attachment 89328 [details] > > Mateusz Zasuwik provided 20131015 > > > I like this. The structure seems very intuitive as the primary focus of the > window is hierarchical level tabbing through thumbnails of recent/existing > documents by types. Keeping the create new pane rightmost more closely > follows a node/branch paradigm, whereas move left seems to imply drilling > down into the node structure of the preview plane... keeping the create new > pane on the right seems more intuitive to me There was some discussion in the design meeting 2013-11-10 regards a right or left sidebar alignment and they decided to move back to left (kind of weakly reasoned), but that ship has sailed and believe the final GTK+ UI widget layout was simply easier to mockup and implement left aligned as an expedient. At release, motivated users can manipulate the startcenter.ui code in Glade if they want to shuffle their layout. And if additional design and functional review merit the rework as needed--it can be adjusted before final 4.2.0 release.
Created attachment 89335 [details] LLyaudet during design mtg 20131110 - move to left
Thank you for the insight. Perhaps that ship has sailed for lost ports. We are here discussing a revamping of the start center; I believe to great benefit, for here we might consider what exactly is a document and whether the application is in the service of the document or the document is in the service of the application. It is my belief that the manner in which existing documents are presented at start-up should be paramount. The matter should supersede expedition and be implemented in such a way as to satisfy the requirements of the both the casual and motivated user ... (In reply to comment #18) > @Marc > (In reply to comment #16) > > (In reply to comment #10) > > > Created attachment 89328 [details] > > > Mateusz Zasuwik provided 20131015 > > > > > > I like this. The structure seems very intuitive as the primary focus of the > > window is hierarchical level tabbing through thumbnails of recent/existing > > documents by types. Keeping the create new pane rightmost more closely > > follows a node/branch paradigm, whereas move left seems to imply drilling > > down into the node structure of the preview plane... keeping the create new > > pane on the right seems more intuitive to me > > There was some discussion in the design meeting 2013-11-10 regards a right > or left sidebar alignment and they decided to move back to left (kind of > weakly reasoned), but that ship has sailed and believe the final GTK+ UI > widget layout was simply easier to mockup and implement left aligned as an > expedient. > > At release, motivated users can manipulate the startcenter.ui code in Glade > if they want to shuffle their layout. > > And if additional design and functional review merit the rework as > needed--it can be adjusted before final 4.2.0 release.
Removing me from CC: won't have time to work on such a huge change now.
Created attachment 89436 [details] StartCenter with recent doucments from LODev TB 42 build 2013-11-18 As can be seen the new StartCenter as implemented does not give very good clues in the Thumbnail / Icon recent documents view as to document type. The font size needs to be adjusted down, and the file type annotated in some fashion.
adding bug 80477 for accelerator conflicts between Help button on StartCenter UI and the main Menu Bar Help.
I moved bug numbers from "See Also" to "Depends on" to match to format of meta issues like MAB
I’m closing this as the new Start Center has been in place for a year already. The remaining three dependent bugs are non-blocking nitpicks.
Going to reopen an comment that this is a meta for tracking issues related to the enhancement of the still developing Start Center feature. It could be retitled if that makes folks more comfortable, but it remains valid to associate the UI and UX issues of the Start Center in one active BZ issue.
adding Bug 82043 - Start Center green sidebar text is too small
Adding my list of start center created bugs to the meta bug. Bug 79889 - Underscore in filename is treated as if it were a period Bug 80934 - A means to filter the document list by application Bug 82402 - Missing PPTX thumbnails Bug 83347 - Thumbnails saved in web layout are too long and undecipherable
added Bug 84898 - show LibO version in the Start Center
for convenience of people trying to follow issues primarily via mail ;) it would be convenient when adding an issue, to paste at the same moment the line Bug [###] <summary> as a comment. Would that be possible/doable, not causing to much clutter? thanks a lot, Cor
@Cor, *, Sorry, I'd added this last week to the meta... Bug 80319 - Truncated text in Start Center and fix minimum size by localization and Jay added these through today... Bug 89062 - Start center and menu bar still accessible when document loading bar running Bug 89094 - Start centre: clearer separation between templates chooser screen and options arrow Bug 89095 - Start centre: bigger thumbnails for templates Bug 89103 - START CENTER: Right-click context menu needed in Templates section
(In reply to V Stuart Foote from comment #31) > @Cor, *, > > Sorry, I'd added this last week to the meta... thanks Stuart!
adding bug 72152 -- StartCenter does not respect page orientation of Calc spreadsheets in recent files list Julien N. has a patch in, might be useful way to address similar issue with Math formulas.
added 91971 -- StartCenter minimum size now too small with addition of Recent Files button, the Base Database launch button is truncated at minimum size.
s/added 91971/added bug 91971/
added Bug 81219 - START CENTER: thumbnail for files saved in "web layout" shows whole document not just first page
added 2 new bugs Bug 92516 - "x" accelerator and mouse click not exiting StartCenter in "File -> Exit LibreOfficeDev" menu Bug 92866 - Keyboard command shortcuts don't work in start center
added: Bug 90557 - Start Center: Clear List item should more accessible
added Bug 95739 - Start Center: allow different view modes for recent files list