Bug 68957 - Add custom image option to the splash screen
Summary: Add custom image option to the splash screen
Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX
Alias: None
Product: LibreOffice
Classification: Unclassified
Component: ux-advise (show other bugs)
Version:
(earliest affected)
unspecified
Hardware: Other All
: medium enhancement
Assignee: Not Assigned
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2013-09-04 21:11 UTC by Zeki Bildirici
Modified: 2013-09-05 08:34 UTC (History)
3 users (show)

See Also:
Crash report or crash signature:


Attachments
Custom splash screen template (16.94 KB, image/png)
2013-09-04 21:12 UTC, Zeki Bildirici
Details
A sample splash screen (268.52 KB, image/png)
2013-09-04 21:13 UTC, Zeki Bildirici
Details

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Description Zeki Bildirici 2013-09-04 21:11:47 UTC
Hi,

We loved Personas, and if it is possible to more personalize LibreOffice it will be fun.

From inspiring the personas, i think having user defined splash screens will be very good and it will be not very hard to implement imho.

My idea is simple, having an option under Personalization will give user to add a custom image in pre-described size for example 551x332 and image will be inserted to there into the splash screen template.

I've made two simple designs to demonstrate 

First one is the template, it consist four parts:

1- Fixed footer: which will have the LibreOffice logo
2- Progress bar: shows the initialization process
3- A small separator or frame
4- Custom Image area: Where user defined images will be inserted

Second is the sample custom splash screen, used one of my photos. 

I know there is easy workarounds to change the default splash screen, changing the graphics fine manually etc. But why not to give the chance to people easily change the splash screen, letting them seeing their favorite nature views, their family's picture, their corporate logo or their favorite singer, football team etc. 

People think office software is boring, making it fun will make a difference. 

Best regards,
Zeki
Comment 1 Zeki Bildirici 2013-09-04 21:12:27 UTC
Created attachment 85209 [details]
Custom splash screen template
Comment 2 Zeki Bildirici 2013-09-04 21:13:16 UTC
Created attachment 85210 [details]
A sample splash screen
Comment 3 Tin Man 2013-09-04 22:26:45 UTC
Please don't.
For one thing, we should strive that the splash screen is seen as little as possible (= fast startup) and preferably not at all.
For another thing, we have an almost unusable Options dialog due to the amount of options we have. We should be getting rid of non-vital options, not adding them.
Thirdly, the splash screen showcases our branding. Allowing customization would further diminish our already fractured brand.
Lastly, I would much rather see the user play with LibreOffice by creating something with it rather than tweaking its options.
Comment 4 Zeki Bildirici 2013-09-05 08:21:27 UTC
(In reply to comment #3)
Hi mirek,
> Please don't.
> For one thing, we should strive that the splash screen is seen as little as
> possible (= fast startup) and preferably not at all.

As far as i know, LibreOffice will always have a splash screen since it is a large program. You may remove the splash screen, btw users can remove it manually too, but as you know, starting a program and nothing happens in 5 seconds considered as "couldn't start" so splash is there to show the progress. Also if the code will be perfect and it Lo start in 1 seconds in a new computer, many users will still wait at least 5-10 seconds depending to their old hardware and platform as well as desktop environment. 

Additionally, as you said branding, the splash screen is a part of it and imho it will not be wise to remove it. 

> For another thing, we have an almost unusable Options dialog due to the
> amount of options we have. We should be getting rid of non-vital options,
> not adding them.

What should we understand from "vital"? Do you think that Personas are vital?
Leaving less setting in options is not a good thing. It sounds the GNOME way and reduces the usability and functionality of the software. Also, it is not easy and quite possible to determine which setting/functionality is useless, useless for whom? 

> Thirdly, the splash screen showcases our branding. Allowing customization
> would further diminish our already fractured brand.

On the contrary, it will empower the branding. The LibreOffice logo will not disappear, it will be in the footer or header.. Anyway, i should note that people have different tastes, personally whenever it is a decided branding showcase, i do not like its appearance much, the previous ones were not better anyway. As we know from the arguments about the 4.1 splash, people have different ideas, choices, tastes. It is not wrong to let people choice their own.

> Lastly, I would much rather see the user play with LibreOffice by creating
> something with it rather than tweaking its options.

That's not a good point of view. People already creating work with LibreOffice, it is a productivity suite/office software and nobody needs to be appreciated by that. It is no different than changing the wallpaper, and similar to saying "I rather see people creating something with the computer rather than changing the wallpaper" is some kind of restriction and intervention.

Best regards,
Zeki
Comment 5 How can I remove my account? 2013-09-05 08:26:50 UTC
> Leaving less setting in options is not a good thing

Yes it is.

I fully agree with Mirek here. "I would much rather see the user play with XXX by creating something with it rather than tweaking how it looks" is exactly what I used to say when I was involved in another project;)
Comment 6 Adolfo Jayme Barrientos 2013-09-05 08:34:38 UTC
Hello,

while I think the idea is fun, I don't think it's feasible. FWIW, I don't even think of Personas as a really important feature (and I'm not a GNOME radicalist, I believe in choice as well :-).

Also, users can already modify the installed bitmap without too much hassle (by using any raster image-editing program) in order to customize the splash screen - so it's not like LibreOffice doesn't provide choice.