Minutes of the GNOME Usability Team Meeting (July 31, 2001)
Presents:
=========
Seth Nickell seth, (chairing)
Kenny Graunke Dekar, (minutes)
Matthew Thomas mpt,
Adam Elman adam,
Bill Haneman billh,
Christian Rose menthos,
Colin Z. Robertson colin_zr,
Dave Engen dave,
Calum Benson calum,
Glynn Foster Gman,
Suzanna Smith suz,
JP Schnapper-Casteras jpsc
Matthew Butterick matthewb
Havoc Pennington hp,
Kevin Vandersloot kevinv
Paul Joseph Thompson captbunzo
(joined 11:13)
Jim Cape Jimbob,
(joined 11:15)
Maciej Stachowoiak mjs, (joined 11:15, left -> lunch at 12:15)
Gregory Merchan auspex, (returned from lurking at 11:26)
Ryan Collier pseudo, (joined 11:53)
Andrea Mankoski andi,
Jonathan Blandford jrb,
Jon Tollefson kniht
John Erling Blad vacumhead,
Jody Goldberg jody,
Ian McKellar yakk,
Alex L. alex,
Regrets:
========
Thomas Cherryhomes TSCHAK,
Enrico Zini
John Fleck
Jeff Waugh jdub,
Decisions:
==========
- Style Guide renamed the "GNOME Human Interface Guidelines"
- Core HIG Team Composition:
- Gregory Merchan [auspex]
- Colin Z. Robertson [colin_zr]
- Calum Benson [calum]
- Adam Elman [adam]
- HIG Team will produce a short (~10pgs) version of the guidelines
for GNOME2 and possibly a checklist.
- Panel menu needs to be reorganized for GNOME2
- Use bugzilla for keeping usability bugs
Action Items:
==============
- Draft a GNOME2 "must-fix" list for usability issues (nils, seth)
- Decide on a team organization / leader (HIG team)
- Choose a deadline for a GNOME2 mini-hig draft (HIG team)
- Organize another meeting and choose a date/time (seth)
- File usability bugs in GNOME bugzilla for GNOME2 (everyone)
Discussion:
===========
- GNOME 2.0:
Do we want to produce something for the GNOME 2.0 release? Could we
finish a basic style-guide for GNOME 2? Would this tie us to
ill-chosen conventions in the future?
The consensus is that we need to produce some Human Interface
Guidelines for GNOME 2.0. However, it is unlikely we can produce a
complete set of guidelines for the 2.0 timeframe, so we will
concentrate on simple things such as key navigation, menu items,
dialog orders, etc. The shorter guide in the GNOME 2.0 timeframe,
will be about 10 pages, and will probably be accompanied by a
~50 item checklist for application developers.
We decided to use the name "GNOME Human Interface Guidelines", as it
carries more weight than "GNOME Style Guide", and reminds people that
they are designing interfaces for humans. The HIG team will try to
stick to no-brainer issues that aren't very controversial for GNOME2.
- HIG Team
It was decided that about 3 people should be the core
organizers/editors, and about 7 on the team total, contributing
sections, and so on.
Composition:
Core Team:
* Adam Elman [adam]
* Colin Z. Robertson [colin_zr]
* Gregory Merchan [auspex]
* Calum Benson [calum]
People who have worked on previous HIGs:
* Andrea Mankoski [andi]
* Suzanna Smith [suz]
* Calum Benson [calum]
* Nils Peterson [nils]
* Dave Engen [dave] - reviewed parts
Reviewers, not on the core team:
* Kenny Graunke [Dekar]
* Maciej Stachowiak [mjs]
- Checklists
Checklist would be an appendix to the HIG, expanding as the HIG
expands. Checklist is in the GNOME 2.0 timeframe. Perhaps 50 items
or so, unsure on amount. Shorthand for developers - describes the
requirements quickly.
Sample item:
[x] Follow standard terminology as described in the GDP Docs
Styleguide (i.e. Exit vs. Quit, HIG/Checklist defines.)
Existing checklists:
CDE: http://www.cs.arizona.edu/computer.help/policy/DIGITAL_unix/CDEcklst/cdecklst_17.html#HEADING193
Aqua: (Aqua HIG, page 213)
- GNOME 2.0 must-fix list will be drafted up by
- Nils Peterson [nils]
- Seth Nickell [seth]
- ? Suzanna Smith [suz] ?
- Handling GNOME2 bugs was briefly discussed
Consensus seems to be to use Bugzilla.
Maciej notes that its better to use bug titles that describe the
problem rather than the suggested solution, as this helps increase
focus on usability problems rather than just hacking.
Question of whether we need a special usability keyword or section
went unresolved.
- Discussion of who to target for GNOME2 usability fixes
Loose consensus initially reached to dispatch bugs that cause the
worst usability headaches for everyone (for example, the panel menu
organization).
Some division over how much to target hackers/advanced users. Term
"advanced user" was somewhat in contention, but the question was
eventually clarified to mean "How much do we target hackers and
sysadmins, or other users willing to deal with *nix dirt?"
Concerns from menthos that usability for hackers will occasionally
diverge from general usability, for example in the use of technical
jargon. Disagreement from Seth, who feels that in general changes we
make towards a more usable desktop for hackers will have a positive
effect on the mythical average user.
Concensus reached to deal with bugs that are of especially of
annoyance to hackers, but in a way that does not infringe on other
users. (demonstrate that usability isn't just about dumbing the
interface down, that it helps everyone)
- Future plans section was briefly discussed, but the meeting had
begun to wind down
Havoc feels that a complete rewrite is unlikely of the desktop, but
individual pieces can be changed as they are rewritten. General
consensus.
It would be useful to have a vision for the GNOME interface so
as the individual pieces come up for rewrite, such can be done in a
way that contributes to the general goal.
To be dealt with in a future meeting.
- Next Meeting Time
Lots of disagreement over when is convenient. Weekends work better
for many people, but not for Sun folks. Need to find times that
conflict less with .au and .nz folk's sleep schedules.
No consensus reached, Seth will choose the next meeting time and
announce it on usability@gnome.org
