Calligra/Usability and UX/Common/Web Browser-like UX for Main Window
Note
This document is at early stage of development. Mockups may be added.
Started: Jstaniek 20:46, 6 April 2011 (UTC)
Questions
Q0: Shouldn't we agree that the main UX these days is web browsing UX?
See "Startup view integrated with the File menu".
Mockups
Ideas
- Go with browser-like main window UX, so:
- tabbed interface for multiple document handling
- background loading - "speeds up" the app, makes it possible to quickly open multiple tabs (using thread(s), needs major rework or calligra internals)
- background saving - "speeds up"
- autosave - like in a browser app (uses the background saving, like google docs?)
- Have access to the history of saves, so it is possible to back to the previous versions
- Have a "Revert" button instead of reload
- back/forward buttons could let hyperlinks work nicer
- show recent documents history in these buttons
- use hyperlinks instead of buttons and message bar instead of modal message boxes
- in general, avoid modal dialogs
- have browser-like search box for full-text search feature
- re-use the URL bar:
- for local files, somewhat show breadcrumbs to avoid unfriendly file:// URL
- for remote URLs show the real URL
- use bookmarks and history system
- Have some "reading" mode, with much simplified UX
- for read-only documents by default
- or even have "reading" mode always by default, and display "Edit" button
- Have a home page with templates and recent documents
- Option: Embed QtWebKit browser or Konqueror (or any browser) in a tab web page link is clicked
- Offer seamless editing of the page's content (then user moves from web browser's mode to)
- Since users open many tabs, offer multi-clipboard for storing multiple snaps (text graphics); this helps to organize the work
- Offer displaying multiple views of the same document in separate tabs, indicate visually these are for the same document, e.g.:
______ Notes.odt ______ | Chapter 1 | Chapter 7 | <--- two tabs groupped as one