UX Design for FOSS Apps
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I created this Post, as a branch of another post "Start business using only free and open source tools"[1], after reading this comment[2] specifically.
And I agree with this comment, also read the article[3] he mentioned.
Big techs are pushing their styles as the ultimate UX and UI design, most of the unknown users adapt it. So other designs becomes foreign to the eye.
I find it positive, so the end-user doesn't need to learn new "experience" and he/she can use it out-of-the-box and focus on the content instead of learning the GUI.
And sometimes it's beautifully designed(this is more personal opinion).
The points where I find it negative is, also mentioned in the article, where the end-user loses the connection with the machine(PERSONAL computer - human). Also where it hides some of the aspects of computing, behind this beautifull design.
(Originally it was posted in Trisquel-Users, I found that this "UX-design"-branch is not-only Trisquel related, so I post it in "General Free Software Talk", but if it belongs to "Troll-lounge", please let me know)
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[1]: https://trisquel.info/en/forum/start-business-using-only-free-and-open-source-tools
[2]: https://trisquel.info/en/forum/start-business-using-only-free-and-open-source-tools#comment-142239
[3]: http://contemporary-home-computing.org/RUE/
I fell in love with Mate on Trisquel. Everything is where it should be, panels are easy to move around and add items to. Especially the fact that editing the Mate menu is such a sane, easy process. I get really annoyed with desktops where my only option to edit the menu entries is to hand edit a bunch of config files, and try to guess how to write them in such a way that the desktop will hopefully bless me with a menu entry. Also, it's such a nice lightweight desktop. I hope Trisquel never moves to Gnome shell as the default desktop. If it does, I'll just replace it with Mate. Gnome seems like an endless process of learning all the hidden methods of getting the desktop to comply with my wishes. And when I've finally got it working ok, a new version of Gnome comes out and my customizations are wiped out.
> The points where I find it negative is, also mentioned in the article, where the end-user loses the connection with the machine(PERSONAL computer - human). Also where it hides some of the aspects of computing, behind this beautifull design.
Why do you think this is negative?
The main role of the computer is to process information and deliver the result in a way usable by the person, so that the person doesn't waste time and energy. So the essential connection is man-information, not man-computer. Just like a musician doesn't connect with the instrument but with the music in which process he doesn't even think about the instrument.
Of course any of that has the possibility to create illusion, to manipulate the user by making it easy for him to act in a particular way and more difficult to act in another. But that is not because of lost man-computer connection.
*Disclaimer: I didn't read the whole article, just skimmed through it. It seems to focus mainly on design but design has many forms and aspects. There is user centered design, action centered design etc. Usability is not just about how something looks or what buttons it has. If you are interested to learn about good design principles there is a good book called "Designing with the Mind in Mind".
BTW you named the thread "UX Design for FOSS Apps". What has any of that to do with the software licensing model?
Negative in the way of creating an illusion.
Thanks, nice comparison with music.
To be clear, I'm not against designs like Material, Bootstrap, ...(I recently changed my Gtk theme to Adapta + Papirus, Adapta itself is "An adaptive Gtk+ theme based on Material Design Guidelines" :)
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I start writing, then I changed the title, then re-read the content, changed it, then forget to re-change the title, change the content again... Srry for that...
> Negative in the way of creating an illusion.
The brain can create illusions from anything (the clouds, the sky, the sunlight, the shadows, the trees). That doesn't mean everything has a bad UI.
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