GTG

Bug #885320
Comment #41

Comment 41 for bug 885320

Revision history for this message

Bertrand Rousseau (bertrand-rousseau) wrote on 2011-11-12: Re: GTG needs a GTK3 port and a UI redesign

#41

Reda> I really like (https://launchpadlibrarian.net/84354572/Main%20Window_2.png). It is, however, quite a departure from the original perspective in which GTG has been designed. That's actually fine by me, as this provides some new insight the UI discussion.

I really like the sidebar you suggest. I've grown to find the current GTG sidebars not useful enough (tag filtering is too low-level), and it nicely merge the different possibilities to alter the task views (Overdue, tags, etc.) in a single place. I think it should also include the 'work view' (a.k.a. 'actionable items').

Your mockup also introduces concepts that will require some discussion, and even re-discussion. Since:
1) In the first days of GTG, we discussed the idea of having an inbox. Not being directed with GTD-only use in mind, the feature eventually didn't land in the app. Collaborative work and muti-source synchronization could however change since it introduced a de-facto need for preprocessing new tasks before integrating them in one's tasks pipeline.
2) In you last mockups, you rearranged the sidebar in "notifications" and "My lists". I'd actually preferred the first versions (https://launchpadlibrarian.net/84354572/Main%20Window_2.png) with the main view selector above. I'm not sure a separate section is required for what you call "notifications". I'd say, go for this (in roughly this order, at least the first two):
- Inbox
- All task
- Done
- Dismissed
- Overdue
Then introduce the 'My List' section. Putting "Personal" and "Work" list as a default is a nice idea.
3) I'm kinda confused by all the buttons you introduced in your last mockups. Their use is not clear to me. I guess it was some kind of experiment. Maybe you should refined those ideas.

for all>

Something has not been discussed up to now: it this redesign, how would the editor look like (still in separate window? integrated in the main ui/task list?) This has to be rethought as well.

About UI redesign stuff: I agree with Lionel: UI redesign is a hard work (as he put it, we spent *weeks* discussing together buttons colors, etc. at the start. - it's been nice to see this picture of my drawing board btw, it brings back memories). It's often misunderstood that UI discussions is about mockuping and suggestion. It's however way larger than that since it involves creating and driving complete *experiences* for hypothetical users. Redesigning GTG will require a hard and *continuous* work, since this is really difficult to do it in an organic way where we progress "one step at a time" towards something different. There should first be a really clear and consistent foundation on how a redesigned GTG should appear and behave. This is also a very ungrateful work since UI discussions are bikeshedding (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bikeshedding) traps. It is however, a fundamental work of very high value. I would be thrilled to see progress on that matter.

The best way to progress in this matter would have to get someone taking responsibilities for that. Driving the discussion and trying to make them land on something. This could happen on the GTG wiki for instance. I used to do something close to that in the early days of GTG. However, I don't have the time anymore to do this correctly nowadays. If anyone thinks he can step up and work on that, I think it would an amazing contribution to the project. (btw, maybe we should include it as a GSoC for next year).

Your mockup also introduces concepts that will require some discussion, and even re-discussion. Since:
1) In the first days of GTG, we discussed the idea of having an inbox. Not being directed with GTD-only use in mind,  the feature eventually didn't land in the app. Collaborative work and muti-source synchronization could however change since it introduced a de-facto need for preprocessing new tasks before integrating them in one's tasks pipeline.
2) In you last mockups, you rearranged the sidebar in "notifications" and "My lists". I'd actually preferred the first versions (https://launchpadlibrarian.net/84354572/Main%20Window_2.png) with the main view selector above. I'm not sure a separate section is required for what you call "notifications". I'd say, go for this (in roughly this order, at least the first two):
 - Inbox
 - All task
 - Done
 - Dismissed
 - Overdue
Then introduce the 'My List' section. Putting "Personal" and "Work" list as a default is a nice idea.
3) I'm kinda confused by all the buttons you introduced in your last mockups. Their use is not clear to me. I guess it was some kind of experiment. Maybe you should refined those ideas.

for all>
 
Something has not been discussed up to now: it this redesign, how would the editor look like (still in separate window? integrated in the main ui/task list?) This has to be rethought as well.

About UI redesign stuff: I agree with Lionel: UI redesign is a hard work (as he put it, we spent *weeks* discussing together buttons colors, etc. at the start.  - it's been nice to see this picture of my drawing board btw, it brings back memories). It's often misunderstood that UI discussions is about mockuping and suggestion. It's however way larger than that since it involves creating and driving complete *experiences* for hypothetical users. Redesigning GTG will require a hard and *continuous* work, since this is really difficult to do it in an organic way where we progress "one step at a time" towards something different. There should first be a really clear and consistent foundation on how a redesigned GTG should appear and behave. This is also a very ungrateful work since UI discussions are bikeshedding (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bikeshedding) traps. It is however, a fundamental work of very high value. I would be thrilled to see progress on that matter.

The best way to progress in this matter would have to get someone taking responsibilities for that. Driving the discussion and trying to make them land on something. This could happen on the GTG wiki for instance. I used to do something close to that in the early days of GTG. However, I don't have the time anymore to do this correctly nowadays. If anyone thinks he can step  up and work on that, I think it would an amazing contribution to the project. (btw, maybe we should include it as a GSoC for next year).