GSoC21: idea for Human Interface Guidelines Redesign

[srevinsaju]

Closes #112

This is a modified version of https://github.com/sugarlabs/GSoC/blob/master/Ideas-2020.md#colored-desktop-and-activity-icons, added in eaa46b1 by @walterbender. Have made a few small improvements like considering the Sugar UI / UX along with icons and suggested a few optional tasks like finishing the left over design-based pull requests on sugarlabs/sugar

[quozl]

How many of the activities would be considered as completion?

[srevinsaju]

The Fructose set along with sugar-artwork would be a good start in my opinion. What do you think?

[quozl]

I agree, it would be a good start. How to detect and handle activities that have not been converted?

[srevinsaju]

I would put forward a suggestion of adding

IconColor = True

to activity/activity.info to those activities which have been converted.

We could then add a commit to Sugar Shell to set the color of the icons which have IconColor = False to automatically use the colored icons instead of grey and white for the unused activities. If IconColor = True is set in the activity.info of the respective activity, then Sugar Shell should not attempt to give color to the activity icon, but instead use the default icon as defined in the activity.info..

In pseudo code

if activity_info.is_color:
   # do not set color to the activity icon 
   # as the activity has been ported to multi colors
   # we should use the icon as is
   doNothingFunction()
else:
   # the activity did not set IconColor = True
   # this icon is an grey-white and follows the old Human Interface Guidelines
   # temporarily, we should set the icon to colorful based on the user selected color theme
   setActivityIconAsActive()
   


if activity_is_used:
   # add the badge for both types of icons
   addBadge()

Let me know if this explanation was okay. I am not sure if I could convey my idea properly 😄

[quozl]

Or could we detect from the SVG or rendered pixmap that there are no colours other than black and white, and then assign two of the standard Sugar colours based on a hash of the bundle id?

[srevinsaju]

That would partially do it. I took a look at the Flappy Bird activity which was released to v4.activities.sugarlabs.org

In this case, the flappy icon is colorful. But yet, it needs a redesign.

[quozl]

sugarlabs/flappy#14

[JuiP]

Maybe you can consider adding this to Project Task? It would help the student better understand the expected deliverables for the project.

[quozl]

@srevinsaju asked

Did we receive the number of tasks allocated to Sugar Labs?

Not yet. See the timeline. Approximate sequence is;

1. we make application to Google, (this is where we are up to),
2. Google select Sugar Labs, (this is where our ideas may be reviewed by Google),
3. Sugar Labs sets minimum and maximum slots,
4. Students make proposals, (this is where our ideas may be reviewed by students),
5. Sugar Labs selects proposals,
6. Google agrees to specific number of slots, (this is where our ideas may be reviewed by Google again),
7. Sugar Labs proceeds with specific proposals and students. (this is where our ideas not only have to be doable, but we have to be ready to get started on them with the student).

[srevinsaju]

@quozl said

@srevinsaju asked

Did we receive the number of tasks allocated to Sugar Labs?

Not yet. See the timeline. Approximate sequence is;

1. we make application to Google, (this is where we are up to),
2. Google select Sugar Labs, (this is where our ideas may be reviewed by Google),
3. Sugar Labs sets minimum and maximum slots,
4. Students make proposals, (this is where our ideas may be reviewed by students),
5. Sugar Labs selects proposals,
6. Google agrees to specific number of slots, (this is where our ideas may be reviewed by Google again),
7. Sugar Labs proceeds with specific proposals and students. (this is where our ideas not only have to be doable, but we have to be ready to get started on them with the student).

Thanks for the reply.

@JuiP said

Maybe you can consider adding this to Project Task? It would help the student better understand the expected deliverables for the project.

I would not add that yet. I will add that after #118 has been decided. I am interested to see the student who is willing to do the port to GTK4 to implement the badges for the activities, as the port and the badges feature would otherwise conflict. If #118 is approved, I would prefer to remove the badge feature from #114 and increase the number of activities from Fructose set to something more.

[quozl]

Thanks for progressing this.

Deadline is Friday, Feb 19th at 1900 UTC.

[srevinsaju]

Thanks for progressing this.

Deadline is Friday, Feb 19th at 1900 UTC.

Thanks, updated the PR. Kindly review

[quozl]

Reviewed. I think it would be helpful for a student to know that the reason for monochrome icons and high contrasting colour choices was to support reflective displays that cannot show colour. In turn that was because backlights could not be made bright enough for use in high ambient light, without risking large amounts of incidental heat. Since then backlights are more efficient (less heat) and much brighter (in nits). Now that the reflective display technology has all but been abandoned, the requirement is removed, and so Sugar can go for a UI design that is more colourful.

[chimosky]

@srevinsaju any other thing you want to add to this besides what @quozl mentioned above?

[srevinsaju]

@chimosky No, nothing else.

[srevinsaju]

@quozl @chimosky @JuiP added all the required changes. Kindly review .

[quozl]

I approve. @JuiP as org admin, please review.

[JuiP]

reviewed; looks good to go.
@srevinsaju could you please rebase?

[srevinsaju]

Rebased.

[JuiP]

Thanks! Merged 😄