How to fix the ugly side of Ubuntu, its GUI
Update: I have posted more info about the graphical user interface design contest that I am hosting.
Ubuntu & other Linux distro’s have come a long way as we know it. A lot of new and existing users have complained about the design aspect of Linux. [mostly ubuntu]
It is true that with a little effort you can customize your desktop, but why not provide a better user experience and design from the start.
Ubuntu is a great operating system and has definitely proved that open source can achieve great heights. No software ever produced was or will ever be perfect and what Linux has achieved over the years without much financial support is just spectacular. I would like to thank who ever contributed to the project for all their hard work.
PS: This idea is to help any distro out there and not only Ubuntu. Anyone should be able to participate, not only Linux users.
THE IDEA
I am suggesting that we hold a GUI design competition to help improve the aesthetics of Linux distro’s [example: Ubuntu] . We can create a website where users can submit their concepts of Graphical User Interface design’s and the community can vote to choose the best.
How will this work:
- Every designer will need motivation, and good sum of prize money will do just that. We will allow paypal donations which will be distributed to the 1st 2nd and 3rd winners chosen by the community. To get a reasonable sum of donations we will need publicity and buzz around the blogosphere. We could also try getting companies like canonical and fedora to sponsor us to help support the event.
- We can provide guidelines on how to design the interface and what are the limitations. In my opinion, we should allow the designers to explore their creativity and provide no extent to which the looks can be changed. Linux is popular for being extremely customizable so why not customize it to the very edge.
- Designers can create concepts for different categories like minimal, high contrast, easy on the eye, large etc etc.
- I will need one or two designers and developers to help me design the website on which the contest will be held. I have a website plan in mind which can work well.
I am not sure if I am making any sense, but I think this could work. I will need your idea’s and opinions to take this further.
Please comment with whatever you have to say and how can you contribute to make this project a reality.
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16 Interesting Conversations
You mean like the GAIA project? That’s not a bad idea actually. Do you have any thoughts on a unified style?
NetOperator Wibby
October 12, 2008
This is a awesome idea!, I use only GNU/Linux on my laptop to do my graphic design work, this is because I currently working on a small software company but I feel just fine with the OS. And like you said the GUI of Gnome is ugly mostly because of the dialogs and buttons (this maybe is a not-so-hard thing to change, there are some projects of GUI Engines that are pretty cool like Aurora, Clearlooks and Murrina but both have the same mistake BIG FAT buttons and not so friendly dialogs).
I know there is some sites trying to achieve this gold like:
– Gnome-looks with Topaz Brainstorm http://www.gnome-look.org/index.php?xcontentmode=185
– And the Ubuntu page for the ultimate release (Intrepid Ibex) https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Artwork/Incoming/DustTheme
(I just love that theme
)
Hope this comment help somehow, and if you need something you have my email
Later,
Carlos Elias.
BTW, sorry for my bad English I’m still learning
Carlos
October 12, 2008
I kinda get what I need by installing XFCE. It’s lightweight. It works. What more do I need?
I am repeatedly confused by the concept of a `user experience’. I don’t want to EXPERIENCE linux. I want to USE linux. Or XP or whatever.
Best of luck with the contest.
leftystrat
October 12, 2008
@NetOperator Wibby
Im not sure what GAIA really is. I think consistency is the key here, once a theme is finalized, all software should be tweaked to compliment the theme. Apple has used this strategy very well, they provide guidelines on the design and user experience.
@carlos
Thanks for the comment, There are some very good theme concept on that website that could potentially become a reality one day.
I hate the new wallpaper for intrepid, I would rather keep the brown gradient that was the first wallpaper. The dark theme is a good concept and definitely better than the current theme, but I think Linux can do way better as there are a lot of designers out there that really have the talent to design unbelievable GUI’s. You should check out Linux designs on deviant art.
I might need a little help so I will contact you for more info.
@leftystrat
Xfce is great and simple.User Experience is basically how the user feels while communicating with the O.S or GUI. What you mentioned as light weight and “it just works” is basically your user experience with Xfce.
Obviously Xfce is meant for low end systems so its potential is limited, while gnome and kde are for newer systems, they need to have the interface of a modern O.S
kumailht
October 13, 2008
kumailht ….. GAIA is just a project by http://4impressions.net/ the guy behind this is http://imrik.deviantart.com/ and GAIA is just a FULL SUITE to change the GUI on Linux and also Windows…they get a trend every time they release a new skin suite …check the idea here http://naalo.deviantart.com/journal/20899638/#comments this link doesn’t show all the skins and applications of the suite…browse deviantart sutomization gallery to find more
Hipocrates
October 13, 2008
Before you go proposing all sorts of stuff….take a look at what’s already in place: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Artwork/Incoming/Intrepid. That is the place where “users can submit their concepts of Graphical User Interface design’s and the community can vote to choose the best.”
Kilian Valkhof
October 13, 2008
@hipocrates GAIA is definitely impressive but it is just a modification of the current theme. Isn’t it about time we had a radical change in the way we look at GUI’s. Think of what apple did to the mobile industry, they made a lot of other vendors consider touch technology and visually pleasing interface’s. If it weren’t for apple we would be using nokia’s crappy interface.
@Kilian Valkhof
There are a few good concepts there but we really need something special that would make Linux outstanding when compared to Windows or Mac. I am also trying to cover all Linux distro’s and not only Ubuntu.
kumailht
October 13, 2008
I also thought the notification icons look bad, Hylke’s got a good idea to help them:
http://www.bomahy.nl/hylke/blog/ugly-notification-area-in-gnome/
Dirk Gently
October 14, 2008
Yes, and please, puh-leeeze remove those underlines for the never used Alt+somekey shortcuts in the menues. Windows-uglyness, ewww.
Almost nobody uses those shortcuts, there are shortcuts for most functions anyway (btw you can define your own on-the-fly in GTK apps, as well) and it’s ugly. Ah, did I mention it’s ugly? There seems to be no easy (gconf) way to get rid of those.
KiL
October 14, 2008
I here the newcomer. Not absolutely I will understand with topic. Explain, please. http://kopitop.ru/map.html
goolloog
November 8, 2008
everything looks cool to me. it is art.
jonny rocket
February 18, 2009
Yes, and please, puh-leeeze remove those underlines for the never used Alt+somekey shortcuts in the menues. Windows-uglyness, ewww.
Almost nobody uses those shortcuts, there are shortcuts for most functions anyway (btw you can define your own on-the-fly in GTK apps, as well) and it’s ugly. Ah, did I mention it’s ugly? There seems to be no easy (gconf) way to get rid of those.
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July 8, 2010
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