Difference between revisions of "The toolbox"

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*To improve the ease of use of the toolbox, we need to make the buttons more easy (quick) to recognize and identify.It should also be easy to recognize active buttons from others. Therefore toolbox icons should not be too detailed, but rather have strong contours, and be good metaphors of the actions. Limited amount of the icons and visual grouping of tools would also improve the ease of use. On the other hand toolbox should not distract user from the image, cause it's the image that matters the most for the user.
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* Our goal is to make the toolbox fast an efficient to use. To improve the ease of use of the toolbox, we need to make the buttons more easy (quick) to recognize and identify.It should also be easy to recognize active buttons from others. Therefore toolbox icons should not be too detailed, but rather have strong contours, and be good metaphors of the actions. Limited amount of the icons and visual grouping of tools would also improve the ease of use. On the other hand toolbox should not distract user from the image, cause it's the image that matters the most for the user.
  
 
*We observed the toolbox being 'heavy', behaving like window (and not an inspector). Many of the icons were ambiguous (Pen and Pencil have almost the same angle and colour), didn't depict the actual effect (Dodge/burn tool and Eraser), or were to detailed (Measure icon tool).
 
*We observed the toolbox being 'heavy', behaving like window (and not an inspector). Many of the icons were ambiguous (Pen and Pencil have almost the same angle and colour), didn't depict the actual effect (Dodge/burn tool and Eraser), or were to detailed (Measure icon tool).

Revision as of 07:49, 15 October 2007

  • Our goal is to make the toolbox fast an efficient to use. To improve the ease of use of the toolbox, we need to make the buttons more easy (quick) to recognize and identify.It should also be easy to recognize active buttons from others. Therefore toolbox icons should not be too detailed, but rather have strong contours, and be good metaphors of the actions. Limited amount of the icons and visual grouping of tools would also improve the ease of use. On the other hand toolbox should not distract user from the image, cause it's the image that matters the most for the user.
  • We observed the toolbox being 'heavy', behaving like window (and not an inspector). Many of the icons were ambiguous (Pen and Pencil have almost the same angle and colour), didn't depict the actual effect (Dodge/burn tool and Eraser), or were to detailed (Measure icon tool).
  • Solution models:
    • 'more lightweight', trimmer buttons
    • limit the buttons
    • visual separation of tool groups (like 3px space). no collapsing or labelling thou
    • toolbox should become an inspector, not another window (read analysis on windows/toolbox/inspectors )
    • improvement of Pen and Pencil have almost the same angle and colour, at least the colour should be different
    • improvement of Dodge/burn tool and Eraser- icons should depict the actual effect
    • Levels, Curves, Threshold should have icons representing their meaning & function, not by icons of their dialog window
    • unless one Transformation tool is not implemented, all the transformation tools should have better icons, to distinguish one from another more easy
    • Ink tool would be better represented by an icon of a nib, which is the essence of the tool;
    • Measure icon tool should have less details; old one was better (look at www.docs.gimp.org )