Re: [tdf-discuss] LibreOffice UI should be tweaked, not reinvented

 On 02/11/10 12:05 PM, T. J. Brumfield wrote:
> The OOo team has been working two years on Project Renaissance. And there is
> a long running thread here in the discuss archives of a UI prototype. While
> that particular prototype looks clean/sharp, I think all this dicussion on
> radically altering the UI is unnecessary.
<snip>
> I truly believe the current approach works and should be maintained, but
> improved. There might be some slight tweaks in how the menus are organized.
> Toolbar defaults might be optimized. And the overall UI could be shined up
> with some gloss, new icons, gradients, spot color, etc.
>
> If anything, I think we should be going the opposite direction. Instead of
> chasing the Ribbon of 2007/2010, I think we should embrace the abandoned
> Office 2003 UI even more. Perhaps provide an option to all but completely
> mimic it. People forget, but Microsoft used this tactic themselves, allowing
> an option for Word users to use Wordperfect key-mappings, and provided
> specific help for Wordperfect Users trying to migrate to Word. Since we know
> most users coming to Lo/OOo are coming from Microsoft Office, shouldn't we
> do our best to ease that transition?
>
> It would also be considerably less work than completely redesigning the UI
> from scratch. That is more time that could be dedicated to improving the
> project in other ways.
>
> -- T. J. Brumfield
+1
Thanks T. J. for putting into words what I was thinking about the UI 
redesign.

I concur with this thinking. Why re-invent an unpopular feature. This 
kind of idea was brought up when OOo unveiled a ribbon-like interface. 
Just because we can redo the UI doesn't mean we should. Can we avoid the 
"bikeshedding" and "chasing after the cool kids", please?

I vote for the application of the K.I.S.S. principle.

Scott Furry



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