> > For a while I have been pondering the cosmetic and > artwork related changes > > we should try and work on for R14. Unlike most > projects, we are rather > > nostalgic, so going flat out new won't work for us. A > new default theme or > > such is not advisable. Users won't like it. I think we > should instead focus > > on creating an improved R14 style. A theme consists > of: Backgrounds, Color > > Schemes, Fonts, Icons, Window Decorations, Widget > Styles, and Screensavers. > > These don't need drastic revision, instead they need > careful changes to help > > reflect our goals. Speed simplicity and customization > are my top priorities. > > > > What do we need to improve? My vote is this > > > What I'd do: darken a little our current default theme. The > colors are > a little too much bright IMHO. > > Anyway I think we should look what the tendencies in other > DE/OSes > are, what users like and go that way. > > What we should avoid is making trinity look old. And by old > I mean > things like win9x, cde, and things like that. > > We should rework too our default layouts. Form what I've > see the > current tendency is to minimalize GUI elements, remove > extra toolbars > and icons on them and maximize actual workspace. I did it > on my > trinity installation and it works well. The rule I used is: > if I can > access a particular function through r-click, I don't need > a button on > toolbar. If I don't use it frequently I don't need it on > toolbar. > Those 2 rules left my with pretty much addres bar and > back/forward > buttons. > > > 1) New backgrounds - Our defaults are out of date and > I don't really like > > them, Every new release should see some fresh artwork. > Users can keep the > > old one if the prefer it. These need to be pleasant to > view and also look > > modern. (not to glossy though). > > > As I worte some time ago I could provide some photos as > backgrounds. > You can see them at my page (http://l0ner.github.com/photoblog/). > Actually I prepared some of those in widescreen wallpaper > format. I > need only to upload those somewhere. > > > 2) Improved Window Decorations - I am not a fan of > plastic. I am a fan of > > the KDE2 window decoration. Either way we should set > about making sure the > > default on is in tip top shape and has max > configuration. Should we keep > > plastic as our default deco? > > > Plastic is fine. We should totally avoid using Keramik, > since it's way > too big and... strange(?). Window deco IMHO should be slim > and almost > unnoticable. Kermaik isn't. > As it goes for KDE2 deco, it looks a little too much > outdated and > old-school (reminds me kinda of the win 9x style). Make the > buttons > flat, give it rounded corners and it should look more > modern. > > > 3) Icons - I think we are OK with these. Some icons > may need to be looked > > over in our crystal svg set. I want to maximize visual > efficiency of our > > icons. Some may be unclear or hard to see at different > sizes. This should be > > lo > > > > 4) Styles - I would like to see Plastik expanded by > including more options, > > especially to remove stippled drawing on the tabs. any > thoughts? > > > I'd opt on using Polyester rather than Plastik. It's pretty > much > plastik updated. > > 5). Color styles: atm we don't provide good looking dark > theme. And by > good looking i mean kinda like ubuntu one. > Besides like I said the default one i a little too bright > IMHO. > > > I think we should start thinking about this now, since > this release will be > > mostly bug fixes, changes like this could also be > slipped in. I am old fashioned about my desktop. I never liked the plastik or keramik styles, I don't like the new oxygen designs, I don't like metal sheens. I use the KDE Classic Style and KDE2 window decorations. I still enjoy Crystal SVG icons. I don't use wallpaper. My point? I ask that you focus on ADDING new artwork and not taking away. When designing new artwork, please remember that us old farts like what we have. :) That is, new is good but old is good too. There is plenty of room in this world for both. :) Otherwise I want to encourage all artists to have fun with this! Darrell