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OpenOffice UI Design Proposals Published

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the file-formatting-issues-more-pressing dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Various members of the OpenOffice.org community have been submitting their first revisions of proposals to the OpenOffice.org Call for Design Proposals to redesign the user interface of Open Office. As part of Project Renaissance, attention is being drawn to the OpenOffice user interface, and it's 'user-friendliness.' Among the designs, is FLUX UI, which won an award at the Sun Microsystems Community Innovation Awards Program. Anyone can, and is encouraged, to check out the proposals (scroll to bottom of page) and leave your comments so that the designers can improve their designs for the final deadline for proposal submissions to the community."

14 of 252 comments (clear)

  1. I had some ideas, but they are pretty "out there" by BadAnalogyGuy · · Score: 5, Funny

    First, do away with the standard File menu bar. Put the most common actions (Create new file, Save file, Print file, etc) in a big button in the corner. Then create a tabbed menu "strip" separated logically by function. Have something like a Format strip and an Insert strip with all the actions you'd expect included there.

    As computers become more touch-panel oriented, bigger buttons will be mandatory. The old File Edit Options Help bar is going to be a millstone.

  2. Re:I had some ideas, but they are pretty "out ther by snl2587 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hey, that's a great idea! But I think we should call the strips "ribbons"...sounds way more sophisticated that way.

  3. Hide all the menus... by Tikkun · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... make everything available via hotkeys (emacs and vi mappings should be provided) and change the arrow keys to print the particular arrow typed. This would be a significant improvement over the current design and would encourage users to work instead of playing with their mice.

    ;)

    1. Re:Hide all the menus... by cptnapalm · · Score: 5, Funny

      I was going to mod you up, but then I realized you were joking.

      kkdd:q

      damn it.

    2. Re:Hide all the menus... by Ukab+the+Great · · Score: 3, Funny

      Next you'll probably want an IBM model M keyboard emulation mode that plays a springy sound every time a key is hit.

    3. Re:Hide all the menus... by supernova_hq · · Score: 3, Funny

      Your document has been successfully printed, are you sure you want to do this?
      Ok | Cancel

    4. Re:Hide all the menus... by flyingfsck · · Score: 3, Funny

      ...then print out cardboard key templates that fits over the function keys. Be sure to have different ones for the word processor, spread sheet and other sub programs...

      --
      Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
  4. Wiki has a problem... by Eddy+Luten · · Score: 4, Funny

    (Can't contact the database server: Unknown error (localhost))

    (Can't contact the database server: Too many connections (localhost))

    Isn't this kind of ironic, Oracle?

    1. Re:Wiki has a problem... by Requiem18th · · Score: 2, Funny

      This is Slashdot's standarized response bot:

        WOOSH!

      --
      But... the future refused to change.
  5. The UI is simply gorgeous by Morphine007 · · Score: 4, Funny

    OpenOffice.org Wiki has a problem Sorry! This site is experiencing technical difficulties. Try waiting a few minutes and reloading. (Can't contact the database server: Too many connections (localhost))

    It's sleek, informative and minimalist. 2-thumbs up, would buy again!

    --
    Oh god, that woman is John Romero!
  6. Re:I had some ideas, but they are pretty "out ther by Requiem18th · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yeah I guessed so, because, well, I assumed you couldn't proofread your comment very well.

    (ouch ouch! karma burns!)

    --
    But... the future refused to change.
  7. Re:I had some ideas, but they are pretty "out ther by WaZiX · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hey, that's a great idea! But I think we should call the strips "ribbons"...sounds way more sophisticated that way.

    Oh come on, no one would be stupid enough to fall for that!

  8. Re:I had some ideas, but they are pretty "out ther by semargofni · · Score: 2, Funny

    Simpsons did it

  9. Re:I had some ideas, but they are pretty "out ther by Ed+Avis · · Score: 2, Funny

    Haha... mercifully I haven't been exposed to Office 2007 so I didn't spot the joke.

    --
    -- Ed Avis ed@membled.com