Borrowing heavily from the format and content of Google's UX principles ( http://www.google.com/corporate/ux.html ), below is my proposed draft of the Ubuntu UX Guidelines. Before reading it, please keep in mind that this (very) rough draft is based exclusively on my experiences with Ubuntu (the OS), and the community so I am encouraging everyone to contribute what is fit. ____________
The Ubuntu User Experience is usable, beautiful, simple, consistent, customizeable and warm. 1. Linux for Human Beings The Ubuntu community brings to the world a GNU/Linux operating system that is meant to be used by human beings. Ubuntu is aimed at being usable to everyone regardless of age, culture, or race. With a team that focuses on usability and a group of translators for localization, it is designed to be easy and pleasurable to use for everyone out of the box. 2. "Pretty is a feature" The need for beauty is self-explanatory. Ubuntu's artists believe that beauty is an important factor that improves the user's experience. 3. Keeping it simple Despite aiming to build a complete operating system out of the box, people behind Ubuntu are keeping things as simple as possible. The whole system that is fit in a CD is trimmed of bloat that would simply be obtrusive to the user experience. 4. Guided by consistent standards The open source world has a very wide variety of options. As a GNU/Linux distribution, the Ubuntu team handpicked a collection of applications that would create a consistent experience. By default, Ubuntu includes application that follow the same standards. Thanks to the GNOME project, the Ubuntu desktop has applications that use the GTK+ toolkit or that adapt to its look and feel. 4. Free in every sense Ubuntu is a Free (and Libre) Open Source Software. Other than being free of charge for the user to own and use, it can be modified and redistributed. The default desktop may follow consistent standards, but Ubuntu can be customized very easily to fit the needs of its users. It may come with default applications and configurations, but it is also designed to be tweaked very easily to satisfy different needs. The Ubuntu community recognizes and promotes individualism./ 5. Humanity Towards Others Probably, the most important user experience feature of Ubuntu is its warmth. The Ubuntu desktop encourages its user to collaborate with the community by asking for help and contributing. Other than the sense of community, Ubuntu's warmth is displayed by its artwork. Unlike most operating systems, Ubuntu's look and feel is not the traditional "kitchenware." People behind Ubuntu aim to let the user feel that the computer is not foreign to the human being. ______________ Again, this is a very rough draft. I would love to hear your feedback :) _______________________________________________ Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~ayatana Post to : [email protected] Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~ayatana More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
