Dear Michael, I really appreciate your comments. They help me a lot.
> First, I voted for high-resolution and flat in the survey. The soft 3D > look is really nice, but I worry that it is difficult to see some of > the complex iconography. So some of my comments may not apply if you > decide to go for higher-def imagery. I don't want to go into details, but people are use to explicit explanations. If some symbol is simple but new, 95% of users will say "interesting, but put in the background flower and bicycle" :) Save-open actions is an excellent example. When I tried to simplify it to arrows (which are element of traditional icons) and generalized symbol of place/object to save, most of comments was in the direction "arrow is OK but add folder icon or disk icon or DVD icon". And my point is - we don't have to show one specific storage media. This way symbol becomes more scalable. But sometimes it is just too hard to simplify. > 1. The size of the small action sub-icon in the lower right is fine > for simple images like + and -, but it is hard to see more complex > ones like redraw and export. Zoom last and zoom more are a bit hard to > see, but easier than redraw and export. That is why for blue sub-icons the area is bigger. By 1x1px, but bigger :) Maybe I should increase it, but it decreases space for icon itself. [to consider] > 2. Query would be easier to identify if you put a raster (and maybe > vector) pattern under the arrow tip. See my initial comments ;) > 3. Element-add could use some informative imagery like you did with > analyze rather than a box. The GRASS icon in wxPython has a small > arrow and legend. Also, it would probably be good to add a north arrow > to the legend icon as this is the only place to get a north arrow too. But 'element' stands for anything (alias nothing). North arrow [to consider]. > 4. I could learn * as new without much difficulty, though I tend to > think of it as 'select' for some reason. On the other hand, I can't > think of a better image for new. I had many problems with 'create'. This is n-th version. I agree it is very similar to select/bookmark. > 5a. Load and save make perfect sense, but most people are accustomed > to a folder rather than your more abstract circle. I'd suggest a big > arrow (like you have) and little folder in the lower right, but this > goes against your grammar of large item and small action icon. Maybe > use your map-export.png idea and have a small down arrow for save, > small up arrow for load, and small horizontal arrow (minus the circle > as superfluous) for export?? Just arrow is an interesting option. Or simple box like in sub-icons for save and open. > 5b. Save-as isn't easy to figure out. Once I know it, I get it, but > it's not obvious. Arrow down into a document rather than a crooked > down arrow? I agree it's not obvious, but I do not like documents/folder in icons. Still looking for better sign. > 6. Digitizing add various features. A plus is easier to understand > right away than a *. This makes grammatical sense: add a boundary to a > vector, etc. It also complements the '-' for delete/remove feature. Digitizing you usually create new objects. For me 'create' is not the same as 'add' [1]. The same is with delete and remove. In other case of course we can use just + and -. > 7. The imagery for add command layer is much more understandable than > the current "gear", at least for me. But it's too small to see what it > is. How about having the 'terminal' image fill the entire inner 'layer > box' rather than be a 3rd box inside. Also, would black background and > white letters be easier to see and understand as a terminal? I almost don't use pure black/white, so contrast in this icon could be too big, but I have to test it. > 8. Need brighter colors on the otherwise very nice RGB-add (HIS-add is > beautiful). Probably my design goes too far into Glamour style :) but I like unsaturated colors. My goal for this weeks is to finish GRASS icons, but I write down carefully all your comments and will test them. Thank again for your very detailed description and patience. Robert [1] http://geoinformatics.fsv.cvut.cz/wiki/index.php /Toolbar_icons_for_GIS_applications#Behind_the_scene_.E2.80.93_meaning_of_words_and_symbols _______________________________________________ grass-dev mailing list [email protected] http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/grass-dev
