[kepler-dev] DataSource Icon troubles

[Shawn Bowers]

Aren't we overloading the file folder icon though?

-shawn

On Fri, 3 Feb 2006, Laura L. Downey wrote:

> Keeping the file folder maintains some of the current symbology to ease the
> transition, and also no one previously voiced any problem with its current
> use.  Also during training and basic testing, none of the users have
> reported any issue with a file folder representing data.
>
> For many people the cylinder shape implies specifically a database.
>
> Laura L. Downey
> Senior Usability Engineer
> LTER Network Office
> Department of Biology, MSC03 2020
> 1 University of New Mexico
> Albuquerque, NM  87131-0001
> 505.277.3157 office
> 505.610.9657 mobile
> 505.277-2541 fax
> ldowney at lternet.edu
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Shawn Bowers [mailto:sbowers at ucdavis.edu]
> Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2006 7:12 PM
> To: Matthew Brooke
> Cc: Laura L. Downey; Kepler-dev at ecoinformatics.org
> Subject: Re: [kepler-dev] DataSource Icon troubles
>
>
> Just out of curiosity -- why not choose a more natural icon
> for data instead of a file-folder? The more traditional
> icon is a cylinder shape.
>
> I've never really understood the reason for having a file
> folder represent data ...
>
> I think a dark outline would make it easier to see ... but
> you'll probably have to play around with it and different
> colors.
>
> -shawn
>
> Matthew Brooke wrote:
> >
> > Hi all -
> >
> > I changed the icon yesterday to make it match the new Kepler design, as
> > shown on the wiki page. The only other thing I have changed is to make
> > the folder "ghosted" (translucent) until it is ready - so the error and
> > busy status both have a ghosted folder, and the ready status has a
> > regular folder. Similar ghosting is commonly used in windows and on the
> > mac to denote hidden files and folders.
> >
> > I have attached screenshots of the ready, busy and error phases (see
> > attached gifs). As you can see, the text "busy" or "ERROR" appears in
> > high-contrast, bold colors during these two phases.
> >
> > The new design color is not a good contrast against the old kepler grey
> > workflow background - the new design will have a white background, which
> > contrasts more with the folder.
> >
> > However, in both cases, the problem might be solved by making the
> > outline of the folder a darker color (look carefully at the folder icons
> > in windows, and you'll see what I mean). This would probably help
> > visibility greatly; the old datasource icon had a black outline, which
> > definitely made it more visible, if a little Fauvist
> >
> > m
> >
> >
> > Laura L. Downey wrote:
> >> Okay I will take a look at the latest in the morning.  Any specific
> >> workflow
> >> you want me to look at?  I'm a little perplexed since we haven't had any
> >> feedback that it was a problem in the various screenshots presented at
> >> the
> >> last 2 or 3 meetings or from the examples on the wiki.   But if there
> >> is an
> >> issue, we can easily adjust things.
> >> BTW, 10% of the male population has some form of color-blindness --
> >> which is
> >> a major reason color should be used as a redundant cue (and because
> >> people
> >> see colors differently too).  In the datasource icon case, the file
> >> folder
> >> shape is the other cue.
> >> Laura L. Downey
> >> Senior Usability Engineer
> >> LTER Network Office
> >> Department of Biology, MSC03 2020
> >> 1 University of New Mexico
> >> Albuquerque, NM  87131-0001
> >> 505.277.3157 office
> >> 505.610.9657 mobile
> >> 505.277-2541 fax
> >> ldowney at lternet.edu
> >>
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: Dan Higgins [mailto:higgins at nceas.ucsb.edu] Sent: Thursday,
> >> February 02, 2006 3:01 PM
> >> To: Laura L. Downey
> >> Subject: Re: [kepler-dev] DataSource Icon troubles
> >>
> >> Hi Laura,
> >>     I think you need to look at the latest version.
> >>
> >>     Have you tried the new nightly zip? (an easy way to look at the
> >> version as of last night). There is a link from the download page on
> >> the Kepler web site.(or http://www.kepler-project.org/nightly/zip/)
> >>
> >> Dan
> >>
> >> Laura L. Downey wrote:
> >>
> >>> I don't know what you mean Dan -- the data source icons (the file
> >>> folders)
> >>> are still yellow (maybe a little golder) after the data is successfully
> >>> downloaded.  Am I misunderstanding something?  Or perhaps Kevin is
> >>> trying
> >>> some different colors with the "currently downloading" and "error"
> >>> conditions of the data source icons.
> >>>
> >>> I haven't been using the latest version of Kepler so haven't seen
> >>> what you
> >>> are referring to.
> >>>
> >>> Laura L. Downey
> >>> Senior Usability Engineer
> >>> LTER Network Office
> >>> Department of Biology, MSC03 2020
> >>> 1 University of New Mexico
> >>> Albuquerque, NM  87131-0001
> >>> 505.277.3157 office
> >>> 505.610.9657 mobile
> >>> 505.277-2541 fax
> >>> ldowney at lternet.edu
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> -----Original Message-----
> >>> From: kepler-dev-bounces at ecoinformatics.org
> >>> [mailto:kepler-dev-bounces at ecoinformatics.org] On Behalf Of Dan Higgins
> >>> Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2006 2:26 PM
> >>> To: Kepler-dev at ecoinformatics.org
> >>> Subject: [kepler-dev] DataSource Icon troubles
> >>>
> >>> OK - I see we have changed the data source icon colors again! And now
> >>> I can barely even see the icon in the default configuration and the
> >>> color change when not busy is barely perceptable to me
> >>> Granted, I am on the verge of being color-blind, but I am not alone
> >>> in this and I had no trouble with earlier versions of the actors!
> >>>
> >>> Dan
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------
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> >
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> >
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