Ideas for desktop and theme

#1

Hi, I really like the continuous improvements in Endless OS. The change shown in the video is very good, especially for users who are using Windows. I would like to make some additional comments and hope not to create offtopic.

  • Many users are accustomed to the desktop metaphor, so they would like to have access to some folders on the home screen. Suggestions: a) Allow add access from any folder on the home screen b) Add an appfolder on the home screen of the Desktop folder. This would not break the workflow in Endless as opposed to Gnome, where users can still activate the desktop view.

  • Improvements to the default theme. Adwaita is not cool or attractive, and the icons used in Endless break usability by not maintaining the form factor.
    It would be good that over time consider initiatives such as System76, taking a community theme and adapt it, collaborating in the process. It’s not even hard to imagine the GTK Pop theme with the colors of Endless.

Two small suggestions that would help from my point of view, to improve Endless. Cheers.

2 Likes
What to expect in Endless 3.2: Logo Button Changes
#2

Hi @haevalencia: I think this deserves its own topic, since we have a place for people to add their feedback. Thanks for sharing your ideas with us!

I don’t feel qualified to respond to the second point, but here are some thoughts about the first:

[quote=“haevalencia, post:1, topic:2690”]b) Add an appfolder on the home screen of the Desktop folder. This would not break the workflow in Endless as opposed to Gnome, where users can still activate the desktop view.
[/quote]

If I understood this correctly, this is something we already do. The desktop has app folders enabled to help you organize your desktop. We’re trying to keep the smartphone paradigm for ease of use (we are trying to serve an audience who may never have used a desktop before, but has had experience with smartphones), and we also want to make sure that the desktop stays clean, fresh, and focused on apps. That’s why we don’t allow individual files on the desktop, and why we only have the one “Documents” app (nautilus) that allows users to access their files.

In 3.2, we’ll have an updated look for folders on the desktop, so keep an eye out for that!

Let me know if you meant something different.

1 Like
#3

Maybe I explained wrong. What folders are currently doing is ordering applications and nothing more. I mean add a “special” folder that displays the contents of the Desktop folder (nautilus), so you will have quick access to files with which you are working (following the desktop metaphor). Adding individual files or creating custom folders with individual files would cause the file manager to lose its purpose, however, a special folder for the desktop would help a lot.

You could even add special considerations, such as limiting the number of files to display, adding at the end of the list “see more in documents”.

I agree to follow the paradigm of smartphones, but you can still add classic elements to the way Endless has to do things.

2 Likes
#4

I think I understand what you’re talking about, but it appears that the Endless team has decided to NOT allow file storage on the desktop.

It might be useful to allow me to put an icon on the desktop that pointed directly to a specific folder, however. For example, if I’m working on a project and all of the files are in a folder called “Foo” inside my Documents folder, being able to have a link directly to “Foo” on my desktop would be handy.

Having said that, it does take away from the clean desktop aesthetic that Endless seems to be aiming for.

#5