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| = UI reviews = | ||<tablestyle="float:right; font-size: 0.9em; width:40%; background:#F1F1ED; margin: 0 0 1em 1em;" style="padding:0.5em;"><<TableOfContents>>|| |
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| These guidelines are to help all of us make UI reviews as straight-forward as possible. | * '''Name:''' UI Review * '''Owner:''' Launchpad Team * '''Effective:''' Summer of 2009 |
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| For a detailed process for UI changes: [[VersionThreeDotO/UI/Conversion]] | = UI review process = These guidelines are to help all of us make UI reviews as straight-forward as possible. Currently one of the following is required to land a branch with UI changes: * a ui review by a graduated ui reviewer or a member of the Canonical DUX team. * two ui reviews by ungraduated ui reviewers (marked with an asterisk below). |
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| * Maris Fogels (mars) * Paul Hummer (rockstar) |
* Maris Fogels* (mars) * Paul Hummer* (rockstar) |
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| * Edwin Grubbs (EdwinGrubbs) * Tom Berger (intellectronica) * Curtis Hovey (sinzui) |
* Edwin Grubbs* (EdwinGrubbs) * Tom Berger* (intellectronica) * Curtis Hovey* (sinzui) * Barry Warsaw* (barry) * Matthew Revell* (mrevell) * Jonathan Lange* (jml) |
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| == Reminder: Before starting a UI change == | |
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| == 10 questions to ask yourself before starting a branch == | 1. Consult the ReadyToCode checklist. 2. If necessary create a LaunchpadEnhancementProposalProcess to clarify the feature scope. 3. Create and discuss the [[UI/Design|mockups]]. |
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| 1. Is there any other page in Launchpad that does something similar? 2. Will this add any value to users? 3. Will this make it harder for other users to complete tasks? 4. How would you "tweet" this change? (i.e. describe in 140 characters)? 5. Are there any other pages that should change their behavior/look with this change? 6... 7... 8... 9... 10... |
== Submitting your branch for review == |
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| == What is this page trying to tell me == | === 10 questions to ask yourself before submitting === |
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| Although it may be out of the scope of the current branch that you are working on, it is always worthwhile getting the big-picture... and there might be small improvements outside the scope of your bug that will make a huge difference to the user experience. (Maris' to add notes) | 1. Is the <title> appropriate and context-sensitive? If the page is the Overview of an independent entity (e.g. a person or a package), does the <title> end with "in Launchpad"? (copied from mpt's old notes - do we still do do this?) 2. After finishing with the page, is there anywhere you'll very likely want to go next? Is that destination linked to? 3. Will your changes make it easier to complete the page's defined tasks? 4. Does this behave differently than other pages in Launchpad? Why are those exceptions there? 5. Imagine you're in the target audience for the page, but you've never seen it before. Reading it, would you understand what's going on? Does it need embedded help? 6. How many more knobs and buttons have I added? 7. In any form, what happens if you skip a compulsory field? What happens if you enter disallowed characters? What happens if you enter 200 KB of text? 8. What can I do to make it explaining it easier, or even unnecessary? 9. Is it fun to use? 10. Does the page look elegant and well-balanced? |
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| = Submitting your branch for review = | === Check your choice of words === |
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| == 10 questions to ask yourself before submitting == | Check through the [[UserInterfaceWording|User interface wording guidelines]] to ensure that you are using the recommended wording and capitalization etc. |
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| 1. What value does this add to users? 2. Will this make it harder to complete any tasks? 3. Will this make it easier to complete any tasks? 4. Does this behave differently than other pages in Launchpad? 5. Does completing the task require prior knowledge? Is that knowledge available as help? 6. How many more knobs and buttons have I added? 7. Is it easy to explain? 8. What can I do to make it explaining it easier, or even unnecessary? 9. Is it fun to use? 10. Can this be simpler? |
=== Did you consider in-line help? === |
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| == Create a screenshot or screencast == The UI review process will be much faster if the reviewer can view your change without having to merge and run your branch. Sometimes this can be as simple as attaching screenshots to the bug (this also allows other interested people to comment). |
We all agree that the user interface should be self-explanatory but there are some terms and concepts that will not be familiar to everyone using Launchpad. If you feel there's room for confusion, you should either: |
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| If your UI change involves a behaviour, consider creating a brief screen-cast using gtkRecordMyDesktop and attaching it to the bug. Again, this will again help the reviewer and other interested people from commenting without having to merge your branch. | * use [[PopUpHelp|pop-up help]] to explain a term, concept or short process * or link to the relevant page on the [[https://help.launchpad.net|help wiki]] to explain a more involved process or workflow. |
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| === Check your template code === | |
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| = Tips for reviewers = | Review the [[PageTemplateHacking|quick checklist for template code]] to ensure that your template code is consistent and therefore more maintainable. |
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| 1. '''Don't read the merge proposal'''. Branch, fire up the page(s) that where changed, and write down your initial impressions. Sometimes a change causes other parts of the page to look out of place, so knowing what to look at may make you miss that. 2. '''Make mistakes'''. When going through a work flow, make as many mistakes on purpose. This will help you feel what a frustration scenario would look like. |
=== Check your URLs === Have you added or changed any URLs in this branch? If so, look at our [[UI/UrlStyleGuide|URL Style Guide]]. === Make it easy to demonstrate your UI === If it is difficult to setup the sample data required to demonstrate your changes, consider pasting a harness script that can be used by the reviewer to setup the relevant data. It is always worth creating a single before/after screenshot and attaching it to the bug - this allows those people following the bug to provide input too. Or if your change involves some behavioral changes, consider creating a brief screen-cast using gtkRecordMyDesktop and attaching it to the bug. Again, other interested people to comment on your UI without having to merge your branch. == UI-reviewing a branch == === Tips for reviewers === 1. '''Don't read the merge proposal'''. Branch, fire up the page(s) that where changed, and write down your initial impressions. Sometimes a change causes other parts of the page to look out of place, so knowing what to look at may make you miss that. 2. '''Make mistakes'''. When going through a work flow, make as many mistakes on purpose. This will help you feel what a frustration scenario would look like. 3. '''What's the transition story?''' When we make significant changes to existing UI, or add new things, what's the transition story for people who just see that pop up one day? |
Name: UI Review
Owner: Launchpad Team
Effective: Summer of 2009
UI review process
These guidelines are to help all of us make UI reviews as straight-forward as possible.
Currently one of the following is required to land a branch with UI changes:
- a ui review by a graduated ui reviewer or a member of the Canonical DUX team.
- two ui reviews by ungraduated ui reviewers (marked with an asterisk below).
Current UI reviewers
- Martin Albisetti (beuno)
- Maris Fogels* (mars)
- Paul Hummer* (rockstar)
- Michael Nelson (noodles)
Edwin Grubbs* (EdwinGrubbs)
- Tom Berger* (intellectronica)
- Curtis Hovey* (sinzui)
- Barry Warsaw* (barry)
- Matthew Revell* (mrevell)
- Jonathan Lange* (jml)
Reminder: Before starting a UI change
Consult the ReadyToCode checklist.
If necessary create a LaunchpadEnhancementProposalProcess to clarify the feature scope.
Create and discuss the mockups.
Submitting your branch for review
10 questions to ask yourself before submitting
Is the <title> appropriate and context-sensitive? If the page is the Overview of an independent entity (e.g. a person or a package), does the <title> end with "in Launchpad"? (copied from mpt's old notes - do we still do do this?)
- After finishing with the page, is there anywhere you'll very likely want to go next? Is that destination linked to?
- Will your changes make it easier to complete the page's defined tasks?
- Does this behave differently than other pages in Launchpad? Why are those exceptions there?
- Imagine you're in the target audience for the page, but you've never seen it before. Reading it, would you understand what's going on? Does it need embedded help?
- How many more knobs and buttons have I added?
- In any form, what happens if you skip a compulsory field? What happens if you enter disallowed characters? What happens if you enter 200 KB of text?
- What can I do to make it explaining it easier, or even unnecessary?
- Is it fun to use?
- Does the page look elegant and well-balanced?
Check your choice of words
Check through the User interface wording guidelines to ensure that you are using the recommended wording and capitalization etc.
Did you consider in-line help?
We all agree that the user interface should be self-explanatory but there are some terms and concepts that will not be familiar to everyone using Launchpad. If you feel there's room for confusion, you should either:
use pop-up help to explain a term, concept or short process
- or link to the relevant page on the
help wiki to explain a more involved process or workflow.
Check your template code
Review the quick checklist for template code to ensure that your template code is consistent and therefore more maintainable.
Check your URLs
Have you added or changed any URLs in this branch? If so, look at our URL Style Guide.
Make it easy to demonstrate your UI
If it is difficult to setup the sample data required to demonstrate your changes, consider pasting a harness script that can be used by the reviewer to setup the relevant data.
It is always worth creating a single before/after screenshot and attaching it to the bug - this allows those people following the bug to provide input too. Or if your change involves some behavioral changes, consider creating a brief screen-cast using gtkRecordMyDesktop and attaching it to the bug. Again, other interested people to comment on your UI without having to merge your branch.
UI-reviewing a branch
Tips for reviewers
Don't read the merge proposal. Branch, fire up the page(s) that where changed, and write down your initial impressions. Sometimes a change causes other parts of the page to look out of place, so knowing what to look at may make you miss that.
Make mistakes. When going through a work flow, make as many mistakes on purpose. This will help you feel what a frustration scenario would look like.
What's the transition story? When we make significant changes to existing UI, or add new things, what's the transition story for people who just see that pop up one day?
