AOO 4.0 Dockable Task Pane (Task Bar) Design Exploration
Contents
Background
Current Implementation
Both LS and AOO currently provide task-oriented views which allow users to surface common actions. The task views can either be rendered as floating views, or as docked sidebar panes. While the basic window management is similar between the offerings, other aspects of the user experience are significantly different. Differences include: content, default presentation, and navigation.
AOO surfaces the dockable task panes as floating windows which the user can choose to dock on the side of the work space. All task panes are hidden by default, and only emerge when the user evokes the view command. Each task panes is independent from each other. The number of panes and content available in the panes is limited. See analysis for more information.
LS surfaces the dockable task panes as a docked sidebar views, with supporting navigation tabs. By default the tabs are closed in the document and spreadsheet editor, and open in the presentation editor. The presentation editor also includes a similar slide view. LS offers a rich set of panes and supporting content. See analysis for more information.
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Design Assessment
In support of the Lotus Symphony 3.0.1 (LS) and Apache OpenOffice 3.4 (AOO) code merge activity, Apache OpenOffice UX has prepared the following user experience merge assessment. The outcome of the assessment is an understanding of which aspects of the dockable task pane user experience should be migrated or merged from each offering into the new code base.
Design Exploration
Creative Brief
How might we make high frequency actions and options more available and discoverable within the editor's primary workspace so that user's can access advanced editing commands from a persistent, contextual, mode-less property panel.
