Bug 455746

Summary:	Redesign for panel tasks
Product:	[Plasma] plasmashell	Reporter:	Adrián <biudreun1>
Component:	Theme - Breeze	Assignee:	Plasma Bugs List <plasma-bugs>
Status:	RESOLVED INTENTIONAL
Severity:	wishlist	CC:	nate, uhhadd, visual-design
Priority:	NOR
Version First Reported In:	5.25.1
Target Milestone:	1.0
Platform:	unspecified
OS:	Linux
Latest Commit:		Version Fixed In:
Sentry Crash Report:
Attachments:	tasks.svgz which does not background colour open but unfocussed tasks

Description Adrián 2022-06-21 19:29:19 UTC

SUMMARY
KDE currently has the same method of notifying open and focused applications, except with different use of color. A top bar and a background color, which unfortunately both are so similar that they become blurred and you don't notice the difference unless you look carefully, and in the case of blue icons, such as the Dolphin icon, it blends into the background.
Not only that, but depending on the content you have on the desktop, the top bar becomes even more difficult to see and you have to rely only on the drawn background, both for open and focused applications.
My proposal consists of eliminating the background of the open but not focused applications, increasing the transparency of the background of the focused applications, hiding the corners of the application bar or focused so that the size is smaller, it does not collide with the other bars and create an effect when positioning the cursor on them, and finally, position the bar at the bottom of the panel, so that in this way it does not touch the content of the desktop and is always easily visible.
With these changes, it would not only eliminate the "block" effect that the current design has, but it would also make it easier to identify the state of the applications, give more feedback and make it more attractive.

Comment 1 Nate Graham 2022-06-22 15:59:19 UTC

Thanks for the suggestions, but we've gone through a few designs and design iterations over the years, and we're happy with the current one. If you don't like it, you're welcome to use a different Plasma theme.

Comment 2 Adrián 2022-06-23 09:07:23 UTC

(In reply to Nate Graham from comment #1)
> Thanks for the suggestions, but we've gone through a few designs and design
> iterations over the years, and we're happy with the current one. If you
> don't like it, you're welcome to use a different Plasma theme.

I've noticed that you haven't provided any reasons why the current design is what it is, and the problems I've pointed out have been ignored. "If you don't like it, leave" is not a good answer, I was told that if I wanted to help I should do it this way and that's what I did, at least you could tell me the reason why the design problems that I have pointed out are being ignored and the only response I've gotten is "but I like it" when other users clearly disagree. I have trouble even introducing other people to KDE solely and exclusively because of its design, and the panel design is the first thing they see and point to.
Honestly, the changes needed aren't that big, just minor tweaks, I could do it myself, but at least I'd like to hear a good reason why KDE has chosen to use this design, which no other system in the world uses. Not even Gnome has gone this route.
I have to say that I appreciate the effort and work that the team does, but this is beyond my understanding and I ask for some clarification.

Comment 3 Christian (Fuchs) 2022-06-23 12:32:16 UTC

Created attachment 150090 [details]
tasks.svgz which does not background colour open but unfocussed tasks

I attached a tasks.svgz that I used for exactly this  (I hope it's the correct one, I'm at a Windows box at work and can't test, but should be). 

If you  place that in  ~/.local/share/plasma/desktoptheme/default/widgets  it should override the one from the theme you are currently using.   (You can create your own theme if you don't want it to override all other themes) 

While personally I agree that the default grey is rather ugly-ish, no background colour gets pretty hard to notice on higher resolutions, so functionality-wise it is inferior for some people. 

And with aesthetics: these are a very subjective thing and hard to objectively quantify, so if you can't convince design folk to change it to something better, I hope that workaround will please you.

Comment 4 Adrián 2022-06-23 14:29:00 UTC

(In reply to Christian (Fuchs) from comment #3)
> Created attachment 150090 [details]
> tasks.svgz which does not background colour open but unfocussed tasks
> 
> I attached a tasks.svgz that I used for exactly this  (I hope it's the
> correct one, I'm at a Windows box at work and can't test, but should be). 
> 
> If you  place that in  ~/.local/share/plasma/desktoptheme/default/widgets 
> it should override the one from the theme you are currently using.   (You
> can create your own theme if you don't want it to override all other themes) 
> 
> While personally I agree that the default grey is rather ugly-ish, no
> background colour gets pretty hard to notice on higher resolutions, so
> functionality-wise it is inferior for some people. 
> 
> And with aesthetics: these are a very subjective thing and hard to
> objectively quantify, so if you can't convince design folk to change it to
> something better, I hope that workaround will please you.

I already did it, precisely to test it and see the difference, and with a few small adjustments it is infinitely better.
And it's a design used in every other system, and has never had any complaints or problems. the bar is placed in the background of the panel so that it does not collide with any other element and always has the same color around it, and with the magic of contrast it stands out and is seen in any resolution. The current solution of the background only manages to give it a "blocky" style, and on top of that it is practically impossible to see the bar, making it useless.
It is not necessary to reinvent the wheel, it is something basic that everyone does, it is like wanting to use the Papyrus font, just for wanting to be different.

Comment 5 Adrián 2022-06-23 14:36:35 UTC

(In reply to Christian (Fuchs) from comment #3)
> And with aesthetics: these are a very subjective thing and hard to
> objectively quantify, so if you can't convince design folk to change it to
> something better, I hope that workaround will please you.

I could also switch to any other OS and throw in the towel, but we're here to try and improve what we have. And here I am not only talking about UI, but about UX, with reasons for the change beyond "I prefer this style", for something I have asked the reasons why we have the current design instead of something more traditional.
KDE has always been ridiculed for its poor design, and even today I have family and friends who don't even want to try it simply because of its UI and UX.
It has to enter through the eyes first, and the panel is the first thing anyone sees, and it is constantly there. At least make it nice, KDE is the only one I've seen that fails in that section.