Bug 358439 - 15.13 git master: proposal for better "unlocked track" icon
Summary: 15.13 git master: proposal for better "unlocked track" icon
Status: RESOLVED FIXED
Alias: None
Product: kdenlive
Classification: Applications
Component: User Interface (show other bugs)
Version: unspecified
Platform: Compiled Sources Linux
: NOR normal
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Jean-Baptiste Mardelle
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2016-01-23 18:19 UTC by Wegwerf
Modified: 2016-02-15 18:47 UTC (History)
1 user (show)

See Also:
Latest Commit:
Version Fixed In:


Attachments
dark breeze track unlocked icon (1.68 KB, image/svg+xml-compressed)
2016-01-23 18:20 UTC, Wegwerf
Details
light breeze track unlocked icon (1.68 KB, image/svg+xml-compressed)
2016-01-23 18:20 UTC, Wegwerf
Details
filled-in Lock icon (breeze-light) (2.88 KB, image/svg+xml)
2016-01-25 09:37 UTC, Sam Muirhead
Details
filled-in Lock icon (breeze-dark) (2.89 KB, image/svg+xml)
2016-01-25 09:38 UTC, Sam Muirhead
Details
existing Unlock icon (breeze-light) (2.89 KB, image/svg+xml)
2016-01-25 09:38 UTC, Sam Muirhead
Details
existing Unlock icon (breeze-dark) (2.90 KB, image/svg+xml)
2016-01-25 09:39 UTC, Sam Muirhead
Details
open lock with arc turned outside (breeze dark) (4.15 KB, image/svg+xml)
2016-01-25 17:33 UTC, Wegwerf
Details
open lock with arc turned outside (breeze light) (3.62 KB, image/svg+xml)
2016-01-25 17:33 UTC, Wegwerf
Details

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Description Wegwerf 2016-01-23 18:19:26 UTC
This report proposes a modified "unlocked track" icon that is aligned with the visual language of the other track icons, in particular, "mute audio" and "hide video". The current lock icon shows an opened lock bow, that is only slightly differing from a closed bow. Thus, it is hard to tell which track or tracks are unlocked or locked. The new icon design instead focuses on the "stroke out" metaphor that is already used for "mute" and "hide". Please find attached the proposed new "lock track" icon for both breeze light and dark.

Reproducible: Always
Comment 1 Wegwerf 2016-01-23 18:20:05 UTC
Created attachment 96804 [details]
dark breeze track unlocked icon
Comment 2 Wegwerf 2016-01-23 18:20:26 UTC
Created attachment 96805 [details]
light breeze track unlocked icon
Comment 3 Sam Muirhead 2016-01-25 09:35:58 UTC
Although using a strikeout to maintain consistency with the other icons makes sense in one way, unfortunately in the case of the 'lock track' icon it feels counter-intuitive to me:

First of all because the proposed icon is a crossed-out OPEN padlock, so the icon effectively says 'Not unlocked'. 
Secondly, because the default in this case is for tracks to be unlocked, so the default view of a track header would be two normal icons (Audio+Video) and one strikethrough icon (lock). To me at least, seeing something crossed out indicates that I have chosen to cross it out - it is not in its default state, I have turned something off. 

A solution that I would find more logical would be to keep the current icons, but have the padlock body filled in when it is locked (see attachments).
This has three advantages:
1. It clearly differentiates 'locked' from 'unlocked'
2. The icon is much more noticeable when filled in - if you have accidentally locked a track, or you've forgotten that you locked a track, and you're wondering why you can't move something, it is useful to have a visible sign of any unusual settings that may be causing the problem.
3. The solidity of the locked icon in comparison with the light outline of the unlocked icon emphasizes this 'active effect' versus 'inactive default' relationship.
Comment 4 Sam Muirhead 2016-01-25 09:37:35 UTC
Created attachment 96823 [details]
filled-in Lock icon (breeze-light)
Comment 5 Sam Muirhead 2016-01-25 09:38:04 UTC
Created attachment 96824 [details]
filled-in Lock icon (breeze-dark)
Comment 6 Sam Muirhead 2016-01-25 09:38:35 UTC
Created attachment 96825 [details]
existing Unlock icon (breeze-light)
Comment 7 Sam Muirhead 2016-01-25 09:39:08 UTC
Created attachment 96826 [details]
existing Unlock icon (breeze-dark)
Comment 8 Wegwerf 2016-01-25 17:18:22 UTC
Sam, you are raising good concerns with my proposed design: the cross-out metaphor has the inverted meaning for the lock compared to the other icons, and crossing an open padlock does invert its meaning.

I thought some time about your proposed filled/unfilled idea. Unfortunately, to me the property of filled is simply an artistic element, but not a functional one. To me, a filled lock doesn't convey a meaning different from an unfilled one, except that these lock bodies seemed to be made from different materials, a light as well as a dark one.

What we are braining around is the general lock icon metaphor: a small difference conveys meaning; an open arc versus a closed arc. To me, this seems the main problem. Maybe we can find a more creative solution that gets us around the arc state and body fill problems? Let's keep searching for a better solution, what do you think?
Comment 9 Wegwerf 2016-01-25 17:21:27 UTC
I don't think that color as a state indicator will help here either: the dominant use nowadays is in browsers, where a green lock means "secure", a red lock means "unsecure". So the lock has instead meaning has instead shifted to signal secure/unsecure. Maybe we should ditch the lock altogether?
Comment 10 Wegwerf 2016-01-25 17:32:26 UTC
Well, we can keep the lock and arc metaphor, while improving on the visual difference between open and closed arcs: when opening these old locks one often turns the arc facing out. So I've drawn up light/dark unlocked icons with the arc clearly facing out.
Comment 11 Wegwerf 2016-01-25 17:33:19 UTC
Created attachment 96835 [details]
open lock with arc turned outside (breeze dark)
Comment 12 Wegwerf 2016-01-25 17:33:43 UTC
Created attachment 96836 [details]
open lock with arc turned outside (breeze light)
Comment 13 Wegwerf 2016-02-05 15:13:30 UTC
Is there anything against updating the unlock icon using the "moved out" arc? This would improve visibility on which tracks are currently locked and which are not, as the lock arcs will clearly be different.
Comment 14 Sam Muirhead 2016-02-08 10:17:57 UTC
no objections from my side!
Comment 15 Jean-Baptiste Mardelle 2016-02-12 00:12:05 UTC
Git commit 286d3d3948e5928b1ca0c8f2aaeccde012fb5393 by Jean-Baptiste Mardelle.
Committed on 12/02/2016 at 00:11.
Pushed by mardelle into branch 'master'.

updated unlocked track icons

M  +-    --    data/pics/breeze-dark/dk_kdenlive-unlock.svgz
M  +-    --    data/pics/breeze-light/lt_kdenlive-unlock.svgz

http://commits.kde.org/kdenlive/286d3d3948e5928b1ca0c8f2aaeccde012fb5393
Comment 16 Wegwerf 2016-02-15 17:57:47 UTC
Something's broken: compiled and installed, but still get the old icon.
Comment 17 Wegwerf 2016-02-15 18:47:40 UTC
Never mind. My ext4 just had some severe hiccup. New lock icon now properly appears. Thank you Jean-Baptiste for integrating the new unlock icon! I'm marking this report thus as resolved-fixed.