Toolbox and Palette Interaction for KOffice
Project Opening 4
KOffice is the office suite of the K Desktop Environment. KOffice has been working on a suite-wide application redesign since 2006, based both on the results of an interaction design competition and own inventions.
The Project:
KOffice 2.0 has been designed around a palette pattern where tools would be associated with shapes (e.g. text tool, rectangle tool, etc.). The documents are built up from those shapes and information about the shapes and settings for the tools are shown in palettes.
The KOffice team has noticed that this design has not worked out quite satisfactorily: The common interaction elements in the applications need improvement.
The student task is therefore:
- Analyze the current situation in KOffice of the toolbox / palette / shape interaction
- Create design solutions for an alternative interaction
- Evaluate the design solutions along usability methods
The Mentors:
Your usability mentors will be Celeste Lyn Paul, interaction architect at User-Centered Design, Inc. in Washington D.C., and Ellen Reitmayr, freelance usability consultant from Berlin. Your technical mentor will be Boudewijn Rempt, KOffice core developer.
Your Qualification:
The project requires basic skills in interface and interaction design for client applications. This is meant to be a learning experience, so don't worry as long as you understand the basics in design and usability.
Being a KDE or Linux user is not a requirement for this project. You can use a KDE4 Live CD or remote desktop sharing to analyse KOffice.
Your Application:
- Apply for this opening by sending your application including a short CV and why you chose KOffice to students at openusability org.
- Application Deadline: 2008, April 14
- Project Timeframe: 2008 May - July/August
