Feature Discussion: Start up screen of Desktops/Workspaces

Desktop
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When we start the default gnome desktop then for the first time it shows the activities overview. I have 2 questions here:

  1. Shouldn’t it show the applications overview by default and not the activities overview, since there are no open apps anyway.
  2. Is the same not applicable when we move over to a new workspace. It should show the app overview, instead it currently just shows a blank screen and user has to press the super button to open a new app.

Any thoughts on this?

Thank you.

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The first idea I can get behind. It does seem like a better point of entry for starting a session. If I remember correctly Endless OS does that or at least played with that idea.

However, I think that the second proposal is not ideal. Moving to a new workspace is a horizontal movement in the spacial model. Having it immediately open the app drawer in the same movement would be quite jarring and counterintuitive. You’re scrolling horizontally through the different workspaces and suddenly the view shifts vertically, with no difference in user input.

When the user enters the GNOME session, there is no previous location that they are aware of, so the point of entry can be chosen. It used to be the empty desktop, now it is the activities overview, it could very well be changed to the app drawer.

These are my thoughts of course, I am not a designer, just an interested GNOME user.
Thanks for your interesting ideas!

1 Like
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Let me explain the second scenario a bit further.

The app drawer will be already present (and not opened) only if there are no apps already present. If there is an app already open in the workspace then it behaves as it behaves currently. Only when you scroll horizontally to an empty workspace where there are no open apps then it is better to display the app drawer so that a user can directly click on the app that is wanted and start using it once it opens.

Your input is very valid. There will be two ways for the app drawer to be opened. One horizontally and one vertically. This may also confuse a user. The next time he/she wants an app drawer should he/she do a horizontal swipe or a vertical one? This question is not answered by my proposal. I need to think some more on this.

Thank you for your inputs.

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