GNOME Human Interface Guidelines (Draft 2.1)
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GNOME Human Interface Guidelines (Draft 2.1)

The GNOME Usability Project

Copyright © 2002-2005 Calum Benson, Bryan Clark, Adam Elman, Seth Nickell, colin z robertson

Legal Notice

Table of Contents

Introduction
What's new since HIG v2.0?
1. Usability Principles
Design for People
Don't Limit Your User Base
Accessibility
Internationalization and Localization
Create a Match Between Your Application and the Real World
Make Your Application Consistent
Keep the User Informed
Keep It Simple and Pretty
Put the User in Control
Forgive the User
Provide Direct Manipulation
2. Desktop Integration
Placing Entries in the Applications Menu
Menu Item Names
Menu Item Tooltips
GConf Keys
Mapping Document Types to Applications
Application Startup
Using the Status Notification Area
Appropriate Uses for the Notification Area
Icon Appearance
Icon Animation
Interaction
Notification Balloons
3. Windows
Parts of Windows and System Interaction
Titles
Icon
Borders and Window Commands
Modality
Focus
Showing and Hiding Windows
Primary Windows
Title
Window Commands
Relation between Documents and Windows
Utility Windows
Instant apply windows
Explicit apply windows
Default Buttons
Property Windows
Preferences Windows
Toolboxes
Alerts
Alert Text
Alert Buttons
Spacing and Positioning Inside Alerts
Information Alerts
Error Alerts
Confirmation Alerts
Authentication Alerts
Progress Windows
Checklist Windows
Dialogs
Additional Buttons
Layout
Common Dialogs
Assistants
Introductory Page
Content Pages
Last Page
4. Menus
The Menubar
Types of Menu
Drop-down Menus
Submenus
Popup Menus
Designing a Menu
Grouping Menu Items
Types of menu item
Standard Menus
File
Edit
View
Insert
Format
Bookmarks
Go
Windows
Help
5. Toolbars
Appearance and Content
Vertical Toolbars
Media Player Toolbars
Controlling Display and Appearance
Labels and Tooltips
6. Controls
Using Controls Effectively
Terminology
Sensitivity
Locked Controls
Text Entry Fields
Behavior of Return key
Behavior of Tab key
Spin Boxes
Sliders
Buttons
Check Boxes
Radio Buttons
Toggle Buttons
Drop-down Lists
Drop-down Combination Boxes
Scrollbars
Scrollbars should affect the view to which they are affixed in realtime: as the user drags or clicks the view should change. Time lag will be disconcerting and negatively impact a users ability to navigate content inside the view.Lists
Sortable Lists
Trees
Sortable Trees
Tabbed Notebooks
Status Indicators
Progress Bars
Time-remaining Progress Indicator
Typical-time Progress Indicator
Indeterminate-progress indicator
Statusbars
Frames and Separators
Disclosure Triangles
7. Feedback
Characteristics of Responsive Applications
Acceptable Response Times
Responding to User Requests
Types of Visual Feedback
Pointer Feedback
Progress Animations
Choosing Appropriate Feedback
Allowing Interruptions
8. Visual Design
Color
Palette
Hue, Brightness, Contrast
Window Layout
General
Dialogs
Size
Spacing and Alignment
Text Labels
Spacing and Alignment
Capitalization
Fonts
9. Icons
Style
Perspective
Lighting
Palette
Kinds of Icons
Document Icons
Application Icons
Toolbar Icons
Menu Icons
Designing Effective Icons
Suggested Design Process For Toolbar and Menu Icons
Problems to Avoid
Designing Accessible Icons
High Contrast Icons
Low Contrast Icons
10. User Input
Mouse Interaction
Buttons
Selecting Objects
Drag and Drop
Mouse Interaction with Panel Applications (Applets)
Keyboard Interaction
Keyboard Navigation
Choosing Access Keys
Choosing Shortcut Keys
Standard Application Shortcut Keys
Keyboard Interaction with Panel Applications (Applets)
11. Language
Labels
Controls
Tooltips
Menus
Warning and Error Messages
On-line Help
12. Checklists
Things You Can Do Yourself
Before You Start
Keyboard Access and Focus
Theming, Colors and Contrast
Animation
Things You Can Do With Other People
Get Early Feedback
Internationalization and Localization
13. Credit
Active Authors
Retired/Inactive Authors
Reviewers and Contributors
Bibliography
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