Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla – Issue 97688
better default gradient set
Last modified: 2017-05-20 10:44:40 UTC
I am a designer and UI reviewer, and I find the default set of gradients in OpenOffice to be ugly. They have that '95 look, as if they were meant as a benchmark for colors (squared radial pink to green, anyone?). They generally lack subtlety and a more "professional" look, and, as such, discourage the user from using them at all. They are really not suitable for charts or flowchart boxes. I discovered recently that I can edit ~/.openoffice.org/3/user/config/standard.sog and thus create a nice array of slick gradients. The goal of this bug report is to ask this: if I provided a new, more carefully crafted Tango-style set of gradients, would this be accepted upstream?
TM->WG: One for you ? Please have a look, thanks !
Please attach the new set. Reassigned.
Created attachment 59142 [details] new gradients template proposal
Screenshots/demos for your convenience: http://jeff.ecchi.ca/blog/?p=695
An improved new standard palette should contain all types in different settings of Center, Angle and Border; like it is done in the palette "classic_en-US.sog". (But I don't like the colors of that palette.) I think, that a new standard gradients palette should not only be "nice" and useful, but show the users, what effects are possible. I have looked at your examples. I miss examples for using the gradients for a slide background.
I partly disagree: a default palette should (in my humble opinion) be intended to look good and provide a sensible default that can be applied to most situations, not a special effects showcase. Also, I "could" have provided variants for radial/axial/square/whatever types but: - they are generally (except radial, in some cases) ugly and unsuitable for diagrams or charts, really. They are also constraining/lack flexibility (no way to have more than 2 colors, or set precise points where those colors are positioned, for example) - I would just have duplicated all the linear gradients I have done here and flipped the switch from "linear" to "radial" or "axial" or whatever. What's the point? The user could have done so him/herself. - past a certain amount, too much choice is not a good thing, both cognitively (Iyengar and Lepper, 2008)Â [1] and artistically (because they will start showing lack of uniqueness) Finally, the defaults are intended to be starting points that the user can customize, but not a "look, we can do ALL gradient types!" gallery. In the line of thought that trying to provide more stuff would just be duplicates (see above) or that the more diversity you try to provide, the more it looks like what we currently had up to now, I think it would be better (and easier) to exercise voluntary restraint in the defaults that are provided. But yeah, maybe 2-3 radial gradients could be added, if they can look good ;) [1] http://www.columbia.edu/~ss957/articles/Choice_is_Demotivating.pdf
Confirmed with AOO410m1(Build:9750) - Rev. 1566800 2014-02-11_04:11:01 - Rev. 1566981 Debian
I checked these gradients shortly and despite that we have new ones in 4.0.1 I think these are great. Grepping task...
Reset the assignee to the default "issues@openoffice.apache.org".