RFC: My suggested improvements to start.fpo

[Elad]

On Sun, Mar 20, 2011 at 2:08 PM, Elad <el.il at doom.co.il> wrote:
> Hello everyone.
> Currently, start.fpo looks like this [1]. I don't like that all
> controls are in one line, So I made this[2].
> I told about it to another Fedora user, and he suggested that we add
> an option to search in Fedora Package Database and Fedora wiki. I've
> implemented this. screenshot [3].
> Please note that in the third screenshot, the header height is 146px,
> and there is a reason for that: Jef said he wanted the header size to
> be the same in all fedora website. In fp.o, the header is 116px high,
> and the menu is 30px high, and looks like part of the header. In
> start.fpo there is no menu, so the header height can be 116+30, and it
> still looks constant when going from start.fpo to fp.o.
>
> More screenshots: Hover over the search button[4], Package Database is
> selected[5].
>
> What do you think? any suggestions/ideas for more improvements?
>
> [1] http://elad.fedorapeople.org/start.fpo.now.png
> [2] http://elad.fedorapeople.org/start.fpo.png
> [3] http://elad.fedorapeople.org/start.fpo-wiki-and-pkgdb.png
> [4] http://elad.fedorapeople.org/start.fpo-search-hover.png
> [5] http://elad.fedorapeople.org/start.fpo-pkgdb-selected.png
> --
> -Elad.
>
New mockup [1], Because I think start.fpo is too messy right now. We
need to reduce visual clutter. My mockup is largely based on this one
[2].
Those "help pandas" ☺ are mainly intended for new users. The first
thing users usually does after installing Fedora is opening the web
browser, and those pandas are there to welcome them in a friendly way.
I forgot to add it to the mockup, but we could provide a small X
button that will hide them if the user no longer need them (who would
want to do that?!). I think the pandas are awesome, but we could
replace them with a "Help" link in the top (next to wiki | planet |
documentation) if you don't agree with me.

The pkgdb/wiki search is already implemented in my computer, but I'm
not pushing it because it will make even more visual clutter, and I
think we need to keep things clean and simple.
Anyway it will need some server-side python "magic" to work without JS.

[1] http://elad.fedorapeople.org/start.fpo-mockup-elad.png
[2] https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/File:Vinz-startfedoraproject-v3.png

-- 
-Elad.