I've been reading a lot of books using the Calibre Viewer lately, and while there's a lot I love about the viewer, I often find myself wishing the UI were a little more streamlined. In the spirit of open source, I'm prepared to try updating the UI myself. However, before I attempt such a thing I'd like to get some feedback from the community here to make sure such changes would actually be welcome.
I'm hoping that in posting this here I can
- get a sense of whether I should go ahead and try to implement these designs
- get feedback the particulars of the proposed design
- get tips from more experienced developers on how to get started, and
- maybe see if there's anyone who'd be interested in working together to get this work done.
What It Looks Like Now
For reference, here's what the viewer menu looks like in the current desktop app version of the viewer:
The web version is similar, though a bit simpler and with additional "Sync" and "Delete" options.
Design Proposal
I'd like to propose some changes to the current design with the aim of
- grouping related controls
- reducing clutter by moving some of the more obscure options into a menu
- creating a design that works equally well on desktop and mobile devices, and
- retaining all existing functionality
Note: I've used Google's material design icons in the mockup above for convenience, but would probably want to stick with existing icons, at least initially.
Information Architecture
I've tried to group related functions together, like so:
Less frequently used options would go in the More menu at the bottom-left. The exact options available in the More menu would depend on context.
For example:
Visual Design
I've tried to make the visual design distinctive and modern, while harmonizing with Calibre's existing built-in color schemes.
The color of the UI is inspired by the viewer's warm, parchment-colored background option. I've used a bright red-orange for the progress indicator and hover states, to contrast with the UI's more muted beiges and browns, while keeping a warm, cozy feel overall.
Next Steps
So, yes. Before I take any further action, I'd like to hear from the group here. If you have specific concerns or ideas for improvement, please let me know! I'm used to critique and will not be at all put off by disagreement over particulars of the design. I'm happy to further explain the thinking behind the above design choices if your interested (just thought this post was already long enough!)
If the design doesn't resonate, I'm happy to leave things as they are and just consider this a fun design exercise.
If these are changes you'd like to see implemented, I'll give it a shot. I'm a bit of an amateur when it comes to actual development, so any advice or help you might be able to offer would be very much appreciated.
Thanks and, please, let me know what you think!