Need Opinions on Symphony Properties - part 1 of 3

Jenn Giardino, User Experience Design Lead for Lotus Symphony  |  Feb 5, 2009 11:13 AM
Profile image for Jenn Giardino We want to make your use of the Lotus Symphony properties sidebar more efficient.

Please compare the current design of the Text Properties and Paragraph Properties

sidebar panels to the potential redesign, then answer the following questions.

First, do you use the Symphony word processor? if not, please install it and use it a bit before answering :)

http://symphony.lotus.com/software/lotus/symphony/home.nsf/home

Of the examples shown above, do you prefer having the Text and Paragraph properties shown in separate sidebar panels, as shown in example 1, or do you prefer having the Text and Paragraph properties displayed in the same sidebar panel, as shown in example 2. Why?

Feel free to give us any other comments.

Note: Click "View Image" to see the image full size.

11 Comments

  • Kenneth said on Feb 5, 2009 11:39 AM:

    Actually, I think another important aspect that is not often referred to is styles. Having a quick window to see, edit, and apply Paragraph and Character Styles (as opposed to the option here of modifying the actual text's properties) would be a blessing and encourage more proper document management.

  • Paul Carpenter said on Feb 5, 2009 2:37 PM:

    I really like the "inspector" used in Pages (iwork) giving access to text/page/paragraph/object/table properties within the same space but choosing the context from icons across the top. I agree with kenneth that quick access to styles is useful as well as perhaps an icon for copy style and paste style.

  • Eduardo Passeto said on Feb 6, 2009 6:50 AM:

    What I wish:

    1-On Properties... (top sidebar), options to be added: ...Box Properties and ...List Properties. If You press F11, you can notice a curious similarity of Sidebar Tools and Styles List.

    2-Quick access to styles should also be very useful. First time I was using Symphony, I insistently tried to double-click Text Properties. As if I press F11, then auto-select "Text Styles". I think that a simple Macro can do this!

  • Stijn said on Feb 6, 2009 8:22 AM:

    I like the second design more then the current. There should be a description on mouse over though so if you dont understand the icons they will be explained by small description labels (see the alt / title tag in HTML)

    You can currently set the font and size and, but not Heading1,2,3 etc.

    I would also add this option in this same side bar, there is where the other settings are aswell

  • Jan Latzko said on Feb 7, 2009 7:17 AM:

    That's great work there, I like it.

    You have more information and (useful!) options available at less space, and since you concentrated on the heavily-used properties, it should save some clicks.

    Plus it might be even faster (performance-wise) as switching between the paragraphes is saved.

    Now if just overall performance wasn't soooo bad :..-( (X60 tablet here w/ fast HDD (Samsung M5S).. and symphony simply takes too long to start, can't be helped)

    Regards, J

  • Udo said on Feb 8, 2009 5:55 PM:

    I prefer the second one. It is more compact and more clear.

    But I agree with Paul Carpenter. It is much better to switch between text/paragraph/page properties with buttons like in Pages and not to arrange the text/paragraph properties one below the other. Then there is more space for other functions within the sidebar panels and it is not necessary to expand the sidebar panels with + and ... buttons.

    If someone needs advanced options he can open a dialog box with the „All properties“ button. But the dialog box should be smaller like the InfoBox from Lotus WordPro. It would be great if the setting of the advanced options in the dialog box are also visible immediately in the document. It is complicated always to click the OK Button.

  • P2 said on Feb 12, 2009 2:34 PM:

    Agree with comments that the second, 'grand unified' panel seems more intuitive, but I admit a bias as a 3D Studio MAX user, which uses a similar approach.

  • mike said on Feb 18, 2009 6:55 AM:

    regardless of how it looks, any changes should be able to influence the default settings so that the user's template and page set up of choice starts. Currently, I cannot get my preferred standard document template to be the default. Access to all defaults, plus user access to keyboard definitions (particular fn keys) is critical if this is to be a productivity tool. Not there yet, sorry. Skip the cosmetics and focus on core functionality first, please. I'd like to like the product by OO offers me complete control of the assignments which is required in a work setting. Or is this possible and I just haven't found it??

  • Ben said on Feb 23, 2009 4:55 PM:

    I like the new design. More efficient and compact. I griped about the drown down to make these selection (alignment, etc.), and quit using the product.

    Bring the Infobox back! Make it a dockable element ...

    Bring the status bar back from SmartSuite. That was one of the best designs ever - status bar that is also a toolbar!

  • Guest said on Mar 15, 2009 6:45 AM:

    Yes, the Infobox was (is) so great.

    But with 16:9 TFT we have so much place to the right and left of

    the document, so the panel would be nice, but please orientete

    the development to the InfoBox of the Smartsuite.

    The image above is the right direction.

    Might be nice to have vertical tabs (with icon and text) to

    change between Text/Paragraf and Table/Cells and Page Properties.

  • Nam said on Apr 3, 2009 7:44 AM:

    Why do not use "tab" like in spreadsheet ?

    By the way I miss a feature in current LS : 2 button to Increase / Decrease the current selection "caracters size" (increment of 2).
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