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How to make a better default Firefox UI

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Re: How to make a better default Firefox UI

#261

Post by gitaarik »

OJFord wrote: post #22

Whenever I see someone using (or a screenshot of) horizontal tabs I'm just shocked that people put up with it, or perhaps even more so that it's still the default in all major (and minor?) browsers. I recommend Sidebery, but more than that I just recommend something to get your tabs listed vertically in a sidebar, so they don't squash each other up as you add more until you can't tell what's what at a glance, the wid…

So you're shocked every time you see a browser with default UI setup? I mean, I understand if it's not your preference, or even have good argumentation for why the default is not the best for everyone. But if you're shocked every time you see people use a default setting that isn't your preference, your life must be pretty shocking.

Re: How to make a better default Firefox UI

#262

Post by ExecSushy »

bloopernova wrote: post #90

Better browser UX, in my strongly-held opinion, starts with vertical tabs. With horizontal tabs, you can have maybe 6 to 8 tabs open before things tabs get difficult to manage or track. With vertical, nested tabs; links that open in a new tab are automatically made a child tab. From that you can infer structure and context more easily than horizontal tabs. Then you add colours to indicate different sites and now you…

Not only for browsers.

Once monitors got wider I moved everything left and vertical.

It's also kind of a hierarchy that flows from left to right:

OS -> App -> content

Some content follows the same pattern (or can be configured close enough)

Eg: discord servers -> channels -> discussion

Eg: IntelliJ -> project files -> vertical tab for open editors -> editor

Most content nowadays is mobile-first anyway, which is a nice way of saying it wastes most of the space on desktop (most webpages fit a title and subtitle OR 3 bullet points on a 24" screen)

I've got around one hundred firefox tabs open currently, distributed in multiple windows on 8 workspaces and dual monitor.

Horizontal tabs where always a design fail unless their number and title is fixed AND small. Made sense in physical cabinets because gravity wins and the space in a single drawer was limited.

Re: How to make a better default Firefox UI

#263

Post by pdntspa »

oblio wrote: post #209
pdntspa wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That feeling of anxiety when looking over software should be taken as a cue to get better at it, not a feeling to be processed as such. Because it goes away as mastery goes up. Pretty soon all that whitespace becomes anxiety-inducing in and of itself

I have a few decades worth of experience with software and cluttered UIs just suck.

Same here, but there is a difference between cluttered and dense. Cluttered sucks, but dense is incredibly empowering.

Re: How to make a better default Firefox UI

#264

Post by asadotzler »

eitland wrote: post #238
asadotzler wrote: post #220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most users, like 90% or more have tabs that all fit visibly in the horizontal space. Look it up. Mozilla's telemetry is public. 5 or 6 tabs fit just fine and in a sidebar are hugely wasteful of pixels. You think everyone browses just like you so you can't imagine why the browser is shaped for people not like you but your browsing habits are in the ultra-minority. Take a look at the telemetry before making silly posts…

Most users also don't actually need modern processors. Most drivers don't need to pull a trailer. Most people don't need a wheelchair ramp. Still arguing for stopping processor development, removing the possibility to use towing hitches and removing wheelchair ramps isn't something I hear people argue for. It is almost like in other areas of life we accept that different people have different needs and wishes, but in…

products are shaped for an audience and audiences use products that work for them.you're free to cater to least users, but successful people cater to most users.

Re: How to make a better default Firefox UI

#265

Post by asadotzler »

account42 wrote: post #246
asadotzler wrote: post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All features require maintenance as code around them and through them changes with time. Feature bloat is very often code bloat and maintaining code costs money, especially 20 million lines of it. When a module owner sees an opportunity to improve their module by removing low-use features that are built on code that's a challenge to maintain, that's a good thing for the long term health of the code base and the featu…

And that's why all backup software should remove the restore feature, right?

no.

Re: How to make a better default Firefox UI

#266

Post by eitland »

asadotzler wrote: post #264
eitland wrote: post #238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most users also don't actually need modern processors. Most drivers don't need to pull a trailer. Most people don't need a wheelchair ramp. Still arguing for stopping processor development, removing the possibility to use towing hitches and removing wheelchair ramps isn't something I hear people argue for. It is almost like in other areas of life we accept that different people have different needs and wishes, but in…

products are shaped for an audience and audiences use products that work for them.you're free to cater to least users, but successful people cater to most users.

Here's the thing:

Firefox was very usable for most users even when it had real extensions.

The extension API didn't affect end users at all.

It feels like a war against power users, were designers want to take away control from us to make sure it always looks like they intended.

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