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are there any good resources in how to develop good UX for open-source projects? Working code is valid or not, but designs are never "done"

#1 3:11pm Mar 30th 2012 via Twitter for Mac

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@ajturner do you have a favorite open-source project with a good interface not designed by a company? purely community?

#2 3:15pm Mar 30th 2012 via web in reply to ajturner

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@wonderchook see discussion from Mike's blog and the numerous attempts on an improved User page. Great ideas, but is it just "code wins"?

#3 3:20pm Mar 30th 2012 via Twitter for Mac in reply to wonderchook

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@ajturner @wonderchook design by committee rarely works. Someone needs to decide and be trusted to do the right thing.

#4 3:21pm Mar 30th 2012 via Twitter for iPhone in reply to ajturner

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@ajturner @wonderchook Might be code wins now, but it's incremental changes towards something better (or at least different).

#5 3:24pm Mar 30th 2012 via web in reply to ajturner

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@iandees I'm just curious at communities that have successful approachs to see how we might improve /cc @ajturner

#6 3:25pm Mar 30th 2012 via web in reply to iandees

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@iandees but look at the front-page UI discussion. What is the path of this incremental change? optimization or extinction :)

#7 3:25pm Mar 30th 2012 via Twitter for Mac in reply to iandees

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@wonderchook good question - what are the best examples of great UX in purely open-source projects?

#8 3:25pm Mar 30th 2012 via Twitter for Mac in reply to wonderchook

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@iandees @ajturner @wonderchook Usability comes first, then design. For traditional sites, ux can be iterative and code-first.

#9 3:25pm Mar 30th 2012 via web in reply to iandees

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@ajturner in the case of #openstreetmap yes, not sure if there are other groups where it is different

#10 3:28pm Mar 30th 2012 via web in reply to ajturner

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@wonderchook @iandees If you want to improve you need to find people who are good coders and good designers which is a bit of a paradox :p

#11 3:28pm Mar 30th 2012 via web in reply to wonderchook

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@ajturner @iandees is there something to be said about ripping the band-aid off?

#12 3:28pm Mar 30th 2012 via web in reply to ajturner

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@wonderchook @ajturner I don't think anyone has spent enough time discussing front page design. Many arguments/pet projects, though.

#13 3:33pm Mar 30th 2012 via web in reply to wonderchook

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@iandees is there an osm-design mailing list or group?

#14 3:40pm Mar 30th 2012 via Twitter for Mac in reply to iandees

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@ajturner @wonderchook Look at openusability.org - but generally OS projects have a problem - see firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/… !

#15 3:43pm Mar 30th 2012 via web in reply to ajturner

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@ajturner lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/desi… was started after discussions at SotM 2011. Lost some steam after a while though. /cc @migurski @tmcw

#16 3:46pm Mar 30th 2012 via web in reply to ajturner

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@ajturner @iandees yes, I admin it lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/design

#17 3:46pm Mar 30th 2012 via web in reply to ajturner

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@ajturner There are some but too rare examples.

#18 3:48pm Mar 30th 2012 via TweetDeck in reply to ajturner

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@mhaklay Indeed

#19 3:48pm Mar 30th 2012 via web in reply to mhaklay

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@ajturner fwiw, the purely open-source distinction isn't very useful. What's an example of a purely open-source project with a UI at all?

#20 3:49pm Mar 30th 2012 via web in reply to ajturner

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@tmcw @ajturner You rang? :-)

#21 3:50pm Mar 30th 2012 via web in reply to tmcw

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@nacin @ajturner Turner's distinction was (afaik) that there was no money/company/designer involved, aka @automattic

#22 3:52pm Mar 30th 2012 via web in reply to nacin

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@mhaklay @ajturner @wonderchook Perhaps, but OSM's problem is we listen, we just don't have the developer manpower to change things

#23 3:54pm Mar 30th 2012 via Twitter for Mac in reply to mhaklay

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@ajturner @wonderchook WordPress may not have "great UX," but certainly better than most. And developed by a community, not a company.

#24 3:54pm Mar 30th 2012 via web in reply to ajturner

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@tmcw @ajturner really, I was just curious if it was possible. Not required though=)

#25 3:55pm Mar 30th 2012 via web in reply to tmcw

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@tmcw @ajturner Vast majority of contributing designers & devs don't work there. Those that do, mostly contribute on their free time.

#26 3:55pm Mar 30th 2012 via web in reply to tmcw

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@nacin @ajturner yes, my mom can use it=). Exactly an example I was trying to think about. How does design move forward with WordPress?

#27 3:56pm Mar 30th 2012 via web in reply to nacin

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@nacin I agree that Wordpress is a great example. Most have a org structure to dictate though? E.g. Firefox

#28 3:57pm Mar 30th 2012 via Twitter for Mac in reply to nacin

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@richardf @mhaklay @ajturner there are ways to buy people's time, but I'm not sure that is what most want

#29 3:57pm Mar 30th 2012 via web in reply to richardf

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@ajturner Org structure helps, but not necessary. Project leaders need to adopt the philosophy that UX comes first & always wins. [1/2]

#30 4:01pm Mar 30th 2012 via web in reply to ajturner

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@ajturner Then the leads should appoint someone to make the final UX decisions, if that's what it takes. [2/2]

#31 4:02pm Mar 30th 2012 via web in reply to ajturner

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@tmcw @ajturner But obviously I agree @automattic helps matters quite a bit. Many projects have companies w/ vested interests in success.

#32 4:06pm Mar 30th 2012 via web in reply to tmcw

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@nacin same for OSM, but slight difference is that there are no "leads" other than operations. no single company at head or design leads

#33 4:07pm Mar 30th 2012 via Twitter for Mac in reply to nacin

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@ajturner @wonderchook want a 2-stage map process. 1. Serious osm mapper 2. Very simple Widget for basemap users to send changes to SOM

#34 4:10pm Mar 30th 2012 via Twitter for iPhone in reply to ajturner

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@HeatherLeson yes, the one thing that really needs to be thought out is fixing bugs versus adding missing info. Fixing is hard! @ajturner

#35 4:11pm Mar 30th 2012 via web in reply to HeatherLeson

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@wonderchook @ajturner I would advocate a "fix the basemap report button or link" within @ushahidi . Meet you 1/2 way. Other OSM fans likely

#36 4:14pm Mar 30th 2012 via Twitter for iPhone in reply to wonderchook

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@HeatherLeson I'd love to see a small JS widget for other devs to include. Loads a toolset and OSM basemap.

#37 4:16pm Mar 30th 2012 via Twitter for Mac in reply to HeatherLeson

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@HeatherLeson there is #openstreetbugs or #mapdust already, though people don't seem enthusiasm to fix those types of reports @ajturner

#38 4:17pm Mar 30th 2012 via web in reply to HeatherLeson

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@ajturner Yeah. We only centralize decision-making for UX. We do have a "core team" but more defined (and smaller, flatter) than OSM.

#39 4:18pm Mar 30th 2012 via web in reply to ajturner

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@ajturner Sorry, when I heard "OSM" I immediately thought Open Source Matters (Joomla's foundation).

#40 4:21pm Mar 30th 2012 via web in reply to ajturner

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@wonderchook @ajturner We need to be in the same room for this. Our community may need plugin (very simple) to report. Yours: bug incentive

#41 4:22pm Mar 30th 2012 via Twitter for iPhone in reply to wonderchook

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@ajturner You may be interested in wordpress.org/about/philosop…, codex.wordpress.org/Release_Philos…. We are very serious about those. Projects need values.

#42 4:22pm Mar 30th 2012 via web in reply to ajturner

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@HeatherLeson my concern is actually less design in this case and incentives to go actually fix the map /cc @ajturner

#43 4:25pm Mar 30th 2012 via web in reply to HeatherLeson

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@nacin those are really useful, thx. Similar to Rails' "Convention over Configuration" that provides for elegant Dev UX

#44 4:25pm Mar 30th 2012 via Twitter for Mac in reply to nacin

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