Speaker
Description
GNOME provides a clean, modern, and user-friendly desktop environment for Linux. However, users who are new to Linux can still experience difficulties when performing common tasks or trying to understand system problems.
This talk explores the GNOME desktop from the perspective of a new Linux user. It focuses on common situations such as connecting to Wi-Fi, using Bluetooth devices, accessing external storage, installing applications, changing system settings, and understanding error messages.
The main idea is that a user interface should not only report that something went wrong, but should also help the user understand what happened and what they can do next.
Author(s) Bio
Aashish Kumar Sah is a Computer Science student and an L2 Support professional at WorldLink Communications, with a strong interest in Linux, networking, open-source technologies, and user experience.
Talk Description
The talk will discuss practical UI/UX improvements such as clearer language, contextual help, progressive disclosure of technical information, and better guidance for common problems. Accessibility will also be considered as an important part of the user experience.
A small prototype may be demonstrated using GTK4, Libadwaita, and Python to show how a beginner-friendly GNOME interface could communicate a common problem.
The goal is not to redesign GNOME, but to explore how small, practical improvements can make GNOME more approachable for people discovering Linux for the first time.
Objectives
- Identify common challenges faced by new GNOME/Linux users.
- Examine where users may become confused during common tasks.
- Explore how UI design can communicate problems more clearly.
- Propose beginner-friendly improvements to existing workflows.
- Consider accessibility during the design process.
- Demonstrate a small UI prototype using GNOME technologies.
- Encourage new contributors to participate in the GNOME and FLOSS communities.
Technical Approach
The project may use GNOME Desktop, GTK4, Libadwaita, Python, Git, GitLab, and GNOME documentation.
The technical work will remain intentionally small and focused. A prototype can demonstrate concepts such as clearer error messages, contextual guidance, and progressive disclosure of technical information.
Expected Outcome
The expected outcome is a practical discussion of new-user challenges, several UI/UX improvement concepts, and a small prototype demonstrating one possible solution.
The talk will also show how UI design, accessibility, documentation, and small technical contributions can work together to improve the Linux desktop experience.
| Category | Design of Users and Developer Experiences |
|---|---|
| Pronouns | he/him |
| Where are you located? | Kathmandu, Nepal |
| Do you need travel sponsorship from GNOME Foundation in order to join our event? | Yes |