New gestures as an alternative to the top edge swipe for big-screen-devices

The close/swipe down alternative has an old thread https://together.jolla.com/question/1916/suggestion-revised-gesture-to-close-the-active-app-made-relevant-again-by-sfos-20-ui-changes

The app drawer equivalent is interesting, and I agree that it's needed (by us with relatively small hands), so I'll keep this question/suggestion open as well.

I'm using a Blackberry which is implementing such kind of gesture. My experience is that this is becoming too complex when gestures are not in the same direction.

The problem also appears to reach buttons at the top of the event page. Why not always have a swipe down in any page that move down the display by half a screen or more ? Pages are no more anchored to top border of the screen.

To close an app swipe down to move the display and swap down again over the top border of the application page displayed around the middle of the screen. To reach the shortcuts and the quick action buttons in the event page swap down also. To restore the normal screen once it has been shifted and no action is done, swipe up from the bottom of the screen.

Well, I think basically you are right, gestures should be as simple and intuitve as possible. But, above all, they have to be feasible. The top-edge-swipe definately is a pain in therms of one-hand-usability when performed on bigger screen devices like the Jolla C. Hence, there has to be a solution to this problem. Without the top-edge-swipe the edge-swipe-concept of sailfish allows for 3 different events associated to the 3 edge-gestures. That's definately not enough. If the screens become even bigger, than the situation will be actually worse since the edge opposite to the hand will become harder to reach also (actually, I think this is the case for the Jolla C already). Then there are only 2 edges left. So to me it is not a question wether or not more gestures are needed.

One of the unique selling points of Sailfish OS is its outstanding usability which allows for the comfortable, one-handed operation for most of the time. Take the app-drawer as an example. Just do a bottom-edge-swipe and boom there it is. No matter where you are, the app-drawer will always appear. Simple, intuitve, effective. Next example: Double tapping the device for waking it up. Simple gesture which can be performed anywhere on the screen. Simple, intuitive, effective. Now you want to activate the screen lock which is the opposite of waking it up. This action is performed as many times as the waking it up action. You have to press the side button. Not in line with the gesture concept. Alternative: top-edge-swipe followed by a touch gesture. In terms of usability this is nowhere near to the double-tap gesture. Things are the same for the closing-app-action. Performed hundred of times during the day. The associated gesture has to be simple, intuitive and feasible with one-hand-operation regardless of the screen-size of the device. Here is a possible solution

So I really don't think this is an unimportant side topic. For a gesture-based OS the intuitive and effortless operability with one hand is the right for being. It is cruicial core functionality.

I like where thisnis going and would like to see this, along with a more customized gesture framework, available on SailfishOS. Training would be biggest issue with this, but its solid in light of screen and device sizes.