pulley menu: what do you think?

pulley-menu

asked 2014-12-29 21:44:54 +0200

michel
591 ●8 ●12 ●16

updated 2014-12-29 22:17:25 +0200

eric

12967 ●88 ●133 ●123

https://twitter.com/erkki...

As much as I like the concept of the pulley menu, imho its uncompatibility to scrollable content makes it quite bad. There are 3 approaches to this problem i found in different apps:

No use of the pulley menu
pulley menu is at the top of the content and u need to scroll up to use it (not very comfortable)
leave some space at the top of he screen that wont scroll to pull the menu (which uses even more space than a button would)

None of them are appealing to me as they are either inconvenient to use or create inconsistency in the UI.

The only solution I can think of is using an over-the-edge gesture:

If one would use the top edge, the closing gesture would need to move to either left or right, wich could be configurable (one side closing other side minimize) remaining problem: the top is rather hard to reach with one hand
using the bottom edge would move the notification screen to one side (again preferably configurable)
using one of the side edges would require a new kind of menu. My Idea is to make the menu move faster into the screen than the pulling speed and then with your finger on an entry, trigger on release. If u would pull out the menu completely you could chose conventionally like with the current pulley menu.

I personally would prefer the bottom edge or one of the sides. What do you think? Has someone another solution or do you just like the current pulley menu?

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Comments

1

Voice recognition: Say "pulley"!

Anna ( 2014-12-29 21:48:37 +0200 )edit

I dont quite understand your comment

michel ( 2014-12-29 22:13:49 +0200 )edit

2

May be closing an application is swiping down with two fingers. I would set closing application as a top priority gesture anyway.

hongakonga ( 2014-12-29 22:31:03 +0200 )edit

pulley menus are a great way to have interactive items at the top of the screen without having to reach all the way to the top of the screen. But I do wonder whether they have another idea brewing for SailfishOS2.0 on the tablet, as the current pulley menus might be a bit odd at that screen size

r0kk3rz ( 2014-12-29 23:20:41 +0200 )edit

2

closing the app could be a standard/obligatory option in the pulley menu?

bilgy_no1 ( 2014-12-29 23:28:57 +0200 )edit

8

answered 2014-12-30 03:06:09 +0200

shellkr
305 ●8 ●13 ●19

The pulley menu would work if it was activated with two fingers instead of one. One will scroll and two will open the menu. The downside of this would be that one-hand navigation would be more difficult. The current way could still exist though... that when you are at the top of the app it will activate with one finger.

So I guess my solution would be to add a two-finger gesture in mid app scrolling to open up the pulley menu.

(a two-finger solution could also be a solution to skip to next message in the email app)

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I probable agree with this. But pulley indicator should be always visible since how else one knows if there are any pulley menus to trigger by twofinger swipe.

And while the indicator is already always visible, could it also have a small nonobtrusive handle attatched, maybe in scrollbar area(?).

Just thinking aloud.

Edit: Still, always visible indicator and a handle could easily defete the whole pulley coolness. I dont know... Maybe to place alternative pulley activator buttons to a scrollbar, thus they won't be always on display. Scrolling bar needs to be impoved anyway in sailfish.

veeall ( 2014-12-30 06:01:43 +0200 )edit

4

i disagree with two finger solution as i use the phone with a single hand most of the time.

droll ( 2014-12-30 07:05:29 +0200 )edit

4

this would confuse many people

mgbler ( 2014-12-30 09:33:32 +0200 )edit

2

Why do not have both features? 1+ for that. Nobody will lose anything..

Makeclick ( 2014-12-30 23:06:14 +0200 )edit

1

As @Makeclick said.. This would not impact single hand users at all.

shellkr ( 2014-12-31 08:15:55 +0200 )edit

6

answered 2014-12-30 13:31:09 +0200

pichlo

4062 ●64 ●92 ●92

updated 2014-12-30 22:40:56 +0200

I quite like the approach taken by the stock Gallery app: tap the screen to split it in half. One side with the original content, the other with options and a pulley menu. Not applicable to any type of content but the basic idea is sound.

A viable alternative for scrollable content (text editors, browsers, email...): have a sub-page bubble or whatever it is called in the top right, like in e.g. the Email app to expose the list of folders. Or slide to the left to do the same thing. Put your menu option on that page. Sure it defeats the pulley paradigm somehow but for scrollable contents it is far better than having to scroll all the way to the top and lose you current position, only to get to the menu.

It would be per application (thus the developer's responsibilty), not global.

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I didnt thought of the gallery app and it is a sound idea indeed. atm in gallery there is no scrolling content though and if u zoom the images, the trigger is disabled. Probably a double tap would be better.

michel ( 2014-12-30 15:59:43 +0200 )edit

3

Maybe it is just me, but I can remember it took me some time until I actually knew how to handle the gallery.

tokaru ( 2014-12-30 17:17:21 +0200 )edit

Gallery is a quite unique way of viewing thing. I am not exactly sure whether a similar approach would work for scrollable content such as a long email or similar...

ramoth ( 2014-12-31 03:53:45 +0200 )edit

6

answered 2014-12-30 13:55:05 +0200

tokaru
14054 ●175 ●219 ●220

You probably all know the quick scroll controls displayed on the right side when scrolling. What about adding a "pulley handle" to it?

On tap-and-drag it could just pull out the pulley menu (as if you were on top of the page). On tap-and-release it could open and keep the menu (like it does when you flick a pulley menu open fast)

I think it would fit in with the quickscroll buttons, the pulley menu is also part of the navigation within a page. But maybe it would help to have another way of having this navigation bar displayed, without the need to scroll the page.

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1

u need to start a fast scroll though and u probably just want to stay where u are with content.

michel ( 2014-12-30 15:43:35 +0200 )edit

Yeah, it would be similar "unlike" as in the native browser, where you need to scroll in order to see the toolbar. ;-) I agree, not ideal - that's what I meant to say with "maybe it would help to have another way of having this navigation bar displayed" :)

tokaru ( 2014-12-30 15:55:31 +0200 )edit

3

answered 2014-12-30 00:58:11 +0200

michdeskunk

4205 ●89 ●115 ●126

updated 2014-12-30 01:01:18 +0200

Agree with you in some points but I think pulley menu is an unlike feature of sailfish. I think only it should be improved because is too poor in UI. anyway in android system pulley menu works in the same way

Maybe in sailfish the pulley menu could be remain at the top also when you scrolling down

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Maybe in sailfish the pulley menu could be remain at the top also when you scrolling down.

Try this in the apps list and you will fail miserably. Not a good idea I suppose.

Anna ( 2014-12-30 01:18:50 +0200 )edit

@Anna do you mean the home view?

mgbler ( 2014-12-30 09:36:03 +0200 )edit

I talking about sailfish apps not for the lockscreen obviously

michdeskunk ( 2014-12-30 19:18:14 +0200 )edit

@mgbler Anything that comes below of the multitasking homescreen including the multitasking homescreen. @michdeskunk I was not talking about the lockscreen (if you're speaking about what you see after you double tap the screen). The problem starts when you have multiple apps running or when you are in the apps section. How will the device know if you want to call the pulley menu or intend to remove an app/close a running app? Could be that I get your idea wrong, but if you think the same way I do, it will cause user experience issues all the time.

Anna ( 2014-12-31 05:28:41 +0200 )edit

2

answered 2014-12-31 01:05:57 +0200

maxik

266 ●4 ●10 ●12

I think the pulley menu should stay as it is. I really like this feature.

Instead the developers should take care that the pulley items only provide common global tasks, so that the user does not really care his current position when in need for a pulley action. Position specific tasks should be reached from current position, like through long holding the screen.

An enhencement I could think of would be some kind of quick scroll to top and marking last position so you may quickly return, but that should not be nessecary.

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Comments

3

Is "save file" a position specific or a global action? I use it all the time while editing a text file. In the middle of editing, not just at the end.

pichlo ( 2014-12-31 01:43:17 +0200 )edit

Maybe an action like saving should be performed automatically if there is no flush of the redo/undo-stack. I did not use any editor application at the moment but i think there might be some more elegant way to achieve a solid solution without placing it in the pulley.

maxik ( 2015-01-04 18:31:40 +0200 )edit

1

answered 2014-12-30 02:28:11 +0200

mgbler

4052 ●40 ●48 ●59

updated 2014-12-30 23:55:46 +0200

Why not use bottom based pulley menus (no "over-the-edge") with a fixed position? such are always accessible with your thumb and can also be combined with drawers containing additional controls. They are already possible , it's the developers choice.

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1

answered 2014-12-30 07:23:58 +0200

Ghost

1316 ●42 ●59 ●64

one half for the options and other half for the notifications would be the best deal..

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the consequence is, that we have to make two steps to choose a pulley option...

mgbler ( 2014-12-30 09:38:01 +0200 )edit

1

answered 2014-12-30 12:29:51 +0200

sirzero1997

775 ●7 ●13 ●16

updated 2014-12-30 12:37:35 +0200

I think there is a better solution . Swiping from the top edge reveals a list of options . It should work like this 1.Item #1

2.Item #2

3.Item #3

4.Close the app

By dragging your finger and releasing on the desire Item the UI would work as you wanted it to . Call this the swiping menu

Changing the bottom swipe gesture won't do since the whole purpose of it was to gave a quick access to your notification . Dividing into sections won't do either since your thumb would have to dance around to reach each specific item

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3

That would completely defeat the main purpose of pulley menu :)

Pulley menu is there so that you don't have to ever reach the top of the screen to select an option.

nodevel ( 2014-12-30 12:50:22 +0200 )edit

but you have to SCOLL ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP which is fast in ur opinion

sirzero1997 ( 2014-12-30 13:31:28 +0200 )edit

Not sure where you're reading that opinion from.

nodevel ( 2014-12-30 13:57:11 +0200 )edit

I know the whole purpose of the pully is you dont ever have to reach for it again . But sometimes reaching for the top maybe faster than scrolling all the way to the top of a long list to access the pully menu. sr for my previous cmt . Written in a hurry

sirzero1997 ( 2014-12-30 14:31:13 +0200 )edit

this is actually very similar to what i meant with my idea of a side menu :) and i think the sides would be better to reach than the top. Imho it is not necessary to have 2 sides with the same use so i would think that'll be fine

michel ( 2014-12-30 15:49:02 +0200 )edit

1

answered 2015-01-01 07:59:22 +0200

mlwane
746 ●11 ●14 ●20

Wouldn't a slide along either side of the screen suffice? One could simply swipe down along the right/left side of the screen to activate the pulley menu.

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0

answered 2014-12-30 21:08:13 +0200

Holger

2777 ●41 ●71 ●70

Whatever variant is getting implemented (if any): there could be a option in the settings: use traditional pulley menu or <whatever is="" its="" name="">. Or some sort of option, where one could configure, in which situation the traditional pulley is used or the <whatever is="" its="" name="">. That way its probably possible, to leave the pulley menu as it is now on short pages, and create an <advanced> method for long pages.</advanced></whatever></whatever>

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