Recently I started to use it again for some wordpress website, and I faced with the update window I thought with my self how nice would be to help improving some of the things I find troublesome on this software. So, thinking that Filezilla 4 might be just around the corner, I’d like to send to this awesome project my wish list, which basically covers a few UX aspects of the software I believe could improve a lot wrapped in a fresh new UI:
- Quickconnect
- Tabs
- Local x Remote
- Toggle buttons
- Navigation
- Queue (Queued files, Failed transfers, Successful transfers, Message log)
- Little tweak in the logo
Instead, I suggest to move it to the Remote Panel since it will always be empty until you are connected.
To access it again in case you need another connection, it will be available at the same place at the reach of a new tab (no need to teach users where to find).
Tabs
I’d minimize the amount of information displayed on them and additionally fetch it’s favicon so it would feel and behave such as web browser’s tab. And just like them, if you need a new connection you can always press ‘+’
Local x Remote I like the idea of make them 2 very distinguishable elements around the interface: Local and Remote. Most of my inspiration to make this proposal actually came from this very moment of trying and failing to distinguishing and understand the toggles to display/hide the local and remote tree.
The colors would serve to tell the Local tree from the Remote, so it also would mark the toggles, which brings the next…
Toggle buttons
Not only useful to the highlight with colors (rather than framing with thin border as it does in the current version) toggles, but for other highlights such as the selected files on the Local differing from the Remote, tooltips, badges or other elements that refers one or the other.
The red color was taken from the logo, to keep and maintain Filezilla as the “remote” or the connection between you and the server. The blue came along as a good companion specially suitable to reach the following: a flat candy-design, smooth and retina ready.
Navigation
Not a change I think it’s in your roadmap, but #2 that I’ve expected every time I’m asked to update (#1 being the progress bar of the download to fit inside the download window instead of cropped – OSX), but to offer options to toggle between view modes like Windows, Linux or Mac does (icons, list, columns)
Queue Representing it as a cloud (wow!) it would behave the same, and would borrow the color from the Remote toggle/panel, since it’s pretty much related to the connection too, and completely empty and boring and gray when there is no activity, but with one awesome additional feature: to show a counter badge for the remaining files in the transfer queue.
The Transfer queue in the other hand would unity every transfer related status in one panel to get ready of all those tabs and would open side by side with the Message Log, which could also be hidden with it’s own toggle.
The logo
I don’t have complains about the logo, and I was amazed when tracking down the forum to find the thread and post where it first appeared. For my lucky, @alexkovac’s suggestion is one of the few images that loads since the post is so old and many url and links were lost.
BUT, while using this icon package I chose to use while sketching my concept, I found the street signage pole a good symbol to represent the download upload dichotomy, and with a bit tweak I made what I believe it's a homage to the original logo design, colors and stamp element in a new form adding the desired missing arrows as in the feedback some members gave to @alexkuvac design.
The icons are from a set, which I believe isn't GPL compatible, but I would rather make an entire new set based in the logo.
We reaaally appreciate every feedback and feel free to criticize and propose changes on my designs... just like Filezilla I want this to be open source as well (hires images: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/mhqf6qyl5k43 ... dSlMa?dl=0) and editable files can follow as the thread gets traction.
Thank for your time!