Task Submission: Interview a GNOME user
GNOME Project: Interview a GNOME user
Interviewer: Gracious Onyeahialam
Interviewee: David John
This report thoroughly details the interview with David John, a Software Engineer, regarding his unbiased experience with the GNOME Desktop Environment.
The interview and the follow-up session both lasted for thirty-two (32) minutes and were conducted remotely via the Zoom app, with the Interviewee’s permission to record the session. (Kindly find attached below the videos, scripts, and notes of the user research interview).
The Funnel Technique was chosen for this user interview because it was considered the most effective method to gather comprehensive information from the Interviewee, guiding the conversation with broad, open-ended questions (such as the introduction, reasons for using the GNOME desktop environment, and follow-up questions like a typical day in his life as a Software Engineer using GNOME) to more specific and focused topics outlined in the interview topics of Issue #19.
This approach facilitated the exploration of various usability issues and allowed for the uncovering of insights and details about the Interviewee’s experience with the GNOME Desktop Environment in real time. Throughout the conversation, I ensured that all interview topics on Issue #19 were covered and the discussion remained aligned with the research objectives.
Introduction: The interview began with introducing the two participants – Gracious Onyeahialam and David John.
David, residing in Lagos, Nigeria, shared his background as a seasoned Software Engineer, specializing in Backend Web Development, with several years of experience in the field, having worked in various companies and also founded his startup. His focus is on utilizing Artificial Intelligence to solve everyday problems. He emphasized his preference for the Linux environment, particularly the Ubuntu distro, and his dedication to regularly updating the latest version. Currently, he is using Ubuntu 23.10 with GNOME 45.0 desktop environment, having explored other Linux desktop environments such as XFCE and KDE.
Overview: I provided an overview of the interview, explaining the GNOME acronym (GNU Network Object Model Environment), highlighted its role as a free and open-source desktop environment for Linux and Unix-like operating systems used by programmers and non-programmers, pointed out the reason people are at the heart of GNOME's design, and gave the goal of the one-on-one interview session which was to capture David's unbiased perspective on his experience with GNOME desktop environment so far.
Question & Answer Session: As we entered into the core of the interview, David shared his screen to demonstrate his GNOME desktop interface, discussing his preference for using GNOME for his daily tasks, as it is the primary environment on his Ubuntu machine. He demonstrated several aspects that he appreciates about GNOME offering an unfiltered view of his daily operations and preferences as the Q&A session unfolded.
Key Insights: David explained and showed the unmatched seamlessness and stability that GNOME offers to him, especially when combined with the open-source Linux ecosystem in the following aspects:
Speed and Accessibility: David appreciates how easily he can access features in GNOME, such as the side panel that conveniently appears when he brings his mouse close to it. He frequently uses this panel several times daily to access applications. He can also pin his most important and frequently used applications to the side panel for easy accessibility.
Navigation Structures: He praised the “show applications” icon for its quick access to the menu interface once clicked on and the intuitive search bar functionality which allows him to easily type, find and launch applications. He also highlighted the organized navigation structure of GNOME, which categorizes applications for easy access and reduces clutter in the menu window. The menu window presents a comprehensive list of applications, grouped into categories such as Office, Accessories, Utilities, and Preferences. For example, Accessories contain applications like Text Editor, Calculator, Vim, and Neovim, providing an organized structure for easy navigation.
Seamless Navigation: David demonstrated how smoothly he can navigate between different interface workspaces and windows with just a click, enhancing his user experience in a seamless and smooth operation.
Simplicity: He values GNOME’s simplicity and consideration since applications are segmented into categories, reducing clutter in the menu window and streamlining navigation which makes it easy for him to find and launch applications without feeling overwhelmed; providing a guided experience, reducing user effort and increasing time efficiency and productivity for him. By demonstrating the ease with which users can find specific applications, he praises GNOME for its contribution to a streamlined user experience.
Launch Speed: David commends the fast loading speed of GNOME upon booting up his Ubuntu Operating System. David expresses a desire to demonstrate this feature; however, doing so would necessitate shutting down his PC, resulting in an abrupt conclusion to the interview.
Interface Speed: He likes the quick response time of applications when clicked, highlighting the absence of a lag within the GNOME interface. He credits the responsiveness of applications and efficiency of GNOME to its minimal overhead size design and lightweight nature, which minimizes unnecessary startup programs (Adobe Update Service, Dropbox, OneDrive, etc.) and background processes (Skype, Microsoft Update Service, etc.) present in Windows desktop environment; even though they’re generally beneficial, having too many updater services running simultaneously can consume system resources and slow down performance. He emphasized the importance of speed to him as a Software Engineer and explained the stress and slowness that come with a lagging interface.
Application Features: He highlighted special features in applications like the versatile Calculator app present in the Accessories category, which allows for various types of calculations such as financial, programming, basic, etc. He further explained that the programming calculator efficiently enables him to carry out binary, decimal, and hexadecimal calculations.
Document Viewer app conveniently opens PDF documents, notably displaying the last accessed page instead of the typical first page displayed by other desktop environments such as Windows. This unique feature drastically reduces the time and effort users spend searching for specific content.
Characters App: David likes the detailed Characters app for its variety of emojis, which he can easily copy and paste into other applications.
File Editor: Regarding the File Editor, he noted its default inclusion in the GNOME Desktop Environment and highlighted his preference for its ability to support writing in various languages.
Intuitive layout: Thanks to the clear app naming and icons, organized categorization of applications, and quick-access side panel, the GNOME desktop environment has provided David with a seamless and user-centric computing experience, boosting his productivity and time efficiency.
Negative Feedback: David pointed out GNOME's limited customization options in the Appearance app section (such as the inability to customize icons to personalize his workspace layout to his preference and lack of options to customize the animations when opening, closing, or minimizing windows) citing it as a notable drawback. He expressed a desire for enhancements, such as a comprehensive settings center, a more powerful file manager in Nautilus, the default file manager in GNOME, which lacked some advanced features such as built-in tools or plugins that support scripting or automation so users can create scripts to perform repetitive tasks, like file conversion, or backup operations found in other file managers like Dolphin and Thunar, the default file managers in KDE and XFCE respectively.
David also recounted an issue with Extensions (which is present in the Utilities category), noting that they ceased functioning properly. Consequently, he expressed frustration over his inability to enhance the functionality of his GNOME interface or incorporate additional features and extensions like Vitals, Clipboard, Pomodoro Timer, as he had previously done and relied on.
a) Vitals: Positioned at the top right corner of the desktop, Vitals provides real-time monitoring of various system metrics such as memory usage, processor activity, fan speed, temperature, and network status.
b) Clipboard: This Extension facilitates the management of clipboard history, simplifying the transfer of copied or cut data between different applications within the GNOME desktop environment.
c) Pomodoro Timer: David described this productivity tool, integrated via Extensions, which assists him in tracking work sessions and breaks. He highlighted its functionality: the ability to customize pause and resume features into his session and break durations according to personal preferences, as well as receiving notifications to maintain focus and adhere to his schedule.
He showcased an attempt to install Extensions, specifically the Pomodoro Timer, using the Google Chrome browser. Despite upgrading his machine and updating packages, including installing the latest version of GNOME shell (10.1.5) via the terminal, he encountered compatibility issues. Each attempt resulted in an error message: "Your native Host connector does not support the following APIs: v6. You should probably upgrade the native host connector or install plugins for missing APIs.”
Finally, David talked about a time the login form was distorted in a previous Ubuntu version which temporarily barred him access from logging into his GNOME desktop environment but was resolved by updating to a newer version, highlighting the importance of ongoing updates and community support.
Practical Suggestions and Recommendations: To meet the needs of a broad range of users, GNOME designers and developers should:
- create a variety of themes and features on the Appearance app that users can easily apply to customize the look and feel of GNOME, personalizing the desktop environment to their liking, thus enhancing the overall user experience.
- conduct thorough compatibility testing across different versions of GNOME and engage with the GNOME community to gather feedback and address compatibility challenges effectively.
- integrate productivity-focused widgets for the desktop such as a timer, to-do list, and alarm, or build them as standalone elements that users can easily add to their workspace to further streamline productivity.
- implement a preview tab that has a drag-and-drop functionality, create designs for advanced file browsing for a wide range of file formats, built-in tools or plugins that support scripting or automation, and easy bookmarking of frequently accessed folders for a seamless file manager experience.
Conclusion: David wholesomely depends on and enjoys working with the GNOME desktop environment considering it is an indispensable platform where he carries out his daily programming tasks. He not only shared his journey with GNOME but also shed light on the broader implications of choosing a desktop environment that aligns with professional goals and personal preferences, making a compelling case for the enduring value of GNOME in the tech community.
His overall experience with the GNOME desktop environment for the past 5 years has been amazingly interesting, impactful, and seamless as a Software Engineer because it is the only desktop environment he works with and it helps him achieve a plethora of tasks ranging from designing, coding, application development and software scalability. He, however, would want to see improvements in the features mentioned to further increase his workflow productivity.
Kindly find below the interview script and notes alongside two (2) videos attached as part of my contribution to issue #19. The first video is the user interview while the second is a follow-up session between myself and the GNOME user, David John, detailing and practically showing his unbiased experience with the GNOME desktop interface in his daily work activities.
The follow-up user interview session happened because there was a need to clarify ambiguous points, expand upon and validate the findings gathered in the initial interview to achieve a deeper understanding of David's experiences, concerns, and preferences with GNOME, which will guide more informed design decisions.
Detailed_Interview___Follow-up_session_Notes_and_Scripts_with_a_GNOME_user.pdf