Coming to every linux desktop: Next-generation printing dialogs

Speaker: Peter Sikking

‘Printing that just works’ is the vision of the openPrinting project, run by the linux foundation. Changing the printing experience from a liability to an asset, for every linux desktop out there. There is full support from every printing manufacturer for this project.

The printing dialog is an important part of that. The current versions on GNOME and KDE were found to ‘just not work’ (in a usability sense) and the usability and interaction professionals of openUsability got involved.

The redesign project that followed led to the first innovation in printing UI since 1995 on any platform, it was probably in the 80’s that a interaction professional was actually involved with the printing experience.

The principal interaction architect of the project shows in this talk the complexities involved, why ‘printing does not exist,’ what is wrong with printing dialogs today and the innovation to overcome that. The latest designs and first implementation of the dialog for KDE is shown. There will be a discussion of the different ways KDE developers can integrate the next-generation printing experience in their applications.

Link: http://mmiworks.net/eng/publications/labels/openPrinting.html