[Discussion] General UX Improvements #6863
Description
Context
I've been using Mumble for a few years now and am fairly comfortable with both the client and the server. However, I've noticed some minor quirks when introducing Mumble to friends or first-time users.
This issue is a collection of various elements in the Mumble client that have caused confusion or friction for new users. The idea is that for any issue that seems something that should be added, to escalate it to an issue such that contributors can work on them.
Icon Bar
The icon bar is often one of the first things new users notice. Here are a few observations
"What's This?" Missing
The Record, Change Comment, and Search buttons do not currently have a "What's this?" help dialog. The others do.
No Disconnect button
There is no Disconnect button in the icon bar. Currently, users must go to Menu Bar -> Server -> Disconnect.
Since Connect and Server Info already have prominent buttons, adding a Disconnect button next to it might improve accessibility.
Change Comment
The Comment feature lets users set a personalized comment visible when others hover over their name in the user list or search.
- New users are not introduced to what a “comment” is or where it is visible.
- It's unclear whether comments are server-specific, client-side only, or persistent across servers.
Access Tokens
Access tokens can be added or removed via their dedicated window.
- While the feature includes a "What's this?" dialog, it does not clearly explain how or when these tokens are used.
Certificate Management
Managing certificates could be made easier.
- Currently, to move your identity to another device, you must manually export/import the certificate.
- While not difficult for tech-savvy users, this process could be overwhelming for less experienced users (e.g. grandparents or casual users).
As a long-term suggestion, a "Link device" or "Transfer account" feature, where users can pair two devices to share the certificate, might a cool feature to have. But would require some more thinking.
What Are "Friends"?
There is a setting: “Only accept whispers from friends”.
However, there is no visible UI on how to set a user as a friend.
Should this be accessible in context menus?
Other minor points
These may not be critical, but could be useful for discussion or consideration:
Add Server address Format
It might be cleaner to allow server input as : (e.g. example.com:64738) instead of separate Address and Port fields. If no port is specified, the client could default to port 64738.
Server Information Visibility
The Server Information panel contains mostly technical details.
Perhaps it could be moved into a sub-menu or advanced settings area, as it may be unnecessary for the average user.
Talking UI When Muted/Deafened
When deafened, the Talking UI channel area appears empty.
I am not sure if this is intentional or a UI quirk.
Messages -> Soundfile Menu
Under Configuration -> Messages, the Soundfile column is blank if no file is selected.
There’s no “Choose File” button to add a new sound, which makes it unclear what happens when pressing on the column.
Overlay Installation Text (macOS)
On macOS, the overlay installation prompt text goes outside the bounds of the textbox and is therefore unreadable.
Can't Search in Plugin Table
A minor point, but the Plugin Table would benefit from a basic search/filter field.
Reset Chat Log Limit
Under Config -> Messages -> Chat Log -> Maximum chat length, there's no clear way to reset the setting to “Unlimited” other than resetting the entire page.
Additional
If there are any other features, quirks, or other components that can be added to the discussion, I would love to hear more user experiences.
If the maintainers feel like any of the discussions are good or important enough to escalate into an individual issue, I'll create a new issue such that PR's can be attached.