Too much white space or padding in the user interface
The user interface has been steadily and consistently improving throughout the history, but in very recent versions I believe there's too much padding in some areas. I know that this is a purely subjective opinion, but it seems that I am not the only one, as evidenced by #3149 (moved).
Anyway, armed with the browser's inspector I changed the .content-wrapper style, and set its padding property to 0 from a 20px. Below you'll find the results which, IMO, tightens and simplifies a bit the user interface.
Activity
I understand what you mean but I don't agree with you. Negative space is important part of good UI. Basically thanks to new paddings UI does not feel cluttered. I am sure @skyruler can explain it better since he is professional designer but my point is that current UI is ok from position of white space. cc @sytses
@dzaporozhets This is not an example of "negative space." It is an example of padding.
Negative space is used to organize and visually separate sections of content. It is chiefly useful in printed media, not on electronic screens. Padding, on the other hand, merely puts space between every individual item on the screen. On electronic screens, padding should be used sparingly, or else it causes inefficiency, excessive scrolling and mouse movement, low information density, etc.
The current UI is definitely not "ok from position of white space." The opinion of a "professional designer" is utterly meaningless. The opinion of actual users, on the other hand, is paramount.
If GitLab chooses to follow the current dogmatic fads of "professional designers" over the needs of professional users, then it chooses to make itself less useful--at its peril. GitHub, in contrast, has a far more efficient UI and is therefore far more useful.
It's too bad that this constructive criticism is falling on deaf ears. There is a point where hiring specialists and trusting their indoctrinated opinions over all other voices is counterproductive.
Of course, it matters which specialists you listen to. Instead of trusting the current generation of Apple/Google/Microsoft-imitating, fad-following "designers," you might consider established experts who value function over form, including people like Edward Tufte. (Look him up.)
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The current UI is definitely not "ok from position of white space." The opinion of a "professional designer" is utterly meaningless. The opinion of actual users, on the other hand, is paramount.
@alphapapa however we should keep in mind that users have different opinions. You can not satisfy all. So here the opinion of designer allow you to build product that follow certain style of design instead of trying to be everything at same time.
Of course, it matters which specialists you listen to. Instead of trusting the current generation of Apple/Google/Microsoft-imitating, fad-following "designers," you might consider established experts who value function over form, including people like Edward Tufte. (Look him up.)
I like current generation of designers. I think they brings nice and clean interfaces in our life. Probably thats why we have different opinion on how GitLab should look like. However as I mentioned in comment above with design its impossible to satisfy all users so I rather follow current trends. Especially because it takes same efforts to be modern or be old school.
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It's too bad that this constructive criticism is falling on deaf ears.
@alphapapa sorry that you have such impression. I actually listen to all constructive criticism however I have opinion how GitLab should look so we do not implement everything from proposed
in general we try to reduce sizes of some elements already, check the buttons, check the filters, etc. First problem is top/bottom margins/paddings as they eat lots of space on the smaller laptop screens. No worries, we will get there.
mentioned in merge request !14785
