Here's a master list of all the look-and-feel changes that VDG would like to investigate, along with explanations for why:
= Make it really obvious where newly-installed apps can be found =
https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=384936
Right now, when you use Discover to install a program, you can easily launch it from Discover itself, but thereafter, it may seem to be "lost" to a new user. The two major program-launcher UIs (Kickoff/Kicker and the Task Manager) don't in any way display or highlight the newly-installed app. We should find a way to make this much more obvious so users know where to find apps after installation once they close Discover, or else they may think that they have to launch Discover to open their apps (yes, really...).
= Use a prettier background for the lock & login screens =
https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=381407
Right now, we use as plain blue background, which generates complaints from users that it's ugly and doesn't match their wallpaper. Ideas for improvement:
# Use a softer prettier color, or a texture, ignoring the user's wallpaper situation
# Use the default plasma wallpaper, ignoring the user's wallpaper situation
# Use another image, ignoring the user's wallpaper situation
# Use the user's chosen wallpaper if the user only has one screen and activity and their wallpaper is an image or a color (i.e. only one wallpaper and it's static), and fall back to one of the other options if the user has a complicated situation with multiple wallpapers or animated wallpapers (this is exactly how macOS handles this situation, in fact)
= Don't use transparency when moving windows =
https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=384054
This effect seems a bit gimmicky in 2018. No other major Linux DEs or OSs do this, and it's even a little jarring for new users. Most things don't become transparent when moved; it can make the system seem less solid and trustworthy. Might yield a small performance win, too, because we'll be doing less compositing.
= Use themed icons from apps' desktop files anywhere KWin displays icons =
https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=351055
KDE KWin allows programs to determine their own window icons to be shown in their titlebars and the Task Switcher rather than always using the icons specified in their .desktop files. This has the advantage that windows can provide more contextually-appropriate icons, but also generates bug reports from confused users when the icon shown in the window titlebar or task switcher doesn't match its icon in the Task Manager or Panel. Also, many common and popular apps (Firefox, Thunderbird, LibreOffice, Blender, GIMP) expose really terrible ugly, low-res, pixellated window icons, which makes Plasma look bad. If KWin always uses the themed icon from the desktop file, these issues disappear. Also, window-specific icons aren't a part of the Wayland window manager spec, so we'll eventually have to implement this anyway, and we may as well do it now.
= Show Desktop widget should be present by default in new installs =
https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=381295
A lot of mouse-centric users really like the Desktop, and may not know how to get to it easily besides manually dragging windows out of the way or minimizing everything, which is inefficient (and pretty painful to watch). We should consider adding the Show Desktop widget onto the far-right edge of the default panel to help them out.
= Redesign Breeze theme icon for Virtualbox =
https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=384357
Most Breeze icons retain the visual design of the original--just with a little bit of flattening and bolder colors. But the Virtualbox icon is totally different, and obliterates the visual style of the original. This is fairly high-profile due to Virtualbox's popularity.
Many of these are related to the Usability initiative, too.