1020386 - Breakdown: Implement dark theme for private browsing

Status: RESOLVED INCOMPLETE

(Firefox :: Private Browsing, defect)

Description

[(Currently slow to respond) Philipp Sackl [:phlsa] (Firefox UX) please use needinfo]

Since bug 986635 has been fixed, we can start breaking down the implementation work for the new private browsing theme.

Comment 1

[Tim Nguyen :ntim]

Some questions : 
- Will themes be disabled during PBM ? (FYI some themes are dark too) 
- Should we update the about: page description to say that the windows are dark ?

Also, I still think we should keep the indicator, maybe make it smaller, but making windows dark isn't clear enough (I'm sure there will be some huge Q&A mess when this will be done).

Comment 2

[(Currently slow to respond) Philipp Sackl [:phlsa] (Firefox UX) please use needinfo]

(In reply to Tim Nguyen [:ntim] from comment #1)
> Some questions : 
> - Will themes be disabled during PBM ? (FYI some themes are dark too)
Yes. Themes are disabled in PB windows even today.

> - Should we update the about: page description to say that the windows are
> dark ?
I'm not sure which page you mean. There is a separate effort to redesign the PB start page in bug 986644.

> Also, I still think we should keep the indicator, maybe make it smaller, but
> making windows dark isn't clear enough (I'm sure there will be some huge Q&A
> mess when this will be done).
Hm, since private browsing is always entered deliberately and usually the difference between normal and PB windows is quite big, this shouldn't be that big of an issue. The indicator isn't very descriptive either. Still needinfo'ing Stephen in case he knows a good place way to fit in that indicator.

Comment 3

[Tim Nguyen :ntim]

(In reply to Philipp Sackl [:phlsa] from comment #2)
> (In reply to Tim Nguyen [:ntim] from comment #1)
> > Some questions : 
> > - Will themes be disabled during PBM ? (FYI some themes are dark too)
> Yes. Themes are disabled in PB windows even today.
Not complete themes.

> > Also, I still think we should keep the indicator, maybe make it smaller, but
> > making windows dark isn't clear enough (I'm sure there will be some huge Q&A
> > mess when this will be done).
> Hm, since private browsing is always entered deliberately and usually the
> difference between normal and PB windows is quite big, this shouldn't be
> that big of an issue. The indicator isn't very descriptive either. Still
> needinfo'ing Stephen in case he knows a good place way to fit in that
> indicator.

Well dark windows can be a bit anbigous, the user might think a theme got accidently installed somehow.

Comment 4

[(no longer active)]

(In reply to comment #3)
> (In reply to Philipp Sackl [:phlsa] from comment #2)
> > (In reply to Tim Nguyen [:ntim] from comment #1)
> > > Some questions : 
> > > - Will themes be disabled during PBM ? (FYI some themes are dark too)
> > Yes. Themes are disabled in PB windows even today.
> Not complete themes.

Yes, we only disable lightweight themes.  And that is really a by-product of the way we implemented the indicators on private windows, and is not exactly intentional.

> > > Also, I still think we should keep the indicator, maybe make it smaller, but
> > > making windows dark isn't clear enough (I'm sure there will be some huge Q&A
> > > mess when this will be done).
> > Hm, since private browsing is always entered deliberately and usually the
> > difference between normal and PB windows is quite big, this shouldn't be
> > that big of an issue. The indicator isn't very descriptive either. Still
> > needinfo'ing Stephen in case he knows a good place way to fit in that
> > indicator.
> 
> Well dark windows can be a bit anbigous, the user might think a theme got
> accidently installed somehow.

I think that really depends on how the design looks.  I do agree that probably dropping the indicator completely is a mistake since we use that icon elsewhere in our UI to mean PB, so keeping that will help people associate the darker windows with PB.

Comment 5

[Stephen Horlander [:shorlander]]

(In reply to Philipp Sackl [:phlsa] from comment #2)
> (In reply to Tim Nguyen [:ntim] from comment #1)
> > Also, I still think we should keep the indicator, maybe make it smaller, but
> > making windows dark isn't clear enough (I'm sure there will be some huge Q&A
> > mess when this will be done).
> Hm, since private browsing is always entered deliberately and usually the
> difference between normal and PB windows is quite big, this shouldn't be
> that big of an issue. The indicator isn't very descriptive either. Still
> needinfo'ing Stephen in case he knows a good place way to fit in that
> indicator.

One of the benefits of completely reskinning the entire browser chrome is the ability to remove the separate indicator. Opening the Private Window is an explicit action, accompanied by an appearance change and an in-content message about what just happened. I think we can remove the indicator.