748962 - include installed apps in the new tab tiles list

Status: RESOLVED INACTIVE

(Firefox :: Address Bar, defect)

Description

[Asa Dotzler [:asa]]

Similar to bug 748959, we'd like for installed apps to be able to show up in the list of frequently visited properties in the new tab page.   The order is tbd and depends on bug 748995 but we'll probably want to have a distinct style for apps if they co-mingle with sites.

Comment 1

[Ed Lee :Mardak]

Is this bug separate from what madhava had in one mockup where apps have a separate view on the new tab page? This bug seems to imply apps and top sites are mixed together in the same layout but differently styled to hint to the user that "this is an app and will launch outside of Firefox."

http://people.mozilla.com/~madhava/Apr2012_UXoverview/UX_overview_fxworkweekApril2012.html_files/UX_overview_fxworkweekApril2012.069.jpg

Comment 2

[Asa Dotzler [:asa]]

The UX has yet to be defined. This bug was filed with the idea that we'd be integrating them into the existing list, not creating an entirely new view.

Comment 3

[Jason Smith [:jsmith]]

FYI - A recent UX discussion made this sound like a nice to have, not a critical requirement for a user. The critical path appears so far to identify that the user's native apps on their machine (e.g. Windows desktop shortcuts, applications in /Applications) as an important path. We need to confirm if this is important or not, cause if it is truly a nice to have for UX, then I think this should be cut for k9o.

Comment 4

[Asa Dotzler [:asa]]

(In reply to Jason Smith [:jsmith] from comment #3)
> FYI - A recent UX discussion made this sound like a nice to have, not a
> critical requirement for a user. The critical path appears so far to
> identify that the user's native apps on their machine (e.g. Windows desktop
> shortcuts, applications in /Applications) as an important path. We need to
> confirm if this is important or not, cause if it is truly a nice to have for
> UX, then I think this should be cut for k9o.

Thanks for raising this, Jason. 

The Product leads discussed this in detail for hours (yes, literally) in several meetings over the last month or so and we determined that it was critical. That's why it's on the wiki page. 

Firefox is not just helping you install an app, it's helping you remember that you've installed it and making it easy to return to. The Product leads believe this is critical to the success of Apps. 

Pretend for a minute that you've been using Twitter for years. You've been typing some part of "twitter" into the Awesomebar, hitting tab to get to the twitter.com item in the auto-complete list, and hitting enter to load the website. You've done this probably thousands of times. It's a habit. It's almost a ritual. 

Now you install the Twitter app and you love it. But your Firefox habits don't simply disappear overnight so you still pop open a tab and start typing "twitter" into the Awesomebar. A couple of things could happen here. First, you could simply return to your old habit of visiting the Twitter web page, completely forgetting about that Twitter app experience you loved. Second, you could realize as you're typing that, no, you don't want to visit the web page. You really wanted the app but your conditioning was too powerful and now you're frustrated or feeling stupid. 

With the changes we've outlined here and in related bugs, instead of forgetting about that app you loved, or being frustrated at almost unconsciously heading to the web page when you really wanted the app, you have a nice reminder that the app exists and with one more tab in the auto-complete list and a bang on the enter key, you can quickly launch the app. Now you're happy and you appreciate Firefox for helping you out instead of making you feel stupid.

This isn't a "nice to have", it's a core piece of the story for how Firefox helps Apps succeed.

Comment 5

[Jason Smith [:jsmith]]

Ed, Diane, and Jen - What are your thoughts based on Asa's comments? The UX discussion happened this past Tuesday, so if we need re-evaluate the UX, let's figure this out soon.

Comment 6

[Ed Lee :Mardak]

It sounds like we'll be promoting apps prominently from Firefox. It's then a question of how to remind users that they can launch from Firefox such as bug 707277 but we also want to make sure the user knows it's an open system so they don't /have/ to use Firefox to launch apps. As Asa points out, we'll be reusing the user's common behavior of typing in the location bar and opening tabs to get them back to apps.

Comment 7

[Jason Smith [:jsmith]]

(In reply to Edward Lee :Mardak from comment #6)
> It sounds like we'll be promoting apps prominently from Firefox. It's then a
> question of how to remind users that they can launch from Firefox such as
> bug 707277 but we also want to make sure the user knows it's an open system
> so they don't /have/ to use Firefox to launch apps. As Asa points out, we'll
> be reusing the user's common behavior of typing in the location bar and
> opening tabs to get them back to apps.

When we say launch, we are referring to launching the native webRT shell, right? Not a firefox tab?

A little puzzled by the "opening tabs to get them back to apps" comment. Could you clarify? I thought that launching apps in any shape or form would go in the native webRT shell direction, not open firefox tabs.

Let's also keep a look out for the second UX issue that has come up (and is showing up in the test day right now actually) - "I don't understand the difference between my firefox profile and my native applications." Example bug number - bug 749033.

Comment 8

[Ragavan S [:rags]]

(In reply to Jason Smith [:jsmith] from comment #7)

> When we say launch, we are referring to launching the native webRT shell,
> right? Not a firefox tab?
Yes.

> 
> A little puzzled by the "opening tabs to get them back to apps" comment.
> Could you clarify? I thought that launching apps in any shape or form would
> go in the native webRT shell direction, not open firefox tabs.

Ed's talking about people launching things using the awesomebar. Until now, they launched tabs, now they will also launch apps.

Comment 9

[Jason Smith [:jsmith]]

Jen - This bug does depend on bug 745924 - Asa's user story identifies launching of apps, so this bug needs to be implemented to support this.

Comment 10

[Tan Wei Lin Jason [:Ryuji]]

But wouldn't this approach make users think that Firefox is copying Chrome's approach? wouldn't it be more sensible and more simple to make about:apps more easily reachable by putting it Firefox menu or put it in the Home Page beside Add-ons. I mean Chrome don't have Chrome Menu in the top left corner so no user can say "Mozilla is playing copying chrome again".

Comment 11

[Tan Wei Lin Jason [:Ryuji]]

we could also launch individual apps from Firefox Menu or the Firefox Home Tab. 
(sorry for the double post).

Comment 12

[BMO Automation]

Per policy at https://wiki.mozilla.org/Bug_Triage/Projects/Bug_Handling/Bug_Husbandry#Inactive_Bugs. If this bug is not an enhancement request or a bug not present in a supported release of Firefox, then it may be reopened.