Adobe Blogs | Welcome to Adobe.com Blogs...In this case, clicking the Lasso icon is activating the...
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Adobe Blogs | Welcome to Adobe.com Blogs...In this case, clicking the Lasso icon is activating the Lasso tool in Photoshop. Clicking "Curves" could pop up the Curves interface, etc
Note the new workspace switcher design, a la Lightroom and Bridge. Workspaces would be made "live," meaning that as you switch among them, they remember what you did. For example, if you choose workspace A & close a panel, then switch to B, then switch back to A, the panel will be closed (as you left it). This approach differs from past versions of Photoshop (where activating a workspace would re-apply the version saved on disk), but it would be consistent with the approach nearly all Adobe apps have now adopted.
folkhero
Sticky Note
Each workspace would present two panels custom-tailored to the task at hand: a set of tools (Toolbox) and a set of tasks (Knowledge).
folkhero
Sticky Note
The toolbox in each workspace brings together the most essential tools & commands for the tasks at hand. The idea is to present a streamlined interface: instead of having to wade through the full UI, you've got quick access to what you're likely to need.[What's shown here is just to get the idea across, so don't get too hung up on the specific content depicted.]
folkhero
Sticky Note
You'd be able to toggle on/off the viewing of extended, contextual information
folkhero
Sticky Note
In addition to switching among sets of tools/commands via the workspaces, you could do so within the Toolbox panel.Alternatively, PS could put each set of tools/commands on its own panel, so that you could bring up more than one simultaneously. These panels would be listed under Window->Extensions so as not to bloat the main list of panels.
folkhero
Sticky Note
Now let's look at how step-by-step guidance would be presented for the tasks/workspace at hand.This screen shows an index of top tasks (as determined by looking at search volume, popularity of tutorials, etc.)
folkhero
Sticky Note
This depicts a sliding transition animation (may or may not happen)
folkhero
Sticky Note
The panel could break out content into popup windows. This content could include videos, slideshows, additional step-by-step guidance, etc.
folkhero
Sticky Note
As noted earlier, the panel could optionally display extended info contextually for various items
folkhero
Sticky Note
*Key point*: The panel content could drive Photoshop, and that would set it apart from other help viewers. In this case, clicking the Lasso icon is activating the Lasso tool in Photoshop. Clicking "Curves" could pop up the Curves interface, etc.
folkhero
Sticky Note
Obviously it's not desirable to try to read every sort of documentation inside a small panel--esp. long, complex docs. The panel would link to other content that can be viewed in an external browser.
folkhero
Sticky Note
You'd be able to pull whatever RSS feeds you'd like into the panel, and items in those feeds can drive Photoshop just as like the other content can.
folkhero
Sticky Note
This search field would simultaneously query the application UI (a la the menu search feature in OS X Leopard) and help content, including community help (a la Inquisitor and similar tools). Mousing over each item could present a summary window/preview.
