Submitting patches that alter the user interface of Firefox doesn't need to be a scary or long process. This document outlines tips to getting a speedy and helpful response from the Firefox UX team.
Asking for general direction?
There are times where you may not know in which direction to go. There is nothing wrong with implementing what you think will provide the best user experience or implementing multiple variations of your idea. Sometimes the experience of implementing another idea may show advantages and disadvantages in the design and help with your decision making.
If you still have some general questions about design, *please* don't hesitate to join the #ux channel on IRC. If somebody doesn't answer your questions, just ask again in a few hours (people may be sleeping due to timezone differences).
Looking for feedback or ui-review on your patch?
If you're about to upload a patch and request feedback or ui-review, please link to either a screenshot, screencast/video, and/or try-server builds that contain the patch.
Here are links to some good software that can be used to create screenshots and screencasts:
- Shotty - A freeware Windows application for screenshots
- TechSmith Jing (free and paid version makes PNG screenshots, free version makes SWF videos, paid version makes MP4 videos)
- TechSmith Camtasia Studio/Camtasia:Mac (useful for detailed/longer screencasts)
- Quicktime X/Player included on Snow Leopard and higher can do screen recordings (File > New Screen Recording)
- Miro Video Converter (to convert videos to WebM format for easy viewing in the browser)
Please attach your screenshots/screencasts to the bug, since Bugzilla will probably outlive an external media hosting website.
After attaching your media, please flag the special UX email address, [email protected], for feedback or ui-review.
Expectations of the UX team
The UX team has a goal of responding to a request within 48 hours.