Firefox/Projects/Extension Manager Redesign

Status

Test worked!

Background

This wiki will serve as a planning page for a redesign of the Add-ons Manager for Firefox 3.7.

Past work

Main article: Past Work

Madhava worked on redesigning the add-ons manager in 2007, and posted his work here. He also designed much of the current add-ons manager for Firefox 3, which is largely unchanged today.

Current Add-ons Manager

Main article: Current Add-ons Manager

Goals

Main article: Prioritized Goals

Main article: Redesign Themes

There are five main areas of the add-ons manager that this redesign will involve:

1. Maintaining and Configuring

2. Updating

3. Installing

4. Discovering

5. Troubleshooting

Tier One: Basic Functionality Minimum features needed for usable add-ons manager, would substantially change in any redesign, incorporation of newer forms of add-ons (jetpacks, personas) cannot happen without. The functionality here is not provided anywhere outside of the add-ons manager	Tier Two: Current Problems Areas that are currently interrupting user tasks	Tier Three: Enhancements Features that are currently barely present in add-ons manager but could provide substantial value to users. The functionality provided by these is available outside of the add-ons manager, but could be provided within it
1. Maintaining and Configuring	2. Updating	4. Discovering
	3. Installing	5. Troubleshooting

Wireframes

Most current design

HERE and HERE

Team

Sprint lead 

Boriss

Development 

Unfocused, Mossop

AMO liaison 

Nick and Fligtar

Other contacts

• Jetpack: 
  • Atul, Aza

• Personas: 
  • Amy Zehren(?)

• Firebug:
  • Firebug team is currently designing a new install/update solution for Firebug extensions. Let me know if anyone is interested in discussing it. jjb

Resources

Past work

• 3/2006: Extension Manager UI Comments from developers on redesign ideas
• 7/2007: Firefox:Add-ons Manager UI: Madhava's two-panel proposed design
• 12/2007 Add-ons Manager UI interim rev2 Scaled back version of above, one panel design, very similar to current
• 1/2010 Older, Expanded version of Add-ons Manager Wiki Scaled back version of above, one panel design, very similar to current

Feedback Received

Main article: Feedback from Blog Posts

Bugs

• 256509 install without restart

Not Current Images & Wireframes

Main article: Not Current Images & Wireframes