Quick reply... Why is this thread so quiet? Part 1. Either Naked Icons, or Circle around the Icon. I prefer the Circle choice. Why? Because the circle can go round and round when the app is being launched (see Nemo-lipstick), and because colour of the circle (grey-white, green, red, whatever) can represent information about the app. Part 2. Mixing Widgets with the Icons? A great idea! Except, 'there should be no duplicates'. Having four spaces for Media Player (Back, Play/Pause, Forward, and Media Player Icon itself) is quite wasteful. It would be more helpful to have one icon-widget which on short click is Play/Pause, on scroll-to-left is Back, on scroll-to-right is Forward, and on long-touch (or scroll-upward, or whatever) is Media Player itself. It does require sensitive touch screen, though, and user's habit, to be able to use scroll-direction gesture within one icon. Or maybe, dual-touch. Hold one finger on the icon, and use second finger to do any gesture you wish. And the icon would have different actions associated with different gestures Part 3. Labels. I can understand that having no labels is madness, especially for new user. Aesthetically, I would prefer to place label not under the icon, but within the circle which surrounds the icon. Madness? I call it uniformity. 1. User has more-or-less round fingers. 2. Most icons are more-or-less round (you do not see square Firefox, do you?). 3. Throbber of an app being loaded is round (not square). It makes sense to have round circle around the icon; this circle can be used as throbber, to show the app was clicked; as highlight, of changed status within the app; and hold the label within it, too. Part 4. I personally prefer flat icons (Windows 2000 style). Semi-flat icons may be acceptable. Depends on the design. For example, in Windows XP I switched to Classic (2000-like) style, and still find the icons too ugly. Part 5. Since the round icon leaves some free space (good for clumsy fingers), this free space can be used for non-clickable things. Like, small round circle (with its own small icon?) in the right bottom corner of the 'square space within the grid' can be used to display number of something related to the app. Number of unread letters/SMS in email/messages. Number of open tabs in browser. Number of missed calls in phone. Number of alarms in clock. I wonder, will I be able to push something like this into lipstick app launcher? They already have colourful-home and glacier alternatives. If glacier finds these suggestions to be out-of-place, I do not expect that one more alternative would be a surprise. Best wishes. Thank you. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Per aspera ad astra...
I vote that Kangal replace Elop!