What is Jaquiline?

Jaquiline is a revolutionary theme for the Mobility Email client, presenting a new visual interface for email. It's designed to make things simple, accessible and to deliver a great working environment. Elric Elrose designed this theme for the Mobility Project, and he explains how he created it below:

"In planning, designing and then creating this theme, there were two main areas I wanted to focus upon: accessibility and aesthetics. What's more, I felt it important that one not be sacrificed for the other. Some of the key areas that were of main consideration were as follows:

• Ease of use. This had to considered in everything I did, from design of the icons & buttons, to text size and highlighting. Colors had to be chosen which did not make the theme difficult for people with less than perfect eye-sight to use. Icons and buttons had to have some level of familiarity to them ,so that one did not have to "re-learn" the program to make use of them...and the list goes on :)
• Accessibility. That ugly word which means so many different things to so many different people. Partly this idea relates to the previous, in that the design had to allow for ease of use to the widest possible audience. At the same time, I didn't want something that looked simplistic, as if it were somehow "dumbed down".
• Performance. Given that many of the not-so-boring themes for Thunderbird chew resources, this also had to be considered. This became a consideration in the way the "guts" of the theme was organized, logical arrangement of resources, the way graphics were selected and "optimized" so that I could get the most out of the theme without expecting too much of the program itself
• Aesthetics. Apart from the above considerations, it still had to LOOK decent. This itself can be broken down a little further.
• To look good without the user having to always be looking AT it. At the end of the day, the program is a tool, so no interface design should be the primary focus of the user....it should compliment rather than taking over. I wanted a stylish appearance without being too "showy".
• Corporate or Home. Given that Mobility is aiming as much as the "user on the go" and the professional as anyone else, the theme needed to be suitable for that environment. The professional person needs something that fit their lifestyle, or it is of no  use to them. At the same time I wanted to keep things relaxed enough for the general or home user. Given that this theme is (like the program) built off Thunderbird, I wanted a look that could sit comfortably in both worlds.
• Original. I guess that was the easiest of all, as I seem to have developed (wanted or not) a reputation for thinking outside the box. Even in rethinking how usability and design could work in harmony, I hope I've been able to pull off something a little different.

At the end of the day however, it is the users of this theme who will make the all-important judgments. Hopefully I've been able to produce a piece of work that is both generally welcomed, as well as helping to promote a great product and idea that is Mobility Email"

A look at the theme:

The Main Window:

"As you can see, colors are kept to a minimum, icons and buttons using charcoals, browns and white for simplicity, red being chosen as a color for selected text or "alert", such as new mail. The background is actually the same as used in this page, a light parchment texture. With the icons and buttons, I have tried to combine simplicity of color choice with a stylish presentation, using visual element that both seek to make for high visibility as we as easily recognizable in relation to purpose."

Account Central:

"Here I had a little more leeway in regards to creativity and sizing. Designed to be inviting for those that use this rather than the inbox as their opening page."

Accounts:

"Here everything is laid out in a way that makes all information easy to locate. Button text is also set to a reasonably large size for easiness of use."

Options Panel:

"Icons in the Options Panel, are designed to be both decorative and easy to interpret. Tabs have been designed to integrate with the rest of the color scheme, the "selected" tab taking on the darker color of the buttons for quicker identification."

Address Window:

"Given both the compact nature of the Address book Sidebar, and the fact the icons can be difficult to design to aide differentiation, I chose to use a slightly larger sizing."

Compose New Mail:

"Possibly more so even than the main window, this is the area many will see most. Here as much as anywhere else, I have tried to combine "form and function", ensuring that the area used most did not impede use, but was also interesting enough not to be tiring."

If you want to try the Jaquiline theme just download the Mobility Email client. You can get it from here.