This piece of software brought me back to a post I've had peculating for a while now. It's called Overflow, and it's an application launcher for OS X that is kind of a hybrid between the Dock, and Quicksilver. I'm not going to explain it in detail, the best way to see what it's all about is just to watch the video on their site. But what this really got me thinking about, was that there has to be a better way to utilize the computer desktop.

Imagine how much more useful this app would be if it was integrated right into the Desktop. Now, I know this really has nothing to do with the people behind Overflow, so I'm more looking in the direction of Cupertino and Redmond. Currently, the OS Desktop does very little to "launch" you in the right direction, which is why we need all of these third party launchers. Those thousands of pixels and inches of screen real estate we call the Desktop, are really just used as a place to "throw" stuff. Can't we make better use of this space?

The desktop is the first thing that the user sees. It should be the starting point, the launching pad, but instead it looks more like an attic. An intermediary for all the files and folders that you didn't have time to sort. While this might be fine for a power user or someone comfortable with their work-flow, to a non tech-savvy user, this is the first step towards confusion and apprehension.

The problem starts with the first click. On a PC where do you launch your work-flow? The Start Button. OK, that seems to make sense, aside from the fact that the most important button for a new user is hidden down into the lower left-hand corner, while the rest of the space on the screen is occupied by some ambiguous icons and a picture of a meadow. But starting with the Start Button, that isn't too bad. However, once the Start Button is clicked the level of complexity increases ten-fold. Now there are menus and sub-menus to navigate. Easy to get lost if you are a novice.

On a Mac, it's slightly better. They get rid of the menu structure by throwing some common applications in the Dock. But this still leaves one problem. The work-flow is application centric, rather than task centric. Why is this important? For most of us its not, this way of thinking makes sense. But for new users, they first need to learn the icons before they can associate the task to that application. See that compass? Yea, that is how you browse the Internet. Not all icons or application naming conventions are this bad, but in general, you see what I mean.

This is where Overflow gets it right. They first start with the task, and then move to the tool. This really reduces the need to first learn icon or program association. If this little app was tightly integrated into the OS, and appeared on the most viewed and prominent area, the Desktop, it would really help people get started in the right direction.

This icon association hurdle might not apply to most of us, but consider how this affects someone who has never used a computer. Say a 65 year old retiree who now wants to email their grandchildren and search for recipes on the Internet in their spare time. For this type of user I might add, a pretty huge demographic with some disposable income), there has to be a better way to approach the OS Desktop.

Why not get rid of some of the steps. Why not rely less on icon association? What if the task was the first step? If I want to write an email, instead of looking for Outlook Express (because that name just screams "use me to send emails"), I look for the task Email > Write Email.

If I want to search for a book on the Internet, instead of looking for Safari, I look for the task Internet > Search The Internet. See what I'm getting at? The icons and programs are still present, but they now have some context.

All of this on the Desktop. Completely integrated. Treating the Desktop as an application rather than a surface. Taking this further you could integrate the calendar right into the desktop (kind of like real life), you could have a designated file and folder tray, and on and on. Think Dashboard widgets without the Dashboard.

While this idea is obviously not 100% fleshed out, it is something that I have been thinking about a lot lately. There is a huge market for novice computer users, people who are intimidated and confused by the technology. Where is the OS built for them? The people who want to write emails, surf the Internet, maybe listen to music, and not much else. This could be the bridge the makes the gap between the user and the technology less intimidating. Even if it was just a layer on top of the existing OS, a beginner version so to speak. Something to use at first, and then as you became more adept you move to the full OS.

And beyond this, shouldn't we be moving towards the next step in improving the computing experience anyway. Not just for the novice users, but for all of us. Making the best use of the space and making the work-flow and efficient as possible. Why not start with the Desktop?

Any thoughts on this? Is someone already doing this? I am crazy to want to break down this technology gap that give us so much leverage? Is the Desktop fine the way it is?