Adwaita is the design language of the GNOME desktop environment. As an implementation, it exists as the default theme and icon set of the GNOME Shell and Phosh, and as widgets for applications targeting usage in GNOME. Adwaita first appeared in 2011 with the release of GNOME 3.0 as a replacement for the design principles used in Clearlooks,[2] and with incremental modernization and refinements, continues with current version releases.
 | |
 The GNOME Shell's Activities Overview with several core apps in-use | |
| Developer(s) | The GNOME Project |
|---|---|
| Initial release | April 6, 2011 |
| Stable release | 1.4.0
/ September 14, 2023 |
| Repository | gitlab |
| Written in | C, Sass |
| Operating system | BSD, Linux, Unix |
| Included with | GNOME |
| Predecessor | Clearlooks |
| Type | Design language software |
| License | LGPLv2.1+[1] |
| Website | developer |
Until 2021, Adwaita's theme was included as a part of the GTK widget toolkit, but in an effort to further increase independence and divergent release schedules of GTK from that of GNOME, it has since been migrated to libadwaita, which as an overall project, serves to extend GTK's base widgets with those specifically conforming to the GNOME human interface guidelines.[3]
Development
editPrior to version 3.0, the GNOME desktop environment utilized the Clearlooks theme. In October 2008, designers and developers met at the GNOME User Experience Hackfest in Boston.[4] During this event, the concept of a GNOME Shell was conceived. Some very early mockups were produced that entertained the possibility of differing design from the previous incarnation of GNOME.[5] Red Hat designers Jon McCann and Jeremy Perry authored a document, drawn from a broad consensus of collaborative effort, that aimed to set standards and direction for GNOME's design.[6] In February 2010, GNOME designers met again, and produced several more publicly-available mockups.[7]
Also produced from the 2010 meeting was the decision to use Cantarell as the default typeface.[8] Cantarell had been designed by Dave Crossland during his studies in the Department of Typography and Graphic Communication at the University of Reading the previous year. It was officially added to GNOME Shell in February 2011,[9] and the GNOME Project agreed to maintain and extend the font as needed.
On January 19, 2011, Carlos Garnacho announced his completion of a tangible GTK theme implementation of Adwaita that could then be utilized by GNOME.[10]
The first major Linux distribution to ship with GNOME 3.0 and Adwaita as a default was Fedora Linux when it released version 15 on May 24, 2011.[11][12]
Due to GTK's strong ties with GNOME, Adwaita's theme had replaced "Raleigh" as the default GTK theme in 2014;[13] however, in preparation for the release of libadwaita, the theme was removed from GTK in favor of a divergent, simpler one on January 14, 2021.[14][3] This clear demarcation allowed for both GNOME, with its own design needs, and GTK, with its need for a simple theme that could be extended by downstream projects, to simultaneously prosper. Libadwaita first shipped with the release of GNOME 42.[15]
Design language
editAdwaita is characterized by its clean, modern aesthetic and focus on usability. Adwaita's design principles are rooted in simplicity, consistency, and accessibility.[citation needed]
Libadwaita
editThe libadwaita liblary was created to further develop Adwaita as a more closely-adherent component of the GNOME Human Interface Guidelines. Libadwaita is a library augmenting the GTK widget toolkit in a manner conformant with the GNOME Human Interface Guidelines. It lets applications change their layout based on the available space, integrates the Adwaita stylesheet, allows runtime recoloring with named colors amd adds APIs to support the cross-desktop dark style preference.[16]
Responsive design and Linux smartphones
editLibadwaita offers tools for creating applications with responsive design, allowing applications to adapt their layouts based on the available screen space, which supports the development of smartphone-compatible GNOME applications.[17]
Libhandy
editLibhandy is a library sponsored by Purism, which was the predecesor of Libadwaita. The libhandy project was used as the basis for libadwaita.
GNOME Human Interface Guidelines
editThe GNOME Human Interface Guidelines (HIG) serve as a comprehensive guide to designing applications for the GNOME desktop environment. It offers developers and designers a framework to build user interfaces that align with the project’s broader design philosophy. The Human Interface Guidelines provide resources to ensure that applications are visually and functionally cohesive with the GNOME user experience.[18]
The GNOME Human Interface Guidelines can be found on developer.gnome.org/hig
Goals
editThe GNOME Human Interface Guidelines are designed to achieve several key objectives:
- Convey High-Level Design Goals: It outlines the overarching design goals and strategy for the GNOME user experience, ensuring that applications contribute to a unified and intuitive desktop environment.
- Efficient Communication of Guidelines: The Human Interface Guidelines present essential design principles in a clear, succinct manner, making it easy to digest and reference.
- Encourage Independent Design: Tthe Human Interface Guidelines highlight areas where developers can choose between different design options while maintaining overall coherence with GNOME's user experience.
- Organized and Structured Information: To avoid overwhelming users with unstructured data, the Human Interface Guidelines organize information in a clear, structured format.
Elements
editColor
editAdwaita's color palette is used in design of application icons and in illustrations. It consists of several color shade families that are not named beyond their number designations. Those lacking saturation are known as "light" and "dark". This naming convention extends into the applied concept of user interface styles, where users can choose a base style for on-screen widget components that creates a light or dark overall look and feel.
| Name | Hex (RGB) |
Red (RGB) |
Green (RGB) |
Blue (RGB) |
Hue (HSL/HSV) |
Satur. (HSL) |
Light (HSL) |
Satur. (HSV) |
Value (HSV) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue 1 | #99C1F1 | 60% | 76% | 95% | 213° | 76% | 77% | 37% | 95% |
| Blue 2 | #62A0EA | 38% | 63% | 92% | 213° | 76% | 65% | 58% | 92% |
| Blue 3 | #3584E4 | 21% | 52% | 89% | 213° | 76% | 55% | 77% | 89% |
| Blue 4 | #1C71D8 | 11% | 44% | 85% | 213° | 77% | 48% | 87% | 85% |
| Blue 5 | #1A5FB4 | 10% | 37% | 71% | 213° | 75% | 40% | 86% | 71% |
| Green 1 | #8FF0A4 | 56% | 94% | 64% | 133° | 76% | 75% | 40% | 94% |
| Green 2 | #57E389 | 34% | 89% | 54% | 141° | 71% | 62% | 62% | 89% |
| Green 3 | #33D17A | 20% | 82% | 48% | 147° | 63% | 51% | 76% | 82% |
| Green 4 | #2EC27E | 18% | 76% | 49% | 152° | 62% | 47% | 76% | 76% |
| Green 5 | #26A269 | 15% | 64% | 41% | 152° | 62% | 39% | 77% | 64% |
| Yellow 1 | #F9F06B | 98% | 94% | 42% | 56° | 92% | 70% | 57% | 98% |
| Yellow 2 | #F8E45C | 97% | 89% | 36% | 52° | 92% | 67% | 63% | 97% |
| Yellow 3 | #F6D32D | 96% | 83% | 18% | 50° | 92% | 57% | 82% | 97% |
| Yellow 4 | #F5C211 | 96% | 76% | 7% | 47° | 92% | 51% | 93% | 96% |
| Yellow 5 | #E5A50A | 90% | 65% | 4% | 43° | 92% | 47% | 96% | 90% |
| Orange 1 | #FFBE6F | 100% | 75% | 44% | 33° | 100% | 72% | 57% | 100% |
| Orange 2 | #FFA348 | 100% | 64% | 28% | 30° | 100% | 64% | 72% | 100% |
| Orange 3 | #FF7800 | 100% | 47% | 0% | 28° | 100% | 50% | 100% | 100% |
| Orange 4 | #E66100 | 90% | 38% | 0% | 25° | 100% | 45% | 100% | 90% |
| Orange 5 | #C64600 | 78% | 27% | 0% | 21° | 100% | 39% | 100% | 78% |
| Red 1 | #F66151 | 96% | 38% | 32% | 6° | 90% | 64% | 67% | 97% |
| Red 2 | #ED333B | 93% | 20% | 23% | 357° | 84% | 57% | 79% | 93% |
| Red 3 | #E01B24 | 88% | 11% | 14% | 357° | 79% | 49% | 88% | 88% |
| Red 4 | #C01C28 | 75% | 11% | 16% | 356° | 75% | 43% | 85% | 75% |
| Red 5 | #A51D2D | 65% | 11% | 18% | 353° | 70% | 38% | 82% | 65% |
| Purple 1 | #DC8ADD | 86% | 54% | 87% | 299° | 55% | 70% | 38% | 87% |
| Purple 2 | #C061CB | 75% | 38% | 80% | 294° | 51% | 59% | 52% | 80% |
| Purple 3 | #9141AC | 57% | 25% | 67% | 285° | 45% | 47% | 62% | 68% |
| Purple 4 | #813D9C | 51% | 24% | 61% | 283° | 44% | 43% | 61% | 61% |
| Purple 5 | #613583 | 38% | 21% | 51% | 274° | 42% | 36% | 60% | 51% |
| Brown 1 | #CDAB8F | 80% | 67% | 56% | 27° | 38% | 68% | 30% | 80% |
| Brown 2 | #B5835A | 71% | 51% | 35% | 27° | 38% | 53% | 50% | 71% |
| Brown 3 | #986A44 | 60% | 42% | 27% | 27° | 38% | 43% | 55% | 60% |
| Brown 4 | #865E3C | 53% | 37% | 24% | 28° | 38% | 38% | 55% | 53% |
| Brown 5 | #63452C | 39% | 27% | 17% | 27° | 39% | 28% | 56% | 39% |
| Light 1 | #FFFFFF | 100% | 100% | 100% | 0° | 0% | 100% | 0% | 100% |
| Light 2 | #F6F5F4 | 96% | 96% | 96% | 30° | 10% | 96% | 1% | 97% |
| Light 3 | #DEDDDA | 87% | 87% | 85% | 45° | 6% | 86% | 2% | 87% |
| Light 4 | #C0BFBC | 75% | 75% | 74% | 45° | 3% | 75% | 2% | 75% |
| Light 5 | #9A9996 | 60% | 60% | 59% | 45° | 2% | 60% | 3% | 60% |
| Dark 1 | #77767B | 47% | 46% | 48% | 252° | 2% | 47% | 4% | 48% |
| Dark 2 | #5E5C64 | 37% | 36% | 39% | 255° | 4% | 38% | 8% | 39% |
| Dark 3 | #3D3846 | 24% | 22% | 27% | 261° | 11% | 25% | 20% | 28% |
| Dark 4 | #241F31 | 14% | 12% | 19% | 257° | 23% | 16% | 37% | 19% |
| Dark 5 | #000000 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0° | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Typography
edit
Adwaita uses the contemporary humanist sans-serif Cantarell typeface that was designed by Dave Crossland. Corresponding with the 3.28 version release of GNOME in 2018, Cantarell was expanded to include light and extra bold weights.
The Cantarell family does not contain a monospaced font, and Adwaita does not specify an alternative. Oftentimes, where a monospaced font is beneficial, GNOME calls for simply using a monospaced style that is chosen by the operating system shipping GNOME.
Iconography
editAdwaita defines two separate style classes of icons that are meant to differentiate between concepts used for applications and user interfaces. Whereas applications use full-color in their primary icons, "symbolic" icons, monochromatic by design, are meant for user interfaces.[19][20]
App icons
editEach app targeted for GNOME should have a primary icon. The GNOME Human Interface Guidelines prescribe that an app's icon should correspond to a simple, recognizable metaphor.[21] They are not meant to be flat, but rather simplistic, and can contain some depth. However, shadows are to be avoided.
Symbolic icons
editIn user interfaces, even simpler, monochromatic icons that work well when viewed at small sizes are used. If color is needed, it is expected that they should be programmatically re-colored.
Implementations
editThe GNOME Shell was the primary vehicle for the original development of Adwaita's theme and icons. It remains a major implementation. Similarly, Phosh, Purism's mobile shell, serves in the same role.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "COPYING". GNOME GitLab. 2018-02-07. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
- ^ Paul, Ryan (April 6, 2011). "A shiny new ornament for your Linux lawn: Ars reviews GNOME 3.0". Ars Technica. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
- ^ a b Plazas, Adrien (March 31, 2021). "Introducing Libadwaita". Retrieved January 2, 2022.
- ^ McCann, Jon; Perry, Jeremy (April 6, 2011). "How We Got Here: Part I of a Design History of GNOME 3 the Shell". The GNOME Journal (Interview). Interviewed by Harries, Daf. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
- ^ "Window Management and More". GNOME. Archived from the original on 2 November 2008. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
- ^ McCann, William Jon; Perry, Jeremy (July 1, 2009). "GNOME Shell: A design for a personal integrated digital work environment" (PDF). The GNOME Project. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
- ^ Paul, Ryan (February 26, 2010). ""Task Pooper" could revolutionize GNOME desktop". Ars Technica. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
- ^ Spalinger, Nicolas (April 6, 2011). "Fonts in GNOME 3: Cantarell, Tweaking, and Trailblazing". The GNOME Journal. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
- ^ Day, Allan (February 15, 2011). "GNOME 3: Getting better by the day". Retrieved January 3, 2022.
- ^ Garnacho, Carlos (January 19, 2011). "Adwaita finished". The GNOME Project. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
- ^ Paul, Ryan (May 25, 2011). "First look: Fedora 15 arrives with GNOME 3.0 and systemd". Ars Technica. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
- ^ Vaughan-Nichols, Steven (May 24, 2011). "Fedora 15's five best features". ZDNet. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
- ^ Clasen, Matthias (June 13, 2014). "A New Default Theme for GTK+". Retrieved January 3, 2022.
- ^ Mikhaylenko, Alice (December 31, 2021). "Libadwaita 1.0". The GNOME Project. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
- ^ "Libadwaita 1.0 – Just another blog". 2021-12-31. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
- ^ "Libadwaita - GUI development with Rust and GTK 4". gtk-rs.org. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
- ^ PurismBeautiful; Secure; Laptops, Privacy-Respecting; Tablets; PCs; Phones (2022-12-15). "Libadwaita in the Wild". Purism. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
{{cite web}}:|first3=has generic name (help) - ^ "Design/HIG - GNOME Wiki!". wiki.gnome.org. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ "App Icons - GNOME Human Interface Guidelines documentation". developer.gnome.org. Retrieved 2022-08-11.
- ^ "UI Icons - GNOME Human Interface Guidelines documentation". developer.gnome.org. Retrieved 2022-08-11.
- ^ "Design Principles - GNOME Human Interface Guidelines documentation". developer.gnome.org. Retrieved 2022-09-26.