The Halo and the Omnibar
What each does, what it is made of, how a person arranges it, and the problems people will meet with the answer to each. Companion to SHELL.md; the phone screens are in ui-shell-mockup.html. Samples here show structure, not the final look.
1. Two jobs
Halo · top Looking
"Is anything waiting for me? How are the things I care about?" Holds things: people, orders, shipments, deadlines. Changes when the world changes. Nothing in it is the only way to do something.
Omnibar · bottom Doing
"What can I do here?" Holds verbs: go, add, scan, find, and this screen's one action. Changes with the screen. Its four positions are the same for everyone, always.
2. Four kinds of ring
3. Kept places and live places: try it
The person keeps up to three rings in fixed places. The rest of the band is filled by what most needs them, and at least one place is always live, so arranging can never hide urgent work. Use the buttons: every move has one.
Kept in the band · up to 3
Needs you · the system's order, not yours
Watching
Recently removed
4. The Halo's three positions
5. The Omnibar's nine modes: try it
One capsule. The accent button never moves; the left side changes shape so the mode can be told at a glance.
6. The four things at rest
7. How the two work together
Opening a ring to read it changes nothing. Only the Omnibar acts.