''LaunchpadHome:mpt, 2010-12-15''

In user testing of Ubuntu Software Center 2.0, one of the biggest problems users had was working out how to launch a program once it was installed.

In 3.0, we tried solving this with “Find it in the menu:” instructions:

{{attachment:find-it.png}}

But in user testing of 3.0, most people didn’t notice this.

So, I evaluated seven possible approaches for solving this in the next version:
 1. A “Run Now” button in the USC application screen.
 1. A “Show Me Where” (or “Where Is It?”) button in the USC application screen, that would reveal and highlight the item step by step.
 1. A “Run automatically when installation has finished” checkbox.
 1. Dragging an application from USC to the launcher.

  a. Dragging it once it is installed.<<BR>>
 b. Dragging it to install it in the first place.

 1. Applications visibly moving to the launcher as they are installed.
 1. A “Recently Installed” pane containing items that can be dragged to the launcher.
 1. Removing the distinction between available and installed applications altogether.

{{attachment:p46-small.png}}

{{attachment:p47-small.png}}

The approach with the best ratio of advantages to disadvantages was moving applications to the launcher automatically as they are installed. This is now [[SoftwareCenter#launching|specified in detail]].