Zak Siddiqui
opened 5 hours ago
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Thanks for the detailed proposal.
The bug glyph is the Issues module icon, not a per-issue “this is a defect” badge. It appears in a few places that identify the Issues feature as a whole:
- The project sidebar Issues menu
- The markdown editor Reference Issue action
- Project issue stats
- Create an issue for this failure on a build
Issue list and board cards do not show that glyph on each ticket. The kind of work is already modeled separately via the Type custom field, which ships with distinct colored values such as New Feature, Improvement, Bug, Task, and Question. The default type is New Feature, not Bug. Type (and other fields) can be customized under Administration → Issue Setting → Custom Fields, and you can choose which fields appear on lists and boards. See Set Up Issue Labels for how custom fields are intended to carry this kind of meaning.
There is currently no setting to replace the Issues module icon itself. Swapping that product-wide glyph for a document icon would be a default UI change rather than something an administrator can configure today.
@robin could you take a look at whether we should change the default Issues module icon?
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Proposal Overview
I propose updating the default visual representation for generic Issues in the OneDev interface. Currently, generic issues utilize a "Bug" glyph (🐞), which creates semantic inconsistencies and imposes unnecessary negative framing on project workflows.
This change suggests replacing the existing icon with a standard Document icon, as defined below.
🧠 Rationale & UX Motivation
1. Semantic Accuracy & Categorization Costs A "Bug" specifically denotes a defect or regression. However, the term "Issue" encompasses a broader taxonomy including feature requests, tasks, documentation updates, and discussions. Using a bug icon for all items creates a categorization mismatch. Users submitting feature requests are cognitively forced to reconcile their input with a symbol implying "error." This introduces friction and category ambiguity, increasing the cognitive load required to understand the nature of the workflow item.
2. Mitigating Negativity Bias & Affective Prediction Human decision-making is heavily influenced by Negativity Bias, where adverse stimuli evoke a stronger psychological reaction than neutral stimuli. A grid of bug icons unconsciously signals "failure," "instability," or "brokenness." When users look at a project board, seeing dozens of bug glyphs can subconsciously trigger anxiety or stress regarding the project's health. Replacing this with a neutral "Document" icon provides emotional neutrality—transforming the perception from "managing errors" to "processing tasks," which promotes psychological safety and productivity.
3. Universal Affordance & Visual Hierarchy From a semiotic perspective, a document icon acts as a universal container. It implies structure, storage, and distinct units of work without prescribing content type or quality status. It creates a cleaner, more professional visual hierarchy, allowing the issue title and priority flags to do the heavy lifting regarding context, rather than relying on a potentially misleading pictograph.
Expected Outcome
By decoupling the generic "Issue" state from the specific "Defect" symbol, we improve the usability and perceived value of the OneDev system. It aligns the visual language with standard industry practices where "Issue" represents a ticket for action, regardless of whether the action is fixing a leak or building a new wing.