The requirements of a GUI that’s used for multimedia aren’t massively different from that of a normal desktop. The interface should be quick and easy to use, as you often need to be on the ball when using Linux as the hub of your studio. In the case of distributions that offer a large number of tools, the launcher should be convenient and make use of categories. Clarity in areas such as launch icons is welcomed.
We expect customisation features that are easy to use, because when you’re working on creative endeavours, you often need to customise the layout to enable your workflow. To us, that means that you can easily make top-level selections such as changing the overall theme and the font size, as well as adjusting small details or adding features such as extra panels to the desktop. Oh, and we prefer configuration features that are easy to locate and preferably centralised and searchable. Options that can’t be found aren’t much use.