One big horizontal workspace

Introduction

Inspired by the current design of the GNOME-desktop, my earlier experimentation with window and workspace management, PaperWM and the release of the Niri compositor, I wondered how GNOME would look like if it consisted of one big horizontal workspace with all windows placed next to each other.

It would work in the following way:

1. You only have one big horizontal workspace. 
   When a new window is opened, the workspace grows to the right
2. All windows are placed next to each other.
   * Windows are opened at the right side of the previous one.
   * Windows are opened full-screen if applicable.
   * On a regular monitor, a new window is opened on a new 'sub-workspace'.
   * On ultra-wide monitors, a new window is open on the next half of the 'sub-workspace'.
   

A 'sub-workspace' corresponds with a normal workspace in the current GNOME-design, but is visually part of the one big horizontal workspace.

Gallery

One big horizontal workspace

Activities overview

Window switcher

Advantages

1. The placement of windows is more predictable and windows are easier to find.
2. It's easier for users to visualise the placement of the windows.
3. It aligns with the horizontal design of the top bar and the activities button.

Disadvantages

1. The workspace can become very long.
2. Most of the time a user wants to have an application (like e.g. GNOME Files) near the application he/she is working with, while in this design it would be placed at the end of the list. After placement, the user has to manually rearrange the windows.
3. For small applications (like e.g. the Calculator app) it doesn't make sense to place them on a new sub-workspace.

Notes

• The windows switcher is not part of the current GNOME-desktop, but it would make switching between windows easier and more efficient.
• Not show in the above design, but the user should be able to switch between sub-workspaces by scrolling over the top bar (like the extension Panel scroll does).

What is not shown

• Animations
  To make it look and behave really good, short animations should be added (like the current GNOME-desktop has).
• Multi-monitor setups
  Different mock-ups should be made.
• Mobile view
  Good news is that on GNOME mobile shell the applications are also shown horizontally.