Honest truth: the number of items we show on the main menu is another of those areas of UX that I find fascinating, not least because there’s no clear answer on what is actually ‘best practise’.
So, for the record, in normal lists - such as when you’re browsing your media - we display 9 items. On the home screen, we display 7 - at a larger font size, and with more padding. One primary reason for this is that it is the home screen - and the fact that we display with a larger font/spacing gives a visual indication that this is as high as we go (which is to say, you can’t go ‘up’ from here).
Another good reason for this, though, is that in what might be called a ‘default’ Kodi set-up, 7 is enough for the primary categories we would be expected to show: Movies, TV Shows, Music, PVR, Radio, Pictures and Programs.
Admittedly, if you add into that the Videos category, which is useful for set-ups without a full local library, and MyOSMC then we’re over that number - and perhaps we need to look again at where these item appears in the list. But, in a very general sense, 7 seems enough to cover the primary items we need to show.
However, thanks to our use of the Skin Shortcuts script, we’re aware that some users will have much more customised home screens which mean they have far more menu items that they might be considered to be regularly accessing.
As the aim of the skin is to create something that works for the majority, and not necessarily for each and every individuals specific needs, its probably worth opening this up to any users who have an opinion - do you have more than 7 menu items that you regularly access? Are ‘Videos’ or ‘MyOSMC’ options that you regularly access, or can we demote it? Any other feedback on the number of items or the way that we display them on the main menu?