# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Desktop chat bubble visual distinction and layout

## Open now

- 6 issues, 3 PRs open on GitHub.
- #41302: \[Feature\]: Desktop chat bubble layout — dual-column left/right message alignment with configurable toggle
- #52426: \[Feature\]: Improve conversation readability — distinguish user messages from assistant responses visually
- #53120: Separate styling for user and assistant messages in Desktop/TUI
- #57575: \[Feature\]: Desktop app: support per-user CSS overrides or configurable user-message background
- #65324: \[Feature\]: User messages lack personalized identifier and full-width border; user/Hermes colors are too similar
- #67290: \[Feature\]: Per-role message bubble colors — make the assistant (AI) bubble independently colorable on Desktop
- PR #41402: feat(desktop): add optional bubble chat layout with left/right message alignment
- PR #68225: feat(desktop): add opt-in assistant bubble color (closes #67290)
- PR #71505: fix(desktop): honor themed user bubble borders

These issues and PRs concern improving visual differentiation between user and assistant messages in the desktop chat UI, including left/right bubble alignment, separate colors and borders per role, and configurable styling options.

## TL;DR

- 13 member(s): 6 open issue(s), 4 closed issue(s), 3 open PR(s), 0 merged PR(s), 0 PR(s) closed without merging.
- No fix has been merged to main; one or more PRs were attempted (see below).
- **Recommended:** review the prior/competing PR(s) below. A fix was attempted but not merged; your case may extend or revive that work.

## Maintainer resolution verdict

- Internal-tracker verdict over this cluster's issue members: `unresolved`. This is distinct from the fix status above. Weigh it yourself.

## How this cluster was grouped

- Link evidence (`STRUCTURAL_PARTIAL`): some members are connected by structural evidence (shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference); the rest are joined by an automated relevance judgement over their text.
- Members outside that structural core may belong to a different underlying problem.
- Pairwise link density `0.13`: the share of member pairs that carry a link, counting a structural link in full and a relevance-only link at 0.36. `1.00` means every pair is linked.

## Open related issues

- #41302: \[Feature\]: Desktop chat bubble layout — dual-column left/right message alignment with configurable toggle
- #52426: \[Feature\]: Improve conversation readability — distinguish user messages from assistant responses visually
- #53120: Separate styling for user and assistant messages in Desktop/TUI
- #57575: \[Feature\]: Desktop app: support per-user CSS overrides or configurable user-message background
- #65324: \[Feature\]: User messages lack personalized identifier and full-width border; user/Hermes colors are too similar
- #67290: \[Feature\]: Per-role message bubble colors — make the assistant (AI) bubble independently colorable on Desktop

## Closed / duplicate issues

- #53011: \[Feature Request\] Add visual distinction for user messages (border/highlight)
- #57104: Desktop App: User and assistant message bubbles visually indistinguishable
- #57807: \[Feature\]: Desktop chat view — weak visual distinction between user and assistant messages hurts usability in long sessions
- #60596: \[Bug\]:Chat UI alignment issue on Windows: Messages are centered instead of split left-right

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#41402: feat(desktop): add optional bubble chat layout with left/right message alignment**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`; refs `7ff6908a59536d2d788c8bc9aac64791829dbdeb`
  - files: `apps/desktop/src/app/settings/appearance-settings.tsx`, `apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/thread.tsx`, `apps/desktop/src/i18n/en.ts`, `apps/desktop/src/i18n/types.ts`, `apps/desktop/src/i18n/zh-hant.ts`, `apps/desktop/src/i18n/zh.ts`, `apps/desktop/src/store/chat-layout.ts`, `apps/desktop/src/styles.css`
- **#68225: feat(desktop): add opt-in assistant bubble color (closes #67290)**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `partial_fix`; implication `needs_llm`; refs `0a339467a770`, `#67290`, `#68225`, `#68225`, `#68225`, `#374151`, `#67290`, `#68225`
  - files: `apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/thread/assistant-message.tsx`, `apps/desktop/src/styles.css`, `apps/desktop/src/themes/context.tsx`, `apps/desktop/src/themes/types.ts`, `examples/desktop-plugins/elise-red/plugin.js`
- **#71505: fix(desktop): honor themed user bubble borders**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`; refs `963e74f91e`
  - files: `apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/thread/user-message-edit.test.tsx`, `apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/thread/user-message.tsx`

## Fix status

- No merged fix on record.
- Subsystem: `apps/desktop`