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Proposed changes to site look
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16-02-2015 3:24pm#1Hi everyone,
We've a couple of images to show you of what we're planning for the look of the site. We'd love you to give us any thoughts you have on it, good or bad, any potential issues you can foresee, or anything you think could be improved upon or that we have forgotten.
Please note: in the first two images there is an ad slot midway down the page - this is a mistake for a logged in user. Currently only logged out users see an ad in that slot and that will continue as it is.
We have two versions here:
Version 1 homepage
Most of the changes are to do with the look of things rather than content though you will notice that the navigational menu at the top has been tidied up - the full navigational menu would still be accessible via the burger menu on the top right hand side. Dav and Declan have been working on some new ways of categorising the current forums in a more accessible, easy-to-navigate way; it's currently difficult and cumbersome for most users and especially for new users trying to find a specific topic.
Homepage announcements are still on the right-hand side as you can see here with the Glen Hansard AMA announcement. (This is just a mock up - we don't have an AMA lined up with Glen, just in case anyone was wondering!)
Sponsored threads to be moved to the side bar also (under the ad in this)
Version 1 thread view - remember the midway ad is for logged out users only
Potential idea to keep the OP stuck to the top of the page. We are also looking at a threaded conversation view being an option with a limit to the amount of indentations under each post.
User info which you currently see on the left hand side of each post with user title, join date, location, number of posts will be available by hovering over the avatar. Although not shown here, Mods, Cmods and Admins will still be distinguished from other users, most likely with their user title being displayed under their avatar.
Charter, Stickies, Forum Announcements and Sub Forums will be linked to from the panel on the right hand side instead of at the top of the page. This should make forum charters in particular more visible and easy to find than in a list of threads where it isn't always the top thread.
Version 2 homepage
Similar to version 1 except that the background is even more cleaned up - we still have the burger menu on the top right with the full navigation menu available there. Search is still in the same place as the previous design as are Homepage Announcements, Sponsored Threads and the Trending panel.
Version 2 thread view
As with the version 2 homepage, it is the same as the previous version aside from the colour.Post edited by Shield on10
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Don't really like either but could live with it. The user icons and category icons in the thread list just seem like pointless visual clutter. The modern look for forums seems to be trending towards being very busy visually though. The side bar doesn't give me anything I want but maybe other people will find it useful. I'm ok with the navigation bar being hidden, it's not been very intuitive to new users for a very long time though I would still use it. I don't like My Forums going and don't like navigation being further squashed into a drop down but I think most users will barely notice the change.
Just, please give us a dark theme palette swap like we have at present, all that white is hard on the eyes!
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I'm normally pretty negative when it comes to changes to the design of the site as I'm unashamedly a dinosaur and will cling onto the old white skin until there's nothing left to cling onto. That said, there are a couple of nice touches with this that I like, particularly the category graphic on the home page which I think will help new users get used to the idea of categorisation much easier than the current menu. However there are a few things that I think could be enhanced/improved:
* While the menu at the top of the screen is going to be pared down, I do think it should still include "My Forums". This let's you see at a glance if there has been any activity in any of the forums you follow, rather than having to check each forum directly.
* If you're a new user unfamiliar with categories, it's not particularly clear that clicking on the burger menu icon will bring you a list of a load more categories rather than just stuff like settings. Maybe something like a "More Categories" dropdown would be more explicit.
* The second version of the homepage has the threads more clearly delineated, but would it be possible to also add alternate shading like we currently have? There's just too much white otherwise.
* There doesn't appear to be a "view first unread post in this thread" arrow. This really is essential for easy navigation. The "go to latest post" arrow is also very useful.
* Although I like the category icons, I'd also like to see the forum name beside them, rather than buried underneath the thread title where it's less conspicuous.
* Version 2 of the thread view is much better because quoted text is pretty much indistinguishable from the rest of the post in version 1.
* I like the box to the right of the thread with the stickies, etc. The only thing I'd change is to have the list of sub-forums permanently expanded, or at least in a scrollable box. That way new people can see straight away what sub-forums there are and they might see something that interests them. Otherwise we're relying on their curiosity to click on the down arrow.
* I like the idea of stickying the OP of a thread, I saw it on another site recently and thought it was a good idea.
* Does clicking on the three dots under the post bring up quote/multi-quote? The current way where they're always visible is better imo.
* I couldn't see myself ever wanting to use the newest first ordering or a threaded view, but I presume there'll also be an oldest first option as well? I seem to remember all being available when I originally joined Boards.
* As has been mentioned, post date/time would be missed. They're particularly handy for mods who post on-thread warnings. Without them it's impossible to know if a user should be given the benefit of the doubt because they were posting at the same time, or if there were no other posts until theirs an hour after the warning.
* I also agree that it would be nice to be able to see a more clearly defined division between posts. In general, less white please!
All in all, a pretty good first effort imo. Well done to the tech guys (and Dav and Declan of course!).0 -
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Great work guys.
Here's some thoughts:
Stuff I like
- The cleaner layout and the reduced nav bar are a massive improvement.
- I like the social media sharing icons even though I know they won't be everyone's cup of tea.
- I much prefer the icons used in V2. Not sure about the rounding of avatars but it might be necessary for the sake of consistency.
- I really like the sidebar options of the important stuff for a forum and suggested threads.
- I think the sticky OP is a good idea, and could be useful in trying to keep things on topic, but it would need to have a collapse/expand option, otherwise a very large OP could take over most of the reading room on the screen, especially on smaller screens.
- I also like the way you can reply directly to the OP.
Stuff I don't like :mad:- In general I prefer V2 but I agree with the posters saying that the difference between posts isn't very obvious. The second design is a tad too white in general, it's a pity to miss out on the Boards blue.
- I'll probably be shot for this but I don't like the grey gradient at the top of V2, it looks a bit dated.
- I agree with all the posters asking about the view last unread arrow. It's how I navigate most of the threads I follow.
- I also agree it should be oldest to newest. Otherwise how would it work- you jump 50 posts down the page then have to scroll up to get to the latest posts? Very annoying, especially if it's in a particularly active thread
- I also agree that the posts need a time!
- In both options I think the burger menu button is unintuitive. I wouldn't expect to find the full menu there and I imagine a few user tests will confirm this for ye. It should be text like "All Categories" or something like that.
Some questions
- In V2 what does the filter by topic dropdown on the top lead to?
- Is there any notification icon e.g. currently I have a "1" beside my name in the top right to show there's a PM/new activity in a thread I follow etc.
- What does Browse refer to? Is this not the same as "All Categories" or the burger icon?
- Of all the forums, why has Regional been singled out to appear in the top bar? I mean I get Talk To because they are sponsored but I don't get why Regional is there.
- Under a users post what do the "..." lead to?
- Is it ok for us to put up mockups or is that a bit too cheeky or potentially messy? :P
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I'm going with V2... I'll borrow BHP's points just out of sheer lazyness (nothing personal BHP!).Bobblehead Panda wrote: »I'd agree with those who have asked that there not be too much white.
I'd agree with that too..Bobblehead Panda wrote: »I also hate the idea of pinning the OP's post to the top. I've come across that on many forums and it drives me mad.
I'd disagree with that, the last few threads I've witnessed go wildly off-topic and the OP was abandoned with their initial query whilst everyone else was discussing the wider issue rather than dealing with the topic in hand. But then again it's an Irish thing conducive to ramblings in a pub as opposed to listening to a topic chaired by Pat Kenny or something.
It might push more people into starting their own topic too rather than piggybacking on someone elses posts to drive their own discussion :pac:.Bobblehead Panda wrote: »I know that you want to make the site more accessible to new posters, and that's great, but referring to posts as comments is a bit too Facebooky for my liking. There's only a certain amount of hand-holding you should do.
"Comments" --- horrible word, it kind of implies a 2 line response rather than a detailed discussion. Also reminds me of Facebook and Online Newspaper 'discussions' (which they definitely aren't).
"Post" --- Now there is a mighty word. You're getting out your sledge hammer and driving a mighty post into the ground. It carries weight.. ( like 'yor ma'
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I like both versions, but both are very white.
I wouldn't be a fan of no time/date for each post (not comment!!!) though- that would drive me mad.
I also don't like round avatars- they're just weird.
I love the idea of 'tidying away' the forum charter in the sidebar. Makes things look neater.
I can understand the point, but what about picture threads? We get a lot of those in 'Christmas.' Or really long OPs? Maybe there should be a moderator option to sticky the opening post where deemed necessary/useful.Bobblehead Panda wrote: »I also hate the idea of pinning the OP's post to the top. I've come across that on many forums and it drives me mad.
I was just thinking that! I love that feature of that particular website. It's very handy; especially on threads where you're waiting with baited breath for the OP to reply!On another site I follow, you can set up your profile so that the op's post show in a different colour, and your own. Its really handy on a long thread.0 -
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Join Date:Posts: 24486
I like both versions, but both are very white.
I wouldn't be a fan of no time/date for each post (not comment!!!) though- that would drive me mad.
I also don't like round avatars- they're just weird.
I love the idea of 'tidying away' the forum charter in the sidebar. Makes things look neater.
This is pretty much where I stand on this as well.
No time/date will surely cause issues as in having someone reply to someone who last replied 2 weeks ago, etc,etc.
And I really don't like the idea of the round avatars, reminds me too much of Facebook messenger. Shudder.0 -
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Why, why, why are UI designers obsessed with removing functionality in every redesign? The absolute minimum requirement for any redesign should be that it doesn't reduce functionality.
At the moment, I have the ability to open a thread at the first post, last post, or last unread post, all of which I use regularly, depending on the thread. This redesign removes at least one of those options, possibly two, depending on what clicking on the last poster's username doesSad Professor wrote: »I assume the lack of "last unread post" button is because clicking into the thread will automatically take you to the last unread post
More functionality removed. Time of posting can be very important information when following a thread. It's not like there isn't space for it, just put it on the same line as the poster's name, e.g.:Hollister11 wrote: »I think the time and date of each post should be there. Also V2
Same story with user's "Posts" totals and "Join Date". Very useful information that is being thrown away, despite there being unused space under the user avatar.Stuchyg 17/02/2015, 10:00
Anyone else having issues...
[EDIT]Oh and post number, also useful information providing context within the thread, should be on the same line as poster name[/EDIT]
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It's not clear if it's possible to (easily) multi-quote. Currently, it's one click to instantly bring you to a reply page, or one click to add a post to your multi-quote selection. The redesign looks like it will take at least two clicks per multi-quote, again, despite the fact that the rest of the space on the "Thanks | Reply | Report" line is totally unused.
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Will it be possible to link directly to a post (as opposed to a thread) like it is now? e.g. http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=94321976#post94321976.
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This is an absolutely critical issue. It's been raised a couple of times on Site Dev for both Touch and the Talk to Forums.Sadly that breaks half the time on touch, particularly if a thread hasn't been updated on two weeks and then gets new posts, brings you to the start of the thread again, so I wouldn't be a fan of that.
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Not a fan of the thread pages being stuck with a column on the right. I click into a thread, I want to read the posts in the thread. If I want to see Forum Announcements/Charters/Stickies, I look at the forum page. Are users really going to use any of those links from the thread page on any sort of regular basis? To the degree that it takes up ~25% of the entire page?
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Oh and this:
No. Just no. We've already had this argument the last time the homepage was redesigned, and it was changed back. Being able to simply and easily glance down the homepage and see instantly what forum the post was made in is important. You can't do that if you have to keep jumping left and right across the page. Forum names belong in a fixed width column
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...ok, I'm done. I realise that was all pretty negative, so I'm adding that I do like the overall look of the redesign, much better than the current boxy vBulletin set-up. But I'm guessing you don't really need to be told what you're doing rightBoardsie Enhancement Suite - a browser extension to make using Boards on desktop a better experience (includes full-width display, keyboard shortcuts, dark mode, and more). Now available through your browser's extension store.
Firefox: https://addons.mozilla.org/addon/boardsie-enhancement-suite/
Chrome/Edge/Opera: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/boardsie-enhancement-suit/bbgnmnfagihoohjkofdnofcfmkpdmmce
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Just a few of my own comments on this since we're all here...
- Dark theme will 100% happen, it's just too much work to generate 2 sets of samples at this stage especially when it's more layout we're concerned with atm.
- Sticky OP - I think should be a user-configurable option
- I don't get the New post first either, but I'm told several places do it. Needless to say I'll be making sure that if it's included, it'll be a user-configurable option too.
- I've already said Time/Date has to go in and that's being worked on.
- The plan was for the default behaviour to bring you to last unread post when you click a link. Now that I'm thinking about it, that's not the right way to do it, I'll ask for a re-jig that includes a "last unread" specific button or link or something.
- My Forums in the new Menu is probably something we should include too.
Just some brief thoughts, I'll have more tomorrow. I'm also going to be showing you the re-jigged Categories which will appear when you click that "Browse" button. It's time to move on from things like Rec and Soc which just don't make sense anymore 0 -
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Oooh, I like that idea.The_Morrigan wrote: »Could the shape of the O from the Boards logo be used for the avatars? Rounded squares or squared circles....whichever way ya look at it! 0 -
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