New RTE layout

jmcc

RTE is launching a new layout next week. It looks very familiar. Perhaps if I switch channels I'd remember where I saw it.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/1008/rte_new_sites_gallery.html

Actually it is quite an improvement and has some nice features.

Regards...jmcc

Mike...

I like it alot, RTE have made solid developments with each and every build

Cakes.

What channels website does it look like ..?

jmcc

Cakesofrice wrote: »

What channels website does it look like ..?

I was wondering if they were using the BBC's approach. ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/gel/ ). However RTE is one of the better Irish news sites so there's been a bit of thought put into the design. Those GEL documents should be required reading for webdevs as they lay out the design procedure and architecture very clearly.

Regards...jmcc

p

I wonder if it was designed by Fine Gael's designers.

darkman2

Wonder what day this is being introduced on? Badly needed.

Placebo

looks alot like http://michaelhutagalung.com/2008/05/arthemia-magazine-blog-wordpress-theme-released/

OR more so a modification i made of the above with different colours etc

Pixelcraft

It's an improvement but I still feel that everything's fighting for your attention on the page, will be interesting to see it in its proper context

jmcc

Pixelcraft wrote: »

It's an improvement but I still feel that everything's fighting for your attention on the page, will be interesting to see it in its proper context

It is surprising how many web developers never learn the importance of information architecture and print design. Presenting information is quite different from the average graphically intensive design where the information may be a just few sentences in length.

The BBC GEL is very well thought through with cues and hints as to the importance of various sections and subsections. Most people don't notice these things but are unconsciously guided by them.

One of the strongest elements of RTE's website is the sheer depth of content. To date, it has been very hard to find that data. How they handle the new search facility should be interesting - hopefully it will make it a lot easier to find stuff.

Regards...jmcc

pixelburp

The new design won't be worth a damn if they don't take the chance to finally remove Real Player from the site. It's well and good trumpeting about RTE player, but the fact most of the clips on the site are played through RealPlayer is just ... neanderthal.

Pixelcraft

pixelburp wrote: »

It's well and good trumpeting about RTE player

Actually imo they missed a massive opportunity when they decided to use flash for the rte player

Seth Brundle

Pixelcraft wrote: »

Actually imo they missed a massive opportunity when they decided to use flash for the rte player

I presume that you mean they decided *not* to use flash

Pixelcraft

kbannon wrote: »

I presume that you mean they decided *not* to use flash

Unless I'm visiting a completely different RTE player, it is entirely flash?

Seth Brundle

So I see
http://www.rte.ie/player/ appears to be a beta in Flash whilst http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/1011/thefrontline_av.html appears to be the original version in RealPLayer

Pixelcraft

Yup it's been in beta for quite a while shame to see it use flash when it could be html5 video with a flash fallback

pixelburp

Pixelcraft wrote: »

Actually imo they missed a massive opportunity when they decided to use flash for the rte player

Not really; you can argue about the pros, cons and atari-jaguars of HTML5 video all day, but when most of the RTE site's video is still in Real Media format, that's just weak

Pixelcraft

There are no cons simple as (I mentioned a fallback flash player could easily be used), but this isn't the thread for that discussion.

spockety

Pixelcraft wrote: »

Yup it's been in beta for quite a while shame to see it use flash when it could be html5 video with a flash fallback

...

There are no cons simple as (I mentioned a fallback flash player could easily be used), but this isn't the thread for that discussion.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=67269425&postcount=97

http://apiblog.youtube.com/2010/06/flash-and-html5-tag.html

Pixelcraft

As I said above and quoted by you spockety, you can implement html5 video with a flash fallback, something RTE were either unaware of or ignored. It's probably the fact that there's too much work done already for the flash solution to ditch it for a more standards compliant solution.

Edit: I notice the new site is live now, well done it's a much better improvement over the old site

D Hayes

Does anyone know who got the design contract for the job? I think it was tendered out last year.

And do RTE have an internal development team, or is that outsourced also?

I like it too by the way.

rorymcgrory

RTE has an internal team. All developed in house

Pixelcraft

They do have a team, are you sure this wasn't outsourced to an agency though?

rorymcgrory

Yes it was definitely developed inhouse

youcancallmeal

I'm always fascinated at why website owners feel the need to do massive redesigns every few years? I thought the old RTE was fine. I don't hate the new one, I'll get used to eventually but I'm not seeing any advantage in spending vast sums of money on the redesign? Unless its a way of drumming up interest and getting more hits for the advertisers?

lil_lisa

I don't like it at all. Checking rte news was among a necessity every morning along with checking emails and the like. I would simply go to rte.ie/news and be given a list of the most important news in the world at that moment. Now its all split up and moved around and seems scattered and I don't like it. Like there's too much to look at at the same time.

...I'm sure I'll get used to it, I must adapt to change, change is good! I'll return when I do with nicer comments.

Bob_Harris

Looks far to busy and messy for me.

Also each of the sections look different. The Sport section is still in the old look, Entertainment, News, TV, etc don't even use the same header. Very disjointed.

aidan_walsh

Bob_Harris wrote: »

Looks far to busy and messy for me.

Also each of the sections look different. The Sport section is still in the old look, Entertainment, News, TV, etc don't even use the same header. Very disjointed.

The new rollout was only for the homepage and news/business sections pointed out. The other sections will be updated over time to catch up.

jank

OK question. Is there anyway to get the flash player to buffer more than 4kb for me. I have changed the settings around but it always seem to buffer the same even though I have given it a full allocation of my HDD.
Better still anyway to stream to real player? Being abroad I can watch news etc but plays for 2 seconds then buffers, then plays for another 2 seconds etc etc.

Really annoying!

Dean820

I have to make an effort to find the iPlayer now, whereas before it was just there. The previous version was simple and it worked fine.