Denial looks different!!!

[Alan]

How about this for replacement FAQ/SEARCH/MEMBERS, etc. buttons?

[tlr]

... Did you notice it? Denial looks different.

Pretty ugly, right?

Very ugly indeed!

All narrow, no colors, mostly unreadable...

[Mayhem]

S'funny, I'm not actually having any problems at all

//blames it on being able to read what doctors write down

Thing is, it's kind of cute. In my eyes at least. Certainly one hell of a lot different to most other staidly designed sites.

[Jeff-20]

I just wanted to know if there is anything you guys would like to see other than the forum... anything you think would be cool. Or even anything you'd like to share. I know most of us are very busy; there's no hurry.

I'll play around with a few new looks....

[TMR]

Thing is, it's kind of cute. In my eyes at least. Certainly one hell of a lot different to most other staidly designed sites.

There's a reason most sites are similar in that respect, it makes it as transparent as possible to navigate around them and that's why i had to "walk" away for a bit when i saw the new layout; i honestly couldn't tell what the heck was going on. Anders' layout has similar issues, the diagonal stripes under the categories look pretty but render the text over them unreadable for the average person.

As for ideas about content... well, there are loads but it's a matter of actually getting something moving; how long has the games page been talking about how the site is just starting? That's the first link most people will click and the majority of them will want downloadable games in PRG format so they can play them on an emulator rather than "ordering" a WAV via email, gather lots of VIC games and have pwitty screenshots and zipped PRG or D64 files to download.

[Mayhem]

There's a reason most sites are similar in that respect, it makes it as transparent as possible to navigate around them and that's why i had to "walk" away for a bit when i saw the new layout

And boring... they all look the same. Give it some character!

[carlsson]

Anders' layout has similar issues, the diagonal stripes under the categories look pretty but render the text over them unreadable for the average person.

Heh, that was definitely not a finished design; more a way to figure out how different elements are used in the design. I could stick with the default subSilver colour scheme apart from the border, background and text colour, but if one should change the design, as many parts as possible should be considered. I like Alan's graphics, and may incorporate it to see how it looks.

[TMR]

There's a reason most sites are similar in that respect, it makes it as transparent as possible to navigate around them and that's why i had to "walk" away for a bit when i saw the new layout

And boring... they all look the same. Give it some character!

i've read more ridiculous comments in my time, but not many recently it has to be said; a lot of sites look similar for a reason and that reason is that the content and functionality are far more important than some concept of "character"; the moment that's forgotten and some bright spark decides to put the text in dark green on pink because it's "daring" or whatever Changing Rooms cliche they decide to use is when the delivery of that content is stifled.

Bugger "character", give me a "boring" site like Google, Yahoo, the BBC, Wikipedia, eBay or even phpBB's default subsilver skin; the hit rates these sites prove it works, the lack of a site with "character" garnering anywhere near that traffic proves that "character" doesn't make for a good site.

[vic user]

a lot of sites look similar for a reason and that reason is that the content and functionality are far more important than some concept of "character"

one thing that drives me up the wall , is sites that change their layout from time to time. i find i get used to navigate around, and then they start adding all kinds of fancy stuff, etc..

i find sports sites often do this.

i don't think content or functionality are their primary concerns when they decide to revamp their layouts.

give me a "boring" site like Google, Yahoo, the BBC, Wikipedia, eBay or even phpBB's default subsilver skin; the hit rates these sites prove it works, the lack of a site with "character" garnering anywhere near that traffic proves that "character" doesn't make for a good site.

this is just my opinion of course...

i don't know if you can correlate standardized layout with higher hits. i think the sites you mentioned are popular regardless of what their sites look like.

that doesn't mean i don't appreciate standardized layouts, and as you mentioned they are far easier to navigate, but i also like variety as well.


chris

[TMR]

i don't know if you can correlate standardized layout with higher hits. i think the sites you mentioned are popular regardless of what their sites look like.

Well, it works both ways to be honest but yes, i'd say that the hit rates of a lot of these sites are in part due to their ease of navigation and that they would be significantly lower otherwise. Similarly, these and other major sites have been evolved to their current state by user interaction and feedback and the BBC, for example, takes great pains to judge user response to new site layouts, even when the changes are relatively minor - that's one vast amount of market research that shouldn't be ignored by other people.

[Mayhem]

Having "character" and a "look" doesn't mean sacrificing ease of use and navigation. I've seen it done well in the past.

But anything using php forums can tend to look the same if it isn't jazzed up a bit.

Hopefully the new Retro Survival CD I've done can show look + ease = good product

[TMR]

Having "character" and a "look" doesn't mean sacrificing ease of use and navigation. I've seen it done well in the past.

i've never seen anything that works in the long term, the reason i put "character" in quotes is because all the designers i've spoken to who use that word are either being ironic or using it to cover up a flaw in what they've done. =-)

[idrougge]

Bugger "character", give me a "boring" site like Google, Yahoo, the BBC, Wikipedia, eBay or even phpBB's default subsilver skin

Amen to that!

[idrougge]

Having "character" and a "look" doesn't mean sacrificing ease of use and navigation. I've seen it done well in the past.

But anything using php forums can tend to look the same i f it isn't jazzed up a bit.

And that's a good thing. That means you don't have to learn a new easy-to-use layout each time you go to another forum.

[Alan]

Bugger "character", give me a "boring" site like Google, Yahoo, the BBC, Wikipedia, eBay or even phpBB's default subsilver skin

Amen to that!

Well, I think there's middle ground here. I agree that replacing the generic look of Denial with some garish, migraine-causing theme would be a mistake. But I don't see why things can't be adjusted tastefully to give the site a unique character.