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Downsizer Forum Index -> Site guidelines, Announcements, Problems and Suggestions

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tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45674
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Mar 14, 05 6:34 pm Post subject:

dougal wrote:

There does seem to be a lot of empty (wasted or graphically important?) screen 'real estate' in the top corners, could this be better employed by sliding the "left column" up to the top of the screen?

Sounds like a good idea, but I think Profile would need to move to the top line to make room for users with really long names without wrapping to another line.

Gertie

Joined: 08 Jan 2005
Posts: 1638
Location: Yorkshire

Posted: Mon Mar 14, 05 6:38 pm Post subject:
For what it's worth (absolutely NOWT!) I have got used to the new icons, I liked the old ones, but am now used to the new ones (who says you can't teach old dogs new tricks - well, you know what I mean!).

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45674
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Mar 14, 05 6:38 pm Post subject:

dougal wrote:

I thought the previous 'topic list' icons, being rounded, 'soft' and looking hand-drawn, natural and thus 'organic', were actually rather more appropriate for *this* site than things using straight lines, right angles and precise 45� slopes - which aside from military insignia, are redolent of industrialisation, manufacture, rigid formality, etc....
Did I miss the point/benefit of the change?

The reasons I changed the icons were:

1. They were too small
2. They had rounded edges but non transparent backgrounds and as most of them end up being displayed on both the light and dark beige sections they looked odd on either one or the other.

If you're talking about the arrows in particular they do seem to be arousing some major feedback so they will be changed.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45674
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Mar 14, 05 6:40 pm Post subject:

dougal wrote:

- Those buttons seem to be centred - while the top-logo isn't! This might be a Mac (OS9) artefact, or something to do with my screen/window size, or a goof, or even intentional. (Is this associated with a change to a 'shaded' backround?)

True, I've raised this with jema before but nobody else had seemed to notice it at the time

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45674
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Mar 14, 05 6:41 pm Post subject:

dougal wrote:

And I think it might look better (softer, friendlier) without the square borders on the buttons... just the graphic 'floating' on the beige would IMHO be nicer

Do you know how to do transparent backgrounds on a gif?

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45674
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Mar 14, 05 6:42 pm Post subject:
Maybe "Latest Posts" is too terse? Would "View Latest Posts" be better?

judyofthewoods

Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 804
Location: Pembrokeshire

Posted: Mon Mar 14, 05 6:49 pm Post subject:
"It was a joke! Off with his head." Queen Lizie I said to Blackadder. Lord Melched:" "

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45674
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Mar 14, 05 6:51 pm Post subject:

judyofthewoods wrote:

"It was a joke!

I know that...

judyofthewoods

Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 804
Location: Pembrokeshire

Posted: Mon Mar 14, 05 6:51 pm Post subject:

tahir wrote:

dougal wrote:

And I think it might look better (softer, friendlier) without the square borders on the buttons... just the graphic 'floating' on the beige would IMHO be nicer

Do you know how to do transparent backgrounds on a gif?

you can do it when savin as GIF in Irfan, choose transparent backgound and click on the area you want transparebt

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45674
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Mar 14, 05 6:53 pm Post subject:

judyofthewoods wrote:

you can do it when savin as GIF in Irfan, choose transparent backgound and click on the area you want transparebt

Another sodding programme I'll have to learn how to work

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Mon Mar 14, 05 7:16 pm Post subject:

tahir wrote:

Maybe "Latest Posts" is too terse?

Would "View Latest Posts" be better?

Why not just "New Posts" ?

BTW, I haven't had a chance to get used to things yet, having been away for a couple of days...
As far as 'regulars' might be concerned, function is likely to be more important than form. People get used to the look of almost anything if they use it enough... But to a newcomer, happening on the site for the first time the 'tone' is initially set by the page design, including the graphics - and thats before they've read a single word!
IMHO (and thats all it is) preserving a slightly loose, comfortable, friendly impression would be more appropriate than aspiring to slickness and a more 'ordered' look...

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45674
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Mar 14, 05 7:23 pm Post subject:

dougal wrote:

IMHO (and thats all it is) preserving a slightly loose, comfortable, friendly impression would be more appropriate than aspiring to slickness and a more 'ordered' look...

I originally wanted to do icons without borders, but couldn't work out how to do transparent backgrounds so this is what we've ended up with (not perfect by any means).

I'm happy to have another bash, but I think overall the current design is a lot clearer than the old one was, the major concern that people have raised is the arrow design but if we're going to a no-backgrounds style of icon I'd rather wait and re-do the whole lot.

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28237
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Mon Mar 14, 05 7:27 pm Post subject:

tahir wrote:

dougal wrote:

Sounds like a good idea, but I think Profile would need to move to the top line to make room for users with really long names without wrapping to another line.

We certainly lose prime real estate, but there is the issue of consistency with the main site, and what will happen if we lift the wraps on the spanking new and smaller logo!

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45674
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Mar 14, 05 7:28 pm Post subject:

jema wrote:

We certainly lose prime real estate, but there is the issue of consistency with the main site, and what will happen if we lift the wraps on the spanking new and smaller logo!

True.

Lloyd

Joined: 24 Jan 2005
Posts: 2699

Posted: Mon Mar 14, 05 7:32 pm Post subject:
I am happy with everything except arrows, and like the organic ideas, beans, or chickens and eggs, which would be great, but impossibly difficult within the available parameters. How would it be to have a seed, which turns into a stick drawing based seedling, and later a stick based tree?...Simple design but in keeping and effective!

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