Better SMBHQ Layout

Metal Man · 10-19-2009, 02:24 AM

Posting this here, because (A) everything posted in the SMBHQ forum is ignored or locked, and (B) many of you people who read NC are still here.

FEATURES:
* Retains almost everything except for that seriously lame fake ad box masquerading as part of the site. Seriously, Kyle, is SMBHQ just about how much money you can make now? Learn some class, man.
* Makes better use of horizontal and vertical space.
* Sub-sites (which are more popular than most of the other links) given better position in bar.
* Content organized in three neat columns.
* All the things with form fields lined up in a neat row.
* Advertising kept strictly separate from page (Seriously, Kyle. Your ads don't belong in the content, if you truly want to make a site people will visit.)
* Uses 90% of Sean Kelly's stuff, just re-arranges it (So there's nothing to get upset about)
* Hit counter right next to thing which tells people to look at it
* Better looking top graphic (that one was always the best)
* Buttons all near one another and not awkwardly split up by whitespace so people will actually be attracted to them by their flashy colors
* Ticker given its own box to highlight its existence
* Centering and alignment used to vastly increase coherency of page layout

-----

So as you can see, this layout increases SMBHQ's readability without losing anything, including the things Sean made. All that's lost is three very lame links, and the ads are shuffled to the edges of oblivion, where they belong. (Really. People can go to the Mario Wiki if they want. They're not going to slavishly view all those ads when they have an alternative. It's time to give up the massive cluster-f#$% of ads and join everyone in the 21st century.)

This doesn't handle the wildly mis-matched states of the pages linked by the bar, but if this were adopted, it would turn a field of disarrayed objects into a functional design. What do you think?

Compare it to this and give me YOUR opinion!

I will, however, say even the current layout is infinitely better than THIS layout, for there's only one really lame ad, instead of several.

**Valigarmander** · 10-19-2009, 03:01 AM

Hmm, your proposal doesn't look a HUGE deal different than the current layout.

But it is an improvement. I'd go for it.

Robotazy · 10-19-2009, 03:01 AM

I don't know where you're getting "garbage" but, that is a better layout, with less empty space and better organization.

I recommend it.

Metal Man · 10-19-2009, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valigarmander

Hmm, your proposal doesn't look a HUGE deal different than the current layout.

Yeah. That's part of the idea, since Sean is very, very attached to all of those things in the current layout, and rather than upset him I'd just prefer to organize it all for now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aquatic Mine

I don't know where you're getting "garbage"

By that I mean the gibberish at the top and bottom of many SMBHQ pages, where there's Google ads, and ads for r4 DS, and for faucets.

Gabriel · 10-19-2009, 04:12 PM

The first thing I noted is that you have a great hatred for Sean Kelly, and the ads on the page.

I also vote in favor of your organization. It's seems like it will be an improvement.

Laika Come Home · 10-19-2009, 04:17 PM

Personally, I don't have a problem with Kyle selling ads on the website. After all, there are such things as "ad blockers" if you don't want to look at them.

Metal Man · 10-19-2009, 04:19 PM

Actually, I've found the most disagreement with Sean I have is merely on layouts.

On the other hand, both he and I appear to dislike the ads which Kyle put on the page.

Therefore my dislike is now aimed at the ads, which should be kept to the top and bottom, and perhaps be made up of more coherently presented information than "r4 ds r4 shower head r4 r4 r4."

Dizzy · 10-19-2009, 08:33 PM

i liekz it.

Alph · 10-20-2009, 02:21 AM

Looks good to me.

Vgfian · 10-20-2009, 03:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkZero

i liekz it.

This.

Metal Man · 10-20-2009, 01:16 PM

I'll start working on the code for it when I'm not at school, being busy with schoolwork all day and all that jazz.

All it requires is stuffing the current field of objects into a three-column table, so it shouldn't be a problem.

Update: Work is progressing quickly. I will be able to show a prototype soon. Maybe late today/tomorrow.

Romplayer · 10-21-2009, 07:15 AM

Actually I would love to see a complete new design, more modern and with more than just 800px width (very oldfashioned).
But as a simple and quick rearrangement this is absolutely better than the old one.

Metal Man · 10-21-2009, 03:47 PM

All of that is possible, but this will serve as a stopgap for now.

Any concepts for a new redesign which is more modern are welcome, as I'm not very good at designing new stuff.

Perrin Aybara · 10-22-2009, 02:57 PM

Shower heads are awesome.-jay

Metal Man · 10-22-2009, 03:57 PM

Mario showerheads especially.

Sean P Kelly · 11-12-2009, 07:22 AM

It's ok

However, I would not be able to use your personal design, since the main page is actually like 5 different files combined.

Metal Man · 11-13-2009, 04:56 PM

Yeah, I was going to figure out how each page would need to be edited to keep them 5 pages combined, buuut also make my new layout. But I can give you the design I've programmed, once I'm sure the buttons underneath the SMBHQ logo work properly.

Sean P Kelly · 11-21-2009, 11:19 AM

OK, the new layout is adapted into the SSI scheme and launched.

One big difference is that I kept the current logo (since all my seasonal logos are set to the current size)

Other than that, it looks OK

Metal Man · 11-21-2009, 06:05 PM

It also doesn't stretch out horizontally like mine did, but, that was kinda iffy anyway, at least on my widescreen.

Looks good enough, anyway. Thanks for usin' it.

Sean P Kelly · 11-23-2009, 02:35 PM

^ yeah, it was actually the events ticker and updates that were doing much of stretching. I added fixed widths to solve the problem.

10-19-2009, 02:24 AM	#1
Metal Man Fairy-Slaying Maniac Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: 1592 Miles Away From Here Gender: Posts: 18,062 Thanks: 148 Thanked 683 Times in 482 Posts	Better SMBHQ Layout Posting this here, because (A) everything posted in the SMBHQ forum is ignored or locked, and (B) many of you people who read NC are still here. FEATURES: * Retains almost everything except for that seriously lame fake ad box masquerading as part of the site. Seriously, Kyle, is SMBHQ just about how much money you can make now? Learn some class, man. * Makes better use of horizontal and vertical space. * Sub-sites (which are more popular than most of the other links) given better position in bar. * Content organized in three neat columns. * All the things with form fields lined up in a neat row. * Advertising kept strictly separate from page (Seriously, Kyle. Your ads don't belong in the content, if you truly want to make a site people will visit.) * Uses 90% of Sean Kelly's stuff, just re-arranges it (So there's nothing to get upset about) * Hit counter right next to thing which tells people to look at it * Better looking top graphic (that one was always the best) * Buttons all near one another and not awkwardly split up by whitespace so people will actually be attracted to them by their flashy colors * Ticker given its own box to highlight its existence * Centering and alignment used to vastly increase coherency of page layout ----- So as you can see, this layout increases SMBHQ's readability without losing anything, including the things Sean made. All that's lost is three very lame links, and the ads are shuffled to the edges of oblivion, where they belong. (Really. People can go to the Mario Wiki if they want. They're not going to slavishly view all those ads when they have an alternative. It's time to give up the massive cluster-f#$% of ads and join everyone in the 21st century.) This doesn't handle the wildly mis-matched states of the pages linked by the bar, but if this were adopted, it would turn a field of disarrayed objects into a functional design. What do you think? Compare it to this and give me YOUR opinion! I will, however, say even the current layout is infinitely better than THIS layout, for there's only one really lame ad, instead of several. Last edited by Metal Man; 10-19-2009 at 03:02 AM.

10-20-2009, 01:16 PM	#11
Metal Man Fairy-Slaying Maniac Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: 1592 Miles Away From Here Gender: Posts: 18,062 Thanks: 148 Thanked 683 Times in 482 Posts	I'll start working on the code for it when I'm not at school, being busy with schoolwork all day and all that jazz. All it requires is stuffing the current field of objects into a three-column table, so it shouldn't be a problem. Update: Work is progressing quickly. I will be able to show a prototype soon. Maybe late today/tomorrow. Last edited by Metal Man; 10-20-2009 at 02:23 PM.

10-19-2009, 03:01 AM	#2
Valigarmander The Bee's Knees Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: The land of rain and trees (Oregon) Gender: Posts: 29,755 Thanks: 1,649 Thanked 5,700 Times in 2,580 Posts Blog Entries: 20	Hmm, your proposal doesn't look a HUGE deal different than the current layout. But it is an improvement. I'd go for it.

10-19-2009, 03:01 AM	#3
Robotazy PRESS ANY KEY TO PANIC! Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: A Tiny Shed Gender: Posts: 16,483 Thanks: 529 Thanked 1,254 Times in 897 Posts Blog Entries: 46	I don't know where you're getting "garbage" but, that is a better layout, with less empty space and better organization. I recommend it.

10-19-2009, 04:12 PM	#5
Gabriel Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Pesterchum~ Gender: Posts: 2,752 Thanks: 206 Thanked 139 Times in 115 Posts	The first thing I noted is that you have a great hatred for Sean Kelly, and the ads on the page. I also vote in favor of your organization. It's seems like it will be an improvement.

10-19-2009, 04:17 PM	#6
Laika Come Home Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Gender: Posts: 615 Thanks: 214 Thanked 77 Times in 45 Posts Blog Entries: 1	Personally, I don't have a problem with Kyle selling ads on the website. After all, there are such things as "ad blockers" if you don't want to look at them.

10-19-2009, 04:19 PM	#7
Metal Man Fairy-Slaying Maniac Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: 1592 Miles Away From Here Gender: Posts: 18,062 Thanks: 148 Thanked 683 Times in 482 Posts	Actually, I've found the most disagreement with Sean I have is merely on layouts. On the other hand, both he and I appear to dislike the ads which Kyle put on the page. Therefore my dislike is now aimed at the ads, which should be kept to the top and bottom, and perhaps be made up of more coherently presented information than "r4 ds r4 shower head r4 r4 r4."

10-19-2009, 08:33 PM	#8
Dizzy Podiaphobe Join Date: Oct 2007 Gender: Posts: 19,359 Thanks: 1,764 Thanked 1,161 Times in 804 Posts Blog Entries: 116	i liekz it.

10-20-2009, 02:21 AM	#9
Alph Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: MWAHAHAHHAHAHAAAA!!!ha. Gender: Posts: 1,364 Thanks: 30 Thanked 9 Times in 5 Posts	Looks good to me.

10-21-2009, 07:15 AM	#12
Romplayer Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Germany Gender: Posts: 806 Thanks: 1 Thanked 10 Times in 7 Posts	Actually I would love to see a complete new design, more modern and with more than just 800px width (very oldfashioned). But as a simple and quick rearrangement this is absolutely better than the old one.

10-21-2009, 03:47 PM	#13
Metal Man Fairy-Slaying Maniac Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: 1592 Miles Away From Here Gender: Posts: 18,062 Thanks: 148 Thanked 683 Times in 482 Posts	All of that is possible, but this will serve as a stopgap for now. Any concepts for a new redesign which is more modern are welcome, as I'm not very good at designing new stuff.

10-22-2009, 02:57 PM	#14
Perrin Aybara Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 1999 Location: Alone....so terribly alone... Some... where... out... there... dies Gender: Posts: 12,760 Thanks: 194 Thanked 504 Times in 235 Posts	Shower heads are awesome.-jay

10-22-2009, 03:57 PM	#15
Metal Man Fairy-Slaying Maniac Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: 1592 Miles Away From Here Gender: Posts: 18,062 Thanks: 148 Thanked 683 Times in 482 Posts	Mario showerheads especially.

11-12-2009, 07:22 AM	#16
Sean P Kelly Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada Gender: Posts: 3,789 Thanks: 19 Thanked 58 Times in 46 Posts	It's ok However, I would not be able to use your personal design, since the main page is actually like 5 different files combined.

11-13-2009, 04:56 PM	#17
Metal Man Fairy-Slaying Maniac Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: 1592 Miles Away From Here Gender: Posts: 18,062 Thanks: 148 Thanked 683 Times in 482 Posts	Yeah, I was going to figure out how each page would need to be edited to keep them 5 pages combined, buuut also make my new layout. But I can give you the design I've programmed, once I'm sure the buttons underneath the SMBHQ logo work properly.

11-21-2009, 11:19 AM	#18
Sean P Kelly Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada Gender: Posts: 3,789 Thanks: 19 Thanked 58 Times in 46 Posts	OK, the new layout is adapted into the SSI scheme and launched. One big difference is that I kept the current logo (since all my seasonal logos are set to the current size) Other than that, it looks OK

11-21-2009, 06:05 PM	#19
Metal Man Fairy-Slaying Maniac Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: 1592 Miles Away From Here Gender: Posts: 18,062 Thanks: 148 Thanked 683 Times in 482 Posts	It also doesn't stretch out horizontally like mine did, but, that was kinda iffy anyway, at least on my widescreen. Looks good enough, anyway. Thanks for usin' it.

11-23-2009, 02:35 PM	#20
Sean P Kelly Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada Gender: Posts: 3,789 Thanks: 19 Thanked 58 Times in 46 Posts	^ yeah, it was actually the events ticker and updates that were doing much of stretching. I added fixed widths to solve the problem.