New Home Page - Page 2

Perrin Aybara · 02-01-2010, 12:40 AM

A few quick comments before I pass out and go to bed.

-I very much like the spirit of the new design. Keep things simple. It seems a bit clunky right now, though. But I think you're on the right track. A few suggestions:
-On some of the sections (games and extras) there's no easy way to get back to the main page. Clicking the SMBHQ logo goes to the secret page.
-On that note, I'd say just scrap (both) secret pages and just link to them on the extra/archives page.
-Both the games and extras section layouts just don't feel right... Maybe they can be modified slightly... I donno how. The games page just doesn't feel intuitive and the extra page layout just seems lame.
-I guess I like the simplicity of the main page, but I donno, the all white theme just seems to bland.
-I definitely feel honored by having NC remain as a prominent link on the site.

And on that note, one final note about NC, is that from what I've seen what you all have done to NC, I like how it has been going. I think both giving credit for what I have done on the site and keeping it archived, as well as allowing fans and people to still contribute to the site, is very well done and the best idea. Nice job. Hopefully it can continue to grow as a fan-based site.

-jay

Metal Man · 02-01-2010, 02:32 AM

Yeah, ditto on the make the main image go back to the main page--see what I did with my version of the bar on NC.

The main page should probably have a more dynamic background--that's one of those things the Web 2.0 stuff spoke about, at least.

I might be able to help suggest more workable layout stuff for the extra page.

Gabriel · 02-01-2010, 12:44 PM

A couple suggestions: Jay said that the SMBHQ logo on the pages just go to the secret page, and he mentioned that the secret page should be removed to the Archive/Extras page. Instead, I think that the logo on the main page should be the only link to the secret page, so the logo on every other page should lead back to the main page. That'd make the secret page a little bit more secret, and it would provide an easy escape back to the main page. By the way, I'd like to mention that there's a long banner along the bottom of each page that leads to the main page anyway...

Also, I think, instead of giving the site a dynamic background, you should make everything actually on the page all colorful and fun to look at. I know there's some of that on the main page, but you should take it farther. Maybe, make the font unique, and kind of Mario-ey. Stuff like that. Of course, this is probably more easily said than done, I'm just throwing out ideas.

Random User · 02-01-2010, 04:01 PM

^ True about the banner on the bottom of the page, but that isn't exactly the most obvious way back to the main page. But I agree on basically everthing else you said.

Metal Man · 02-01-2010, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gabriel Rodriguez

Also, I think, instead of giving the site a dynamic background, you should make everything actually on the page all colorful and fun to look at.

That would take a lot of work to do, and Sean and I aren't professional web page graphics designers.

Also, due to the way the navbar is linked, you can't really make one on the main page act differently from the others without making it more difficult to update them as a whole as time progresses. A PHP version could do it, but SSI includes on the other hand are rather weak on conditional logic.

Sean P Kelly · 02-01-2010, 07:59 PM

^ and to do a PHP-based version of the site would probably require a lot more work than I'm willing to do (and MySQL)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perrin Aybara

On some of the sections (games and extras) there's no easy way to get back to the main page. Clicking the SMBHQ logo goes to the secret page.
-On that note, I'd say just scrap (both) secret pages and just link to them on the extra/archives page.

I like them too much to scrap them. However, I did do a little switcheroo to fix the problem.

Gabriel · 02-01-2010, 10:15 PM

Is it at all possible to hire people to help you? Is there anyone willing?

Metal Man · 02-02-2010, 01:18 AM

I can do MySQL/PHP, but SMBHQ's ad revenues probably wouldn't pay my price, or that of my more expensive competitors.

And any free help is going to just wind up being vaporware, or worst, if it involves PHP.

Sean P Kelly · 02-02-2010, 05:55 PM

^ I can too. What I meant is that SMBHQ's server doesn't support MySQL

Metal Man · 02-02-2010, 06:04 PM

We should bug Shane to enable it. I've detected a change in the FTP software, there must be someone behind the machine who could at least quote a price if they're not willing to enable it for free.

View Poll Results: What do you think of the home page
I LIKE IT!	2	13.33%
I guess it's fine.	8	53.33%
I'm mildly irritated, but I can get used to it.	3	20.00%
THIS IS AN ABOMONATION!	2	13.33%
Voters: 15. You may not vote on this poll \| Withdraw Vote

02-01-2010, 12:40 AM	#21
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	A few quick comments before I pass out and go to bed. -I very much like the spirit of the new design. Keep things simple. It seems a bit clunky right now, though. But I think you're on the right track. A few suggestions: -On some of the sections (games and extras) there's no easy way to get back to the main page. Clicking the SMBHQ logo goes to the secret page. -On that note, I'd say just scrap (both) secret pages and just link to them on the extra/archives page. -Both the games and extras section layouts just don't feel right... Maybe they can be modified slightly... I donno how. The games page just doesn't feel intuitive and the extra page layout just seems lame. -I guess I like the simplicity of the main page, but I donno, the all white theme just seems to bland. -I definitely feel honored by having NC remain as a prominent link on the site. And on that note, one final note about NC, is that from what I've seen what you all have done to NC, I like how it has been going. I think both giving credit for what I have done on the site and keeping it archived, as well as allowing fans and people to still contribute to the site, is very well done and the best idea. Nice job. Hopefully it can continue to grow as a fan-based site. -jay

02-01-2010, 02:32 AM	#22
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, ditto on the make the main image go back to the main page--see what I did with my version of the bar on NC. The main page should probably have a more dynamic background--that's one of those things the Web 2.0 stuff spoke about, at least. I might be able to help suggest more workable layout stuff for the extra page.

02-01-2010, 12:44 PM	#23
Gabriel Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Pesterchum~ Gender: Posts: 2,316 Thanks: 111 Thanked 102 Times in 79 Posts	A couple suggestions: Jay said that the SMBHQ logo on the pages just go to the secret page, and he mentioned that the secret page should be removed to the Archive/Extras page. Instead, I think that the logo on the main page should be the only link to the secret page, so the logo on every other page should lead back to the main page. That'd make the secret page a little bit more secret, and it would provide an easy escape back to the main page. By the way, I'd like to mention that there's a long banner along the bottom of each page that leads to the main page anyway... Also, I think, instead of giving the site a dynamic background, you should make everything actually on the page all colorful and fun to look at. I know there's some of that on the main page, but you should take it farther. Maybe, make the font unique, and kind of Mario-ey. Stuff like that. Of course, this is probably more easily said than done, I'm just throwing out ideas.

02-01-2010, 04:01 PM	#24
Random User Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Floating aimlessly somewhere. Gender: Posts: 2,941 Thanks: 284 Thanked 118 Times in 95 Posts Blog Entries: 4	^ True about the banner on the bottom of the page, but that isn't exactly the most obvious way back to the main page. But I agree on basically everthing else you said.

02-01-2010, 10:15 PM	#27
Gabriel Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Pesterchum~ Gender: Posts: 2,316 Thanks: 111 Thanked 102 Times in 79 Posts	Is it at all possible to hire people to help you? Is there anyone willing?

02-02-2010, 01:18 AM	#28
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 can do MySQL/PHP, but SMBHQ's ad revenues probably wouldn't pay my price, or that of my more expensive competitors. And any free help is going to just wind up being vaporware, or worst, if it involves PHP.

02-02-2010, 05:55 PM	#29
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	^ I can too. What I meant is that SMBHQ's server doesn't support MySQL

02-02-2010, 06:04 PM	#30
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	We should bug Shane to enable it. I've detected a change in the FTP software, there must be someone behind the machine who could at least quote a price if they're not willing to enable it for free.