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SpreadUbuntu test site

 

(Sorry if this message appears twice, first attempt seams to got lost,
so far.)

On Tue, 2010-10-05 at 14:46 -0500, Evan Boldt wrote:

> Do you have any ideas for the site? Anything you think doesn't quite
> look right on the test server?
> 
> If I had to guess, I think the homepage is probably what needs the
> most improvement. I'm not quite happy with the look of the media
> selection icons. The content and layout could also use some work, but
> I don't really have any ideas.

So, looking at http://remonster.homelinux.org:81/

Header
======

The orange of the header is wrong. The base color outside of the stripes
should be #dd4814.


Start page
==========

It's not obvious how to return to the start page, once you followed any
link. Though I see ubuntu.com uses the same approach.

Consider to use the "Get" page as start page. Sensible content for a
start page has to be either an Introduction, or be the most often used.
A combination is possible. The right choice or weighting depends on the
relation between first time visitors and returning visitors and how big
the need for explanation is in the first place.

The current start page throws stuff at the viewer with not much
guidance. Why should the visitor care about that download counter? The
small print is horrible, nobody can be expected to read that, so it
shouldn't be there.

If the primary job of the start page is offering a brief introduction, I
would put the "About" block first.

Having both media types and Top Rated on a page that is not the "Get"
page is too much.


Footer
======

The legal disclaimer is the least interesting. It should be on the
right, or only exist on an About page. Same for "Powered By", which, if
it stays in the footer, should be rightmost for it's smaller size.

The "Community" block should be first on the left. You have enough space
to write Local Community out, no need to count on people knowing what
LoCo is, beforehand.

Do not include a link to SpreadUbuntu itself.

As long as the footer takes full width, its background should extend to
the bottom of the view.


Get Materials
=============

Top rated/popular/recent/random is surely not of first concern.
language, media type and maybe purpose or derivative could be. Maybe
your stats could help here?

Catch the rest categories tend to be a disgrace, but often can't be
avoided. Though "Other" would be less of a "Huh?" then "Unusual" is.

Faceted navigation could be cool.
http://orange.sims.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/flamenco.cgi/nobel/Flamenco
http://well-formed-data.net/experiments/elastic_lists/


Make Materials
==============

Consider "Create" instead of "Make".


Share Materials
===============

The headline shouldn't read "Create Material". "Share", "Add",
"Submit" ... would all be options.

This page could be quite a barrier. My first impression is: too much at
once. Though doing it step-by-step, wizard-style, has its downsides,
too.

Only one CC license supported? You need a link to the explanation page
of that license.

The custom license option should be tied to it's own entry, so you know
what is license and what is description.

Description/Summary might be best handled by having one large box with
"Description" as header. First thing in that box would be a second box
with a title bar "Summary". Though i would not know how to pull that
off, technically.

Easy way would be to rely on indentation:

Description
   Summary: [     ]
   Body:    [     ]

As this split/join and "Show summary in full view" business is too
complicated.

WYSIWYG editing, please? While many of us might be fine with markup and
be vary of the pitfalls of trying-to-be-too-clever WYSIWYG, I think it
is a must to enable a wider range of people to participate.


-- 
Thorsten Wilms

thorwil's design for free software:
http://thorwil.wordpress.com/





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