[Panda]

Do we have any plan on changing the forums layout?
It's too basic and boring. ;/ I know it's a little harsh, but maybe a totally modern site layout would be great. I love this site too much, but it's dying on me by the seconds. T.T

Maybe that's why we are losing so many users. We are doing pretty well on keeping up with adding new items, but still not enough to bring users back and bringing in more new users.

We have this same layout since the site first opened.

[Starry Night]

I personally like the layout of the forum. It's easy to navigate. But that's just me, I'm not into frilly things.

[Panda]

You just started? I will send you a trade. :) Gifts from me.
I like the posting layout, but the forums layout is kinda too basic.

[Coda]

Yes, we have plans. I've posted a mockup... uh... somewhere. I don't remember where.

Unfortunately it's a metric boatload of work to make big changes to the site layout and we have much more important things that need to come first. Refreshing the theme is going to come AFTER we get some better revenue streams flowing through the site.

[Panda]

Yay :D Awesome! ^^

[Starry Night]

Originally Posted by Panda

You just started? I will send you a trade. :) Gifts from me.
I like the posting layout, but the forums layout is kinda too basic.

On this other avatar site, you were able to change the color of the forum page for your account to any color. I always thought that was cool. :]

And thank you, that's very sweet and kind of you. ^_^

[Glitch]

Toho has posted some dev logs in trisphee talk with things he's working on - once the new editor Is all finished and pretty he can get more into the next projects <3

We're coming along, slowly but steadily

[Tohopekaliga]

I've been a bit busy with other matters recently, so the editor work is slow. There are a few other things on my plate before delving into updating the forum layout, but it is definitely in the plan.

Web design is hard, and none of us are actual designers (Coda and I can both do it passably, but that is not the main focus of either of our professions), so making good designs is a rather slow process in itself, as well.

It will happen to eventually, without a doubt. Probably won't get any traction until at the very least the end of this year, based on current speeds.



I could hire somebody, of course, but while I may be rich, I'm not that rich that I can afford to have "real" employees. The numbers involved in just making sure the people currently working on the site get paid like actual jobs instead of a mostly-volunteer operation are kind of daunting to go into, and I hesitate to do so because the difference between that and how much Trisphee makes is...unsettling.

[Poggio]

when you say layout are you looking for just a skin redo or a whole UI re-design?

[Coda]

The fact that we're running vBulletin puts limits on just how much of a "whole UI redesign" we can do. The broad strokes of the layout are constrained such that they HAVE to be organized a certain way.

On the other hand, there's a LOT you can do with just a skin.

EDIT: Found the mockup.

[Aly]

You can do a whole bunch of stuff with skins!
I am new here but still think it'd be cool to see what it turns out like :D

Plus since you have access to CSS you can design anything :O

If you're going for totally modern you can get away with using square links
- No border-radius needed on them :'D

Add solid box shadow to the bottom and you're laughing ~

But yeah!! //watches this thread for development >w>

[Panda]

I don't mind the posting layout though, it's really easy to navigate. More like the home page skin, forums layout so it's not just listing forums. Also, it would be nice if you guys can at the Ping feature, that way we can be notified of new posts.

[Tohopekaliga]

Ping / Quote Notifications are on my todo list. :) It'll happen, uh...eventually.

Probably before layout updates, at least. :P

[Panda]

I'm so excited to see what you guys have in store for us. ^^ Also, Aly is really good at making layouts and designs. :D I don't know if she's willing to volunteer though. :3

[Gallagher]

We do love working with our users whenever possible, so it never hurts to hit one of us up and offer a hand if you're willing to give it.

[Coda]

If someone really has that much of an interest in helping out with the design I can put up more of the plans I've been working on.

There are a few visual language elements I want to hold on to (specific shapes representing specific behaviors, like containers having one rounded top corner and clickable things having one rounded bottom corner) and I'm trying to capture a modern sort-of-minimal "Material Design"-ish feel without giving up too many of the old-school design elements (to keep a sense of thematic continuity and to try to evoke a sense of intentional anachronism) but I'm totally open to improving on the visuals.