Slag Off This Site Please

4WebHelp Addict Joined: 07 Jan 2002 Posts: 1060

Yeah, it's being redesigned from scratch now, decided the other layout restricted my navigation somewhat, I really need product areas, therefore....

http://beta.freedom2support.net/indexnew.php

Thats a very early version, the top bar will probbably go. as the content starts way too far down the page. The links below the product section will link to pages within that section, ala F2S Website Style.

Opinions welcome, I don't expect it to be perfect at the moment, it's been knocked up in half an hour...

Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2003 6:46 pm (21 years ago)

I'm still not too keen on the thicker black line, especially when I see it with the 1 pixel line. The space between the strap line and the menu is a bit funny mainly due to the extra border lines.

I thought I might be able to explain better with a couple of mockups so I got busy in photoshop Very Happy

This version just shows the various elements with the thinner border: Example 1

And in this one I've tried to save a bit of height by losing the xtra box for the strap line and search box: Example 2

The search box can go on the opposite side to the logo to make use of otherwise dead space. I haven't included the strap line at all - it half says what is already said under the logo so theres no point repeating it. I think I would try incorporating the full line into the logo section, possibly removing it from directly under the logo and having it the other side of the concentric circles. or maybe just having the 2nd half of the line the other side of the circles. Not sure I would have to play about with it.

I hope that helps you. Smile

4WebHelp Addict Joined: 07 Jan 2002 Posts: 1060

Will have a look at your screenies in a moment, just been playing and come up with something that is better, still not right, but I think it's a step in the right direction :

http://beta.freedom2support.net/indexnew2.php

4WebHelp Addict Joined: 07 Jan 2002 Posts: 1060

Hey,

Just had a look at your mock-up's, sorry I hadn't replied before, my IE went screwy and froze up every time I tried to submit a form!

Are some very good ideas in there, thanks, I didn't think the same background would work for the headine, and then the main navigation underneath each other, but they ahve and it has given me a few ideas for when I fiddle around with the site a bit more in a minute, may like to check out http://beta.freedom2support.net/indexnew2.php again, as it's been updated Smile

4WebHelp Addict Joined: 07 Jan 2002 Posts: 1060

PS : The Menus and navigation will be graphics eventually, though with those colours, it's damn hard to make something that looks decent, but it needs doingm because quite frankly, the navigation sucks, it's too blocky in it's current form.

Any ideas would be appreciated it, remember I need two navigation bars, the first one with a list of products, and a second directly underneath with relevant links to the page you are on...

Kinda like the F2S site.

4WebHelp Addict Joined: 07 Jan 2002 Posts: 1060

http://beta.freedom2support.net/indexnew2.php

Do you like it or hate it? I love it, just updated it! Smile

Team Member Joined: 06 Jan 2002 Posts: 2564

Here are a few comments:

I would replace -> with »
I would change the font to Verdana on the buttons (but that's just the Arial hater in me speaking )
Are you going to change the colour of that Search button?
Whats New is misspelt
Is the empty row at the bottom of the page going to stay empty?

Other than that it looks quite good Smile

.

Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2003 11:54 am (21 years ago)

Firstly, I know this is just a beta but you have 2 sets of body tags Wink

I've highlighted a couple of things in this screenshot

1) probably just my browser, but there is a slight misalignment of the logo graphic
2) what does it look like with out this black line - I don't think you need it.

I like the tabs - I use them a lot so thats no surprise. my concern with them at the moment is that they seem higher/more important in the structure hierachy than the Product Areas (am I correct in thinking that each product with have this set of tabs containing info on that product?)

Will there be any indication of which product area is current? highlight the link/button in some way?

4WebHelp Addict Joined: 07 Jan 2002 Posts: 1060

New Version up now, hasn't fixed many of your problems, as I've only just seen it, but looks better Smile

4WebHelp Addict Joined: 07 Jan 2002 Posts: 1060

Daniel wrote:

Here are a few comments:

I would replace -> with »
I would change the font to Verdana on the buttons (but that's just the Arial hater in me speaking )
Are you going to change the colour of that Search button?
Whats New is misspelt
Is the empty row at the bottom of the page going to stay empty?

Other than that it looks quite good Smile

.

1) Will be done, coding isn't my main issue at the moment, that page is static at the moment, there is not a single PHP Command in there, no CSS, no includes or headers and footers or anything, I'm just concentrating on the layout at the moment, the final version will have a lot cleaner code and CSS Smile

2) Tried Verdana, doesn't fit in as well with a layout, as to get it to look as good, you have to make the font bigger, then it's too big

3) Is going to be done sometime, any ideas on font colour or background?

4) Saw that, will be fixed in next version.

5) Empty row now has been removed, was thinking of putting the old style "Navigation By Page type" rather than product type there.

4WebHelp Addict Joined: 07 Jan 2002 Posts: 1060

Darren wrote:

Firstly, I know this is just a beta but you have 2 sets of body tags Wink

I've highlighted a couple of things in this screenshot

1) probably just my browser, but there is a slight misalignment of the logo graphic
2) what does it look like with out this black line - I don't think you need it.

I like the tabs - I use them a lot so thats no surprise. my concern with them at the moment is that they seem higher/more important in the structure hierachy than the Product Areas (am I correct in thinking that each product with have this set of tabs containing info on that product?)

Will there be any indication of which product area is current? highlight the link/button in some way?

1) Have tried it in Mozilla 1.4 and IE 6.0 and Netscape 7 and have not had any problems, it nearly renders it exactly the same as IE, apart from the search box that is in the middle of the right hand cell, rather than at the bottom, any ideas how I can make it appear there in Mozilla/Netscape. So this site yes, should be cross browser compatible.

2) Was due to the fact that I wasn't using borders earlier on in the design, used cells of 1px high so I didn't have borders on left and right, didn't show up in IE, but did In Mozilla, now been removed, so that bug is fixed Smile

3) Tabs - You would be correct, the navigation has been a real pain to develop, and is really starting to do my head in, as I can understand what you are saying, but at the same time, I can't seem to find a way, that while preserving the design, works well. Any ideas as always are welcome. I know it's not ideal, but can't think of any other way..

4) Yes, this would be very handy, but at the same time, I was going to use a PHP Include for the Product Areas, if I highlighted what area you were in, this would mean manually updating the pages.

A few improvements planned are to have the tabs as rollovers, I already have the rollover images done, but I'm getting a bit concerned with the page sizes (16KB Already), and am not going to add them unless I can trim that down a bit.

4WebHelp Addict Joined: 07 Jan 2002 Posts: 1060

Mozilla 1.4

IE6

Team Member Joined: 06 Jan 2002 Posts: 2564

Justin wrote:

1) Will be done, coding isn't my main issue at the moment, that page is static at the moment, there is not a single PHP Command in there, no CSS, no includes or headers and footers or anything, I'm just concentrating on the layout at the moment, the final version will have a lot cleaner code and CSS Smile

It's actually not a code issue - » is not the same as ->. See the top of most pages on these forums where it says "Forum Index". I find it much more elegant than making fake arrows with ->.

Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2003 1:09 pm (21 years ago)

Justin wrote:

1) Have tried it in Mozilla 1.4 and IE 6.0 and Netscape 7 and have not had any problems, it nearly renders it exactly the same as IE, apart from the search box that is in the middle of the right hand cell, rather than at the bottom, any ideas how I can make it appear there in Mozilla/Netscape. So this site yes, should be cross browser compatible.

I'm using IE5.2 Mac OS X - I've a feeling it might be the form tag might be forcing the right side big you could try adding this - style="display: inline" to the form tag. But until you've got around to cleaning the code up its hard to tell. one reason I do my designing in Photoshop - you get the design right and then worry about the code and how it changes in various browsers.

Justin wrote:

2) Was due to the fact that I wasn't using borders earlier on in the design, used cells of 1px high so I didn't have borders on left and right, didn't show up in IE, but did In Mozilla, now been removed, so that bug is fixed Smile

Good

Justin wrote:

3) Tabs - You would be correct, the navigation has been a real pain to develop, and is really starting to do my head in, as I can understand what you are saying, but at the same time, I can't seem to find a way, that while preserving the design, works well. Any ideas as always are welcome. I know it's not ideal, but can't think of any other way..

I will have a think.

Justin wrote:

4) Yes, this would be very handy, but at the same time, I was going to use a PHP Include for the Product Areas, if I highlighted what area you were in, this would mean manually updating the pages.

Not at all! you could create your header and footer as functions and include that in each page - then when you call the function at the relevant place you can supply it with some extra parameters such as section and sub-section you can then use these variables to switch the relevant buttons on or off. My Fancy Rats interface actually works out where it is using the URL and generates the menus, page titles and breadcrumbs from a couple of arrays it makes it easy to update but it is a bit complex.

Justin wrote:

A few improvements planned are to have the tabs as rollovers, I already have the rollover images done, but I'm getting a bit concerned with the page sizes (16KB Already), and am not going to add them unless I can trim that down a bit.

they can't be that big - ah but then I guess you have the images in the content etc maybe removing the 2nd and 3rd body tags will help Wink

4WebHelp Addict Joined: 07 Jan 2002 Posts: 1060

http://beta.freedom2support.net/notabs.php - I myself don't like that, it's a bit different....