Author Topic: Check Out The New Site  (Read 24942 times)

shavethewhales

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Check Out The New Site
« on: March 18, 2008, 10:29:30 PM »
...Or at least what it will look like - sort of.

This is subject to a whole lot of change, but here's the general template for the new site - http://www.sdcfans.com/test_index.html

The empty top area will be partially filled with some sort of GIF image of either a coaster track piece or SDC's sign. The top nav will hold a drop down containing everything currently situated in the right-hand nav on the current site. Also, I'm not sure about the 'Latest Posts' box, I may switch it to 'Latest Articles' for one of the features I mentioned in another thread.

It may take a few days to get this on the CMS that I built though, I thought I would have it up faster, but I had to go back and re-build a bunch of sloppy CSS. I knew I should have just built it myself...

Anyhow, if anyone has any complaints/suggestions, they had better hedge them now 'cause once I get it hooked up, it'll be hard convincing me to change it.


Coaster

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Re: Check Out The New Site
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2008, 11:15:46 PM »
It looks all right but I think it also looks a lot more confusing than the site that is currently up. And I think your idea of changing "Latest Forum Posts" to "Latest Articles" is a very good one.
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Re: Check Out The New Site
« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2008, 11:17:52 PM »
I tend to agree with Coaster about the confusion, but when you get all the content in that may not be the case.
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shavethewhales

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Re: Check Out The New Site
« Reply #3 on: March 18, 2008, 11:22:06 PM »
^By the time it's done it'll be a lot cleaner, I have a lot of stuff I need to move around.

By the way, if anyone has any photoshop skills, I could use a mono-colored transparent gif to go up in that big empty header area. I'll try to bust something out with the GIMP, but getting anything to properly cut out of the GIMP can be a pain. If you don't understand what I'm asking for, just look at the logo area of the current site - I'm looking for a transparent image of track piece or something SDC to fill that space.

Also, I've only checked out the site in IE7 and Firefox, and I already know there's a bug in IE7, so I'm sure IE6 will have at least a few problems. Let me know about any browser bugs, and what browser you use the most.
« Last Edit: March 18, 2008, 11:25:11 PM by shavethewhales »

Joy

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Re: Check Out The New Site
« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2008, 01:15:19 AM »
I'll see if I can whip something up for the header. Any ideas as to a color scheme? Maybe the colors I used in that logo I made (brown & green)? And would you like an SDC-themed image for the Current Events area of the header?

I LOVE the new layout. Once it's all updated with content, it won't be confusing at all. It'll basically look the same as it does now (with the news/updates on the right and the User updates on the left), just with the navigation on the top.

~ "Becky" Joy ~

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Re: Check Out The New Site
« Reply #5 on: March 19, 2008, 11:02:27 AM »
Will you be fixing the clock as a part of the revision.  I think it should be set on SDC time.

Also, if you're looking to tweak, you might want to put the missing in in AnnouNcements on the forum index.

I have faith in your vision, Steve.  You're working on a labor of love and it should be something you can be proud of.  It's foreign to me, but you're doing a fine job.  Keep up the good work!
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Joy

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Re: Check Out The New Site
« Reply #6 on: March 19, 2008, 01:30:13 PM »
You can see the designs I just whipped up. Mainly just modifications of what I'd already made for the logo... Let me know what you think; it won't take much to change things around (colors, etc.)...

I included a screenshot of the test page overlayed with the designs I made, just to give an idea of how they'd look on the site.

http://s223.photobucket.com/albums/dd129/sdc_joy/SDCFansLayout/

~ "Becky" Joy ~
« Last Edit: March 19, 2008, 01:30:47 PM by tinaalsgirl »

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Re: Check Out The New Site
« Reply #7 on: March 19, 2008, 05:13:06 PM »
It looks pretty good Joy!! I'm just not too big on the cowboy. Maybe a picture of the park or something would look better.
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shavethewhales

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Re: Check Out The New Site
« Reply #8 on: March 19, 2008, 07:36:15 PM »
^^Hmmm, well it's nice, but it kinda throws off the flow, and I want to keep the blue colour/texture. Look at the mock up again - http://www.sdcfans.com/test_index.html I was thinking of smaller images sort of like that, maybe in some sort of switcher that changes when you refresh the page.

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Re: Check Out The New Site
« Reply #9 on: March 20, 2008, 11:27:00 AM »
I like the SDC logo picture.  How about using the advertising on the sacks you get when you buy something.  I don't know if it would work for a header, but it might be interesting somewhere.
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Re: Check Out The New Site
« Reply #10 on: March 20, 2008, 10:39:50 PM »

I like the SDC bag idea. I have always enjoyed reading and looking at all the ads on the bag. General Store, Ice Cream Parlor, Glass Factory, Candles, Corsets...

shavethewhales

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Re: Check Out The New Site
« Reply #11 on: March 20, 2008, 11:31:47 PM »
Sorry about it taking so long to get the site upgraded - I need to make a couple of small changes to my CMS, then I have to upload and configure quite a bit of stuff before everything can go live. Hopefully though, I'll have it done by Sunday night - I've just been spending a lot of time with my family lately, so I haven't had much time.

shavethewhales

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Re: Check Out The New Site
« Reply #12 on: March 22, 2008, 11:55:59 PM »
Ugh, so today I was about to release the site, but I ran into another big error that I need to fix, and with it being Easter Sunday tomorrow, it'll be tough to get it fixed and the site up anytime soon. Besides, after I get it fixed, I have to go back and upload all the news stories in order, and fix some other styling bugs, and fix some browser bugs...

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Re: Check Out The New Site
« Reply #13 on: March 23, 2008, 04:35:20 PM »
March 23:  record users on site!  It's just going to keep growing, Steve!
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shavethewhales

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Re: Check Out The New Site
« Reply #14 on: March 23, 2008, 05:27:32 PM »
Yeah, I just wish I could keep up with it...  ::)