forums > Apokalypse Software Corp. > Company

Looking for feedback on new website design

Submitted by Jesse Grosjean on Sun, 2006-04-23 21:59. Tags ( )

I’m now working on a fairly big update to the website. The goal is to simplify the site for new users, and make it easier for them to see, learn about, and download our software. A very early version of this redesign can be found here:

IMPORTANT: Any edits that you make on this test site will be lost when I upgrade the site, so please leave your comments here instead.

http://test.hogbaysoftware.com/forum/

The forums are the only mostly done part of the design at the moment, but they should give you a good idea of what the redesign will look like. I’ve also attached a picture of what the websites front page (or at least at start of it) will look like.

Here are a few changes to look for:

  • simplified and smaller header, this should make it easier to focus on the page and product instead of Hog Bay Software name and logo.
  • removed right column login and navigation area. the functionality will still be available, but it won’t be in your face on the home page.

So what do people think? Good start? How can it be improved.

My hope is that this design can hold and present Jeff’s sales copy and screenshots without getting in the way.

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AttachmentSize
home_page_redesign.png213.9 KB
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Looks nice and clean Jesse,

Submitted by Craig Brown on Mon, 2006-04-24 00:21.

Looks nice and clean Jesse, I personally like this kind of zen look (shame about the pig though) I think that any sales pitch used should under hype and let the software over deliver.

Craig

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"shame about the pig

Submitted by Jesse Grosjean on Mon, 2006-04-24 07:46.

"shame about the pig though"

Shame because we have hog in our name, or because the pig logo isn't in the new website design? If it's the later then you'll be happy to hear that adding the pig logo is still in the plans, I just haven't figured out how to fit it without it hogging up space. (pun intended!)

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pig

Submitted by Andy1 on Mon, 2006-04-24 08:02.

I like the pig, maybe you could put a small logo in one of the bottom corners. As for the web page, I also like the streamlined look, I'm not sure about using all that space for the desktop though, particularly having the dock visible -- an unnecessary distraction I think. Unfortunately, I don't have any better ideas at the moment.

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dock visible

Submitted by duncanthornton on Mon, 2006-04-24 16:28.

Looks nice and clean, but the dock really does draw the eye away from the product. If you're going to use the desktop, maybe at least a reduced-size dock?

And I agree that a good user quote or two might do well. Or some pithy product motto. (Something as brief as "Simply. Organize. Everything.")

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The Logo Mate, I agree that

Submitted by Craig Brown on Mon, 2006-04-24 16:03.

The Logo Mate, I agree that it may not fit in so well with the redesign but it's always nice to see a happy Pig!

Craig who is a Farmer

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sweet

Submitted by timmyweb on Mon, 2006-04-24 10:40.

Looks good. I'm glad you mentioned the logo will be back. I think the header should always have the name of the company and logo, no matter what page you're on, but it doesn't have to be distracting. It's totally possible to fit it in that grey header bar and keep it tasteful.

I do agree that the whole desktop doesn't need to be in the screenshot, unless you had some very specific purpose for putting it there. Keeping the screenshots as simple and uncluttered as possible will only help your message.

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In terms of how to use the

Submitted by Joe Wiz on Mon, 2006-04-24 15:07.

In terms of how to use the screenshot, I like the way David Watanabe (the antithesis of our wonderful responsive developer Jesse - but anyway...) did this for his NewsFire. Here's what I like:

  • The screenshot of the program is not full-screen screenshot, but does show the window itself - in an attractive, colorful configuration.
  • The version number is visible but is somewhat muted compared to the Mori mockup.
  • The release notes are also visible, so return users can see what's been updated.
  • There's a link to 'purchase', and the price is advertised right up front (why would someone click on 'Buy Now' before they knew how much it would cost?!).
  • The copy is clean and Apple-like, paired with icons and pithy subtitles.
  • User testimonials are right there too - this might be a good place to highlight the responsiveness of the developer and the unique 'voting' request system for features.
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I just whipped up such a

Submitted by Joe Wiz on Tue, 2006-04-25 14:03.

I just whipped up such a page - see this thread

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The pig is back!

Submitted by Joe Wiz on Tue, 2006-04-25 14:29.

Great! I like the new forum. Some comments:

  • In the "Last reply" column, there should be a link that would take me straight there - to minimize the amount of scrolling and date checking.
  • On a similar note, after logging in, there should be an icon that takes you to the most recent unread post, whether or not you've read any of the posts. Many other forums have this - a colored-in icon that takes you to the most recent post in a thread, even if it's the first one. [Would it be possible to have two links: one to the oldest unread message in a thread, and another to the latest post in a thread?]
  • "Recent posts" is called "Active discussions" elsewhere
  • When viewing a post, I'd like breadcrumb links up top that could take me back to the forum. - e.g. "Forums » Mori » Mori 53"... There appears to be one now, but it's in a weird place: Submitted by Jesse Grosjean on Mon, 2006-04-10 14:35. Mori
  • Beneath each post there's a link to the next post in the forum, e.g. "Mori Gets a great write up ›". I think it should be preceded by "Next forum post: ..." - and perhaps this line should be right-justified instead of centered.
  • The RSS feed currently brings up only forum topics, not issues, contributions, or pages. Could the scope of the feed be expanded to include these?
  • Many forums have the option to e-mail you when there's a response posted - this would be a nice option for people who don't want to keep coming back to check manually
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