Feedback wanted on new Wacco Colors and Graphics

[Barry]

( See post below)

[Barry]

I have hired Zack Darling Creative Associates to develop new colors and styles for us. The current style not bad, but decidedly "cool" compared our former warm and cozy website. I'm trying to bring back that feeling and polish it up a bit!

Since I know that even though our community shares broad progressive values, we are far from monolithic. So in light of that (and seasons) I've asked for 3 color schemes. Once they are refined and implemented everybody will be able choose which one they like (ie each member will see the scheme they have chosen). The scheme should also carry over to your digest!

And since this is our common home, I'd like your general feed back. Which one do you like? Why? What could make it better? What part don't you like? Why?

Also notice we've re-arranged the header a bit and introduced a tabbed design. How to you like that? What about the Icons? Are there more icons you'd like to see?

I'd also like your feedback about the overall layout of the page. That's probably out of Zack's scope, but if a good suggestion is made we'll do our best to implement it.

Before we're done, I also want to return side banners to the site to promote our sponsoring members. I'm currently thinking they would be on the right side, and probably several smaller (and cheaper!) ads, rather than a big long one. I'll post a mockup for that too, before it's implemented. My current thought is to allow an option to opt out of their sponsorship (and pay your own way) and either suppress the ads or see art instead.

Also, if there is a website that you particularly like the layout or colors of, feel free to post a link to that as well.

Here's the first three mockups and here's the design statement from ZDCA:

Blue, Greenery, Sepia These three template views are meant for review of general art direction. The broad strokes represent concepts that include conscious living, nature, warmth, vibrance and a fun touch of "wabi sabi" or the appreciation of everyday imperfection. Any input about the overall appearance of these limited views is helpful. The many details and other parts involved for the rest of the site will be largely based on results from this review.

If you click on mockups below, you'll be able to see it full size ( make sure your browser window is wide. You may need to click on the image again to see it full size.)

Thanks for your Feedback!
Barry

[Thad]

Oh please, amber background, just a little bit, and more versatility in creating new category's,

[Barry]

Oh please, amber background, just a little bit, and more versatility in creating new category's,

Do you mean "amber" as opposed to any of the posted choices.

Creating new categories is a different matter. I will be adding new categories after the New Year, but Thad, I'm afraid you are your own category!

[Flexible]

Brown/Sepia theme. As dirty as it looks, it is the cleanest! I'd rather have the gritty sense of soil and gravel, than the blue rays of the sun or the grass growing from behind the top advertising banner. While those embellishments on the page have some value the first time, they don't stand up with repetition. The pages are already very busy with so much information and buttons. FWIW!

[Sara S]

They're all good, but I like the green......

[Heartfire]

I love the bronze theme! very trendy......good energy.

[auroramagiceyes]

I'm just a demanding social net-worker.

I think the background theme should be dynamic instead of static where as the day begins the morning background scape is crisp like a sunrise at dawn by mid day the background phases into a warm full golden hue and as the evening approaches it cycles into a warm topaz sunset and then a cool blue night. Since the sun is always "out" the logo can continue to do its happy dance thing but I'd like to see a background that cycles (besides people would log in just to see the back ground shift for purposes of the "nifty" factor). For marketing purposes you can track log in times with the phases and the cycles that garner the most activity would be your banner ad prime time and you could price package accordingly.

[Barry]

Thanks for your creative ideas! I've had similar thoughts, including having the sun set and the moon rise with the time of the day. I was also thinking of tracking the user's biorhythms to decide which banners to show...

I'm just a demanding social net-worker.

I think the background theme should be dynamic instead of static where as the day begins the morning background scape is crisp like a sunrise at dawn by mid day the background phases into a warm full golden hue and as the evening approaches it cycles into a warm topaz sunset and then a cool blue night. Since the sun is always "out" the logo can continue to do its happy dance thing but I'd like to see a background that cycles (besides people would log in just to see the back ground shift for purposes of the "nifty" factor). For marketing purposes you can track log in times with the phases and the cycles that garner the most activity would be your banner ad prime time and you could price package accordingly.

[sallye2254]

Hi, Barry,

For visibility/legibility, the prior format was vastly superior in every way. I think you wasted your money. Sorry.

If we have to choose among these three inferior formats, the blue is best, followed by sepia, and a distant third is greenery.

I'm also very frustrated by the new arrangement, since I have an older, smaller screen, and the new tabs overlap and are mostly unreadable. With all the tablets and phone screens, my computer can't be the only one with this issue. It also takes longer to load, to scroll, and to do just about anything, including switching between screens. Some of this problem with speed may be due to my "older" processor, but, again, I can't be the only one with older equipment. In summary, the "new" site is just bad.

Finally, what happened to the conscious relationship/personals/social conversations section? I can't find it anywhere. Why is it so hard to find, or why did you get rid of it?

So, I haven't been coming to Waccobb much since you switched formats because, basically, it's not user-friendly for me.

[Barry]

Hi, Barry,

For visibility/legibility, the prior format was vastly superior in every way. I think you wasted your money. Sorry.

If we have to choose among these three inferior formats, the blue is best, followed by sepia, and a distant third is greenery.

I'm also very frustrated by the new arrangement, since I have an older, smaller screen, and the new tabs overlap and are mostly unreadable. With all the tablets and phone screens, my computer can't be the only one with this issue. It also takes longer to load, to scroll, and to do just about anything, including switching between screens. Some of this problem with speed may be due to my "older" processor, but, again, I can't be the only one with older equipment. In summary, the "new" site is just bad.

Finally, what happened to the conscious relationship/personals/social conversations section? I can't find it anywhere. Why is it so hard to find, or why did you get rid of it?

So, I haven't been coming to Waccobb much since you switched formats because, basically, it's not user-friendly for me.

Don't by shy, Sallye, tell me what you really think!

What size is your screen? Are you using dialup? What browser are you using (including the rev)? Mac or PC? What overlaps with what? Can you send me a screen shot?

Anybody else share these thoughts? The more detailed the feedback (including the above technical information) the better!

This Conscious Relationship category is still here in the Discussion Board area. Seems like I might have moved from the Bulletin Board area at some point.

[sallye2254]

So, can people still post personal ads, or just comments? I haven't checked.

Thanks, Barry. I'm glad you're so open. I hope you know my negative responses pertain to the format, not you or Waccobb. Happy New Year!

Sally

[photolite]

blue

[Barry]

So, can people still post personal ads, or just comments? I haven't checked.

Thanks, Barry. I'm glad you're so open. I hope you know my negative responses pertain to the format, not you or Waccobb. Happy New Year!

Sally

You're most welcome, Sally, and your love comes through!

Yes, you can still post personal ads of any sort. You might want to update your WaccoBB.net profile with your photo so interested parties can see how lovely you are, along with any other information you'd like to share. You can edit it by mousing over your user name:



and then select Settings.

And then updating the info in these pages:

[Barry]

Here's another set of designed that have been refined from the ones above. We're getting closer, IMO! Any thoughts? For instance, you might like the overall design but one of colors is not quite right, or a size is too big/small etc.

Again, you'll need to click on the images once and maybe twice to see them full size:

BLUE:

GREEN:

SEPIA:

[sallye2254]

Of the new versions, my choice would be: Blue = #1; Sepia = #2; worst is Green, for visual acuity, ease of viewing, fit to screen, color contrast. Thanks for continuing the refinement. These are all improvements over the first three, by far! Good luck!

Sally

[jesswolfe]

I prefer the sepia version.

Here's another set of designed that have been refined from the ones above. We're getting closer, IMO! Any thoughts?...

[Flexible]

I still like the Sepia. Less visually distracting information on the page.

Dirt and all, its cleaner!

[daynurse]

Green... oh, green. I speaks of where I wish the world were going. Thanks, Barry.

[Magick]

Where is do you click for members on home page
? thanks, m

[Barry]

Where is do you click for members on home page
? thanks, m

That will be a the bottom of page still, it just wasn't included in this mock-up.

[Orm Embar]

While I do not mind a few yellow accents, I find it a very difficult to have as a font color.

The Sepia version is easiest on my eyes and the page seems less cluttered because of that.

Thanks for asking!

[pearl g]

O.K. here's my two cents. The new site is spectacular, just love it, easy to find everything and it doesn't hurt my eyes. Not only did it make my muscles bigger without having to do a cardio or lift weights but I think it gave me super powers.

But seriously, It's very nice, hope you don't change a thing.

[rocketman]

I couldn't agree with Pearl G more. I just don't find the need to go to the gym since the new web-site was created. I have this kind of 1955 Jack La Lane awesome body all of a sudden, I'm ready for a swim out to Alcatraz while towing a half dozen row boats and I think I developed some form of super power. I can see ten times farther like Mrs Howell from Gilligan's island when she ate the radioactive beets, and I owe it all to the new web-site. Thank you Barry and your new web designer buddy.

Seriously, I really like the new site, job well done!

[rocketman]

... I can see ten times farther like Mrs Howell from Gilligan's island when she ate the radioactive beets, and I owe it all to the new web-site...

O.K. I made a mistake, it wasn't Mrs.Howell and the beets, it was Maryann and the radio-active carrots.

[silkworm]

Okay. Barry. Am I here now ? not sure what's what with all these screens.
I did not understand the color options.
I think the muted olive green is good although the contrasting yellow/ green? is grating to the eye.
The sepia with that green tone (too much white) is very unappealing.
What I'd do is keep the muted olive green and use sepia colored letters for titles. gena.

[Philip Tymon]

Barry-- the problem with democracy is that no one ever agrees. You only get 99.7% agreement in the People's Democratic Republic of Korea.

I also prefer the "dirty" brown/sepia one-- it has an organic feel which, at least partially, offsets the blocky, corporate feel of the layout and lettering.

Is it not possible to get a slightly more organic looking page? And I do mean "slightly"-- not looking for psychedelia, just something a little more non-linear, organic and ya know-- more like West County?

[Barry]

Barry-- the problem with democracy is that no one ever agrees. You only get 99.7% agreement in the People's Democratic Republic of Korea.

I also prefer the "dirty" brown/sepia one-- it has an organic feel which, at least partially, offsets the blocky, corporate feel of the layout and lettering.

Is it not possible to get a slightly more organic looking page? And I do mean "slightly"-- not looking for psychedelia, just something a little more non-linear, organic and ya know-- more like West County?

I've been shooting for a more organic feel. I think we've come a long way from the original "temporary" skin. Don't know how much I can change it, besides tweaks, at the this point. Can you suggest a site that does have a more organic feel? Have you taken your drugs? That always helps...

[Helen Shane]

I like the brown one, too. It represents west county more than the others, imo. [

[Claire]

I would normally love to look at green, but to my eyes that green is a murky autumnal green and with the mustard offset? uck. no thanks. However, that's a "Summer's" point of view and I guess the "Autumns" have to have their warm tones. Well, they can have that green and the mustard too. Maybe they would even want a bit more vibrant olive-y green. It's only half-way there.
The sepia is pretty much a cool brown, drifting toward a pink brown, so that will work for a lot of people. Just don't add too much earthy yellow into that mix ( or IMO, it might look like baby shit). The sage green works really well with the earth tones and keeps the page from receding into boredom.
I'm glad people will get to choose color schemes. It takes all kinds. Hey, some of my best friends are Autumns!