Design Wise, What is the Best Part of This Site?

[Jamie 302]

As some of you may or may not know, I'm a graphic designer for Poniverse. And out of curiosity, I was wondering what peoples favourite part of this site are in terms of design. What gives it its cheerful spirit beyond just the friendly users? Do you like the use of user generated content e.g. the banners? Can the design be improved perhaps? This isn't like a setup for a website redesign or anything, its just out of curiosity. But anything you do say could be noted for future reference if it seems plausible. 

 

Thanks~

Edited March 29, 2014 by Jamiequadbike

[Jokuc 8,174]

Well Jamie, I'm not sure about best part but.. this.... I don't even...

 

 

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Well I know I am in the design team so I could just tell you directly on skype but dis b jokuc inactive month and jokuc b inactive ...

 

• I like the Celestia Redux font for headers
• I like the section icons (which I know many people don't, BUT I DO OKAY I look at them instead of actually reading, lol)
• That we use a MLP background image and not just some pattern or a solid color or gradient

Edited March 30, 2014 by Jokuc

[Squint 29]

I just joined here so I don't know if my opinion is all that relevant or not, but what strikes me is that the header image is overly large. I'm not saying I don't like the image, it's just really big - it takes up over half the page! Also, this is probably just nitpicking but I also don't like how said image is separate from the box below (also misaligned, slightly to the right by ~10px), maybe if it was put a layer below that box (so the image was overlayed slightly by it), it would look nicer and make the image not so overwhelming.

 

I also agree with Jokuc that the drop-down menu part is a little funky.

[Jamie 302]

 

Well Jamie, I'm not sure about best part but.. this.... I don't even...

 

 

---

 

Well I know I am in the design team so I could just tell you directly on skype but dis b jokuc inactive month and jokuc b inactive ...

 

• I like the Celestia Redux font for headers
• I like the section icons (which I know many people don't, BUT I DO OKAY I look at them instead of actually reading, lol)
• That we use a MLP background image and not just some pattern or a solid color or gradient

 

 

Yeah. I completely agree with you with that nav bar. Colours, fonts, positioning, there's a lot of problems with that. And I'm also interested if people even use some of those drop downs or do you only use the nav bar for easy access to your profile and notifications? I personally never use the drop downs but others might be different. 

 

Celestia Redux. You had to like my third most hated font, didn't you Jokuc? 

 

The section icons are good. A great way to navigate like you said. But they are a bit complex and dense for their size.

 

And yes, the background is definitely a big highlight of this forum. It gives it so much more character than the rest of the my little pony forums out there.

 

 

I just joined here so I don't know if my opinion is all that relevant or not, but what strikes me is that the header image is overly large. I'm not saying I don't like the image, it's just really big - it takes up over half the page! Also, this is probably just nitpicking but I also don't like how said image is separate from the box below (also misaligned, slightly to the right by ~10px), maybe if it was put a layer below that box (so the image was overlayed slightly by it), it would look nicer and make the image not so overwhelming.

 

I also agree with Jokuc that the drop-down menu part is a little funky.

 

The header image is fairly large, but the percentage of space it takes up varies depending on your screen size. For me on my 21.5" iMac, it takes up about a third of the space. So that is something we could consider reducing in size. Though with a reduction in size means a reduction in art that can be placed in it, so thats something to consider too.

 

As for it being way above the navigation bar, that isn't an issue with the banner system itself but rather due to the large block twilight is sitting on in the banner. With previous banners, there is no surface for the characters to stand on. So thats not really under our control unless we disallow banners with characters on surfaces. 

 

_______

 

Thanks both of you for the feedback. You can't know the goods and bads of a website unless you actually ask the most important people, the ones who use it about it. (not that i don't use it, but you need others points of view.  )

Edited March 30, 2014 by Jamiequadbike

[Squint 29]

Celestia Redux.

I see why you don't like this font, but I think I again agree with Jokuc. I'm not sure if this was his point or not, but it would be a fair bit nicer than what you're using in the nav bar at present, as it seems like it's coming out of nowhere (it only appears in the nav bar). Another thing with fonts is that Celestia Redux, where it is present, is in all capitals which is unessential and equally unappealing (IMO, mind you).

[Jamie 302]

I see why you don't like this font, but I think I again agree with Jokuc. I'm not sure if this was his point or not, but it would be a fair bit nicer than what you're using in the nav bar at present, as it seems like it's coming out of nowhere (it only appears in the nav bar). Another thing with fonts is that Celestia Redux, where it is present, is in all capitals which is unessential and equally unappealing (IMO, mind you).

The font currently is josefin sans which is the font used for the Poniverse logo. That font was never intended to be used outside of branding so I suppose in that specific example I would prefer celestia redux. The reason I don't like it is due to its overuse. So many pony related logos have it, which I think it's pointless. If a logo is meant to make your brand stand out from the crowd, you don't use the same font as everyone else, especially such a unique font like celestia redux. You can use Helvetica for example fine, cause it's extremely neutral. But it doesn't work with celestia redux.

[Jokuc 8,174]

Celestia Redux. You had to like my third most hated font, didn't you Jokuc?

It really depends on when they are used, but for MLP Forums, I like them. It doesn't mean that they'll have to go in the next design but it is one of the things that gives the whole site a little more feeling of um........   ...pony.

Edited March 30, 2014 by Jokuc

[Jamie 302]

It really depends on when they are used, but for MLP Forums, I like them. It doesn't mean that they'll have to go in the next design but it is one of the things that gives the whole site a little more feeling of um........   ...pony.

Well yeah. Some uses are fine. As long as everything isn't in that font and it's just used for specific points to attract attention.

[Squint 29]

Celestia Redux, if I'm not wrong, is just an interpretation of the font seen on MLP products. It's a free version and practically a knockoff of this font, which although costly is the actual font used for the series. It's not all that different, but it's the best font to go for if you have to use an MLP-themed font.

[Jamie 302]

Celestia Redux, if I'm not wrong, is just an interpretation of the font seen on MLP products. It's a free version and practically a knockoff of this font, which although costly is the actual font used for the series. It's not all that different, but it's the best font to go for if you have to use an MLP-themed font.

 

Yeah. Thats all correct. It is the best font to use for mlp themed things. But sometimes you need to establish a brand and identity using the show as a basis, but expanding into something unique rather than just trailing in the footsteps of the show itself. Otherwise you're just another mlp site. And I'm talking branding here. Its fine to be used in some parts of the site. 

[Comet Starflash 46]

@,

Just be happy that it's not Comic Sans Jamie.