New Style

[jdaw1]

Nearly there I think.

1. Please make a list of what lies betwixt here and there.

2. A possible idea: if the number of PMs is >0, should that message count at the top of the page blink or otherwise be very prominent. Yes, blink is very distracting to the eye, but the blink is easily switched off—read the message—and it would help with the problem that newbies sometimes don’t seem to notice PMs at all. Thoughts? I want it for me.

[DRT]

Nearly there I think.

1. Please make a list of what lies betwixt here and there.

I can only list what is relevant to me. And even then only what is relevant to me now. My current list is as follows:

1. Backgrounds should be 2 slightly different shades of the same colour. Preferrably a boring and non-garish colour.
2. Buttons outside posts should be the default grey style. See "Reply" and the search box and button next to it above each thread. The Reply button is a different style, is out of line and occassionally has text leaking from underneath it. Removing the search box and button would not be a good solution as some people may use it. Consistency in style, colour and alignment would be very good.
3. Re-instatement of the forum links at the top of threads.
4. Can't think of any more right now.

2. A possible idea: if the number of PMs is >0, should that message count at the top of the page blink or otherwise be very prominent. Yes, blink is very distracting to the eye, but the blink is easily switched off—read the message—and it would help with the problem that newbies sometimes don’t seem to notice PMs at all. Thoughts? I want it for me.

Works for me. But seems to go against the no animation rule.

[jdaw1]

There are two search boxes on this page. Users, speak up: do you use and need both?

I’d like to kill the search boxes floating around in the middle of the page, after which the Reply button (from which peeking text should have disappeared) then can stay in the same style as the ‘Quote’ button.

DRT: what do you think of the pale yellow and even paler mauve currently used as backgrounds?

[DRT]

DRT: what do you think of the pale yellow and even paler mauve currently used as backgrounds?

All variants of the two-light-colour-colour-scheme remind me of Neopolitan ice cream. Can we please try same colour, slightly different shades?

[jdaw1]

Can we please try same colour, slightly different shades?

Same colour, different shades, to be visibly different, requires that one of the shades be moderately dark. That reduces the text-on-background contrast too much for my taste. No.

Greys are used for administrative things in messages, so are out.

That leaves different faint pastel colours. Choose two of: faint red aka pink; faint blue; faint green; faint green-blue = cyan; faint red-green = yellow; red-blue = purple or pink. Choose!

[DRT]

Same colour, different shades, to be visibly different, requires that one of the shades be moderately dark. That reduces the text-on-background contrast too much for my taste. No.

Greys are used for administrative things in messages, so are out.

Contrasting pastel shades look naff. Seriously, they do. Completely and uttelry naff, gawdy and Neopolitan-ice-cream-ish. If we can't have very light grey and very very light grey (or very light anything and very very light anything that is the same as the first anything) then I vote for white with borders around posts.

[jdaw1]

On several bulletin boards I have found the alternation of backgrounds helps keep track of post boundaries.

New plan. You suggest two #RRGGBB colours, and I’ll try them now. Currently we have, and I quite like, #ffffcc and #e6e6ff. Suggest replacements.

[DRT]

#FFFFCC & #FFFF99

[jdaw1]

Howzat? (IMHO, awful. The new yellow is too yellow.)

[DRT]

Howzat? (IMHO, awful. The new yellow is too yellow.)

But the colours I chose were both yellow and what I am looking at is yellow and mauve.

To see an example of what I am proposing look here... http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopi ... 55&start=0

I would suggest that the guys at http://www.phpBB.com perhaps know a thing or two about designing a forum. Apart from the header and pink banner, which are rubbish.

[DRT]

OK - the bannana yellow has now kicked in. I agree, it's awful.

Next choice: Keep the light yellow and make the bright yellow lighter than the light yellow.

[jdaw1]

You suggest two #RRGGBB colours, and I’ll try them now.

Suggest two #RRGGBB colours please, not vague specifications. In other words, did you mean #ffffe5?

[jdaw1]

http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopi ... 55&start=0

Using #e1ebf2 (pale blue) and #ecf3f7.

[DRT]

You suggest two #RRGGBB colours, and I’ll try them now.

Suggest two #RRGGBB colours please, not vague specifications. In other words, did you mean #ffffe5?

Perhaps I did.

[jdaw1]

In other words, did you mean #ffffe5?

Perhaps I did.

If you did, it would have been jolly foolish, because it is functionally indistinguishable from white.

[DRT]

In other words, did you mean #ffffe5?

Perhaps I did.

If you did, it would have been jolly foolish, because it is functionally indistinguishable from white.

But would have been better than this bannana yellow I am looking at now. Go on, bite the bullet. Go for very light grey and very very light grey and ask others what they think.

[DRT]

The light yellow and very light yellow is better but now I don't think yellow is the answer. Go back to that mauve you had earlier and pick an other shade of mauve. That might do it.

[jdaw1]

Same requirement: choose #RRGGBBs and I’ll play.

[DRT]

Same requirement: choose #RRGGBBs and I’ll play.

It's bed time. Will ick some more colours tomorrow.

[jdaw1]

I’ve set them to #ffffcc and #eeffff which suffice pro tem.

I have also considerably shortened the vertical space occupied by the user information in the right column. Comment please.

[jdaw1]

I can only list what is relevant to me. And even then only what is relevant to me now. My current list is as follows:

1. Backgrounds should be 2 slightly different shades of the same colour. Preferrably a boring and non-garish colour.
2. Buttons outside posts should be the default grey style. See "Reply" and the search box and button next to it above each thread. The Reply button is a different style, is out of line and occassionally has text leaking from underneath it. Removing the search box and button would not be a good solution as some people may use it. Consistency in style, colour and alignment would be very good.
3. Re-instatement of the forum links at the top of threads.
4. Can't think of any more right now.

1. Backgrounds being negotiated. Awaiting next version from DRT, or a concession that it ain’t so bad.
2. Buttons awaiting comment on search box.
3. Forum links reinstated, but in navigation area that contains page numbers. Can be moved again if really wanted.
4. Unfixable.

[SushiNorth]

Regarding moving the breadcrumb trail, the board index link, etc...

I'd make a few suggestions, now that i've been using this design for a while...
1) Move the breadcrumb trail back so that it is proximity to the title (as the two are contextual to each other)
2) Consider buttons, or larger controls, instead of text for the other functions, but avoid stacking them one above the other

[jdaw1]

Regarding moving the breadcrumb trail, the board index link, etc...

I'd make a few suggestions, now that i've been using this design for a while...
1) Move the breadcrumb trail back so that it is proximity to the title (as the two are contextual to each other)
2) Consider buttons, or larger controls, instead of text for the other functions, but avoid stacking them one above the other

I think I agree about the breadcrumbs. But please explain 2 a bit more: which functions?

[SushiNorth]

I think I agree about the breadcrumbs. But please explain 2 a bit more: which functions?

Advanced Search, User Control Panel, pending new messages, view your posts, FAQ, Members, Logout
Somehow I recall them being on the left in an earlier version (thus also piled up next to the thumbnails), but in particular having all those links near to each other, and in text, means that commands are often no more than 15 pixels high, and in very close proximity to more commands. It can be tough to quickly click the right one, and if I were a glass or two of port in, I'd never get it right. If we spread them out along a single line, or made them buttons (with small text, but bigger visual borders) it would probably improve that corner's clutter.

[DRT]

Can we try these, please?

┓ˆâ”“ˆâ”“ˆ #e9e9c7 ┓ˆâ”“ˆâ”“ˆ
┓ˆâ”“ˆâ”“ˆ #e9e9b5 ┓ˆâ”“ˆâ”“ˆ

[jdaw1]

┓ˆâ”“ˆâ”“ˆ #e9e9c7 ┓ˆâ”“ˆâ”“ˆ
┓ˆâ”“ˆâ”“ˆ #e9e9b5 ┓ˆâ”“ˆâ”“ˆ

Done. Too yellow.

[DRT]

I like this. It perhaps needs a small tweak to take the shades very slightly further apart.

[jdaw1]

This page is too yellow.

[DRT]

try =#e9e9c7 and #e9e9f9

[jdaw1]

try =#e9e9c7 and #e9e9f9

A bit too white, but I can live with those.

[DRT]

try =#e9e9c7 and #e9e9f9

A bit too white, but I can live with those.

Not what I was after. What I thought would be a lighter shade of #e9e9c7 has turned out to be blue.

My PC is not good for this sort of thing. Can you please pick a shade which is slightly lighter but fundamentally the same colour as #e9e9c7 and combine it with that colour?

[jdaw1]

#e9e9c7 and #f4f4e2

[DRT]

This works for me. If it works for you can we leave it for others to comment?

[jdaw1]

f4f4e2 is too near white for me.

[DRT]

f4f4e2 is too near white for me.

#e9e9c7 is about as dark as I think we should go. Can what is currently #f4f4e2 be darkened slightly so that it isn't too near white but still distinguishable from #e9e9c7?

[DRT]

Why does the Board Index not have the same background colour as the individual Forums and threads?

This seems inconsistent with your view that some colours are too white.

[jdaw1]

Do #dfdfbf and #e7e7cf work for you? Distinct from each other and from white, yet still both pale yellow.

[DRT]

Do #dfdfbf and #e7e7cf work for you? Distinct from each other and from white, yet still both pale yellow.

Done. OK?

[jdaw1]

Why does the Board Index not have the same background colour as the individual Forums and threads?

This seems inconsistent with your view that some colours are too white.

My objection isn’t to too white. It is that all non-white colours should be distinct from white.

The board index is different to the “individual Forums and threads†. It is of fixed size and arrangement. So having any alternation of colours in that would mean that one subset of boards are permanently set to be the same colour as each other, and different to the remaining boards. I didn’t like that.

[DRT]

I can only list what is relevant to me. And even then only what is relevant to me now. My current list is as follows:

1. Backgrounds should be 2 slightly different shades of the same colour. Preferrably a boring and non-garish colour.
2. Buttons outside posts should be the default grey style. See "Reply" and the search box and button next to it above each thread. The Reply button is a different style, is out of line and occassionally has text leaking from underneath it. Removing the search box and button would not be a good solution as some people may use it. Consistency in style, colour and alignment would be very good.
3. Re-instatement of the forum links at the top of threads.
4. Can't think of any more right now.

1. Backgrounds being negotiated. Awaiting next version from DRT, or a concession that it ain’t so bad.
2. Buttons awaiting comment on search box.
3. Forum links reinstated, but in navigation area that contains page numbers. Can be moved again if really wanted.
4. Unfixable.

4. The TPF logo in the header should be larger at around 165% of its current size.

[jdaw1]

Do #dfdfbf and #e7e7cf work for you? Distinct from each other and from white, yet still both pale yellow.

Done. OK?

Yes, done. And yes, OK with me. But are they OK with you?

[jdaw1]

The TPF logo in the header should be larger at around 165% of its current size.

You wanted it small. Currently 32 by 32: choose a size 16n-by-16n for any integer n. Setting n=3 would be 50% larger in width and height, but 125% larger in area.

[DRT]

Why does the Board Index not have the same background colour as the individual Forums and threads?

This seems inconsistent with your view that some colours are too white.

My objection isn’t to too white. It is that all non-white colours should be distinct from white.

The board index is different to the “individual Forums and threads†. It is of fixed size and arrangement. So having any alternation of colours in that would mean that one subset of boards are permanently set to be the same colour as each other, and different to the remaining boards. I didn’t like that.

Agreed. Inconsistency in or interuption to the alternation would be bad. But the Board Index doesn't look like it belongs to the same style as the forum and thread pages. Could we just choose one of the background colours and use that on the Board Index?

[DRT]

The TPF logo in the header should be larger at around 165% of its current size.

You wanted it small. Currently 32 by 32: choose a size 16n-by-16n for any integer n. Setting n=3 would be 50% larger in width and height, but 125% larger in area.

No. I absolutely did not ask for the logo to be small. I asked for the text to be small because people sitting at desks 300 feet behind me in the office could read what site I was on. The logo should be larger than it is now. 165% is a guess and I will ask you to change it when I see the result. What I would like is for the text in the header to remain as it is now with the logo extendning the same vertical distance above and below it.

[jdaw1]

Could we just choose one of the background colours and use that on the Board Index?

Done, but I don’t like it.

[DRT]

Could we just choose one of the background colours and use that on the Board Index?

Done, but I don’t like it.

It is still white on my screen. Have you backed it out?

[jdaw1]

It is still white on my screen. Have you backed it out?

Still pale yellow on mine.

No. I absolutely did not ask for the logo to be small. I asked for the text to be small because people sitting at desks 300 feet behind me in the office could read what site I was on. The logo should be larger than it is now. 165% is a guess and I will ask you to change it when I see the result. What I would like is for the text in the header to remain as it is now with the logo extendning the same vertical distance above and below it.

Vertical centring slightly tricky. Logo now 48 by 48, which is too big for the text. I preferred 32 by 32.

[DRT]

It is still white on my screen. Have you backed it out?

Still pale yellow on mine.

The change has found its way through to my screen. I don't like it either.

No. I absolutely did not ask for the logo to be small. I asked for the text to be small because people sitting at desks 300 feet behind me in the office could read what site I was on. The logo should be larger than it is now. 165% is a guess and I will ask you to change it when I see the result. What I would like is for the text in the header to remain as it is now with the logo extendning the same vertical distance above and below it.

Vertical centring slightly tricky. Logo now 48 by 48, which is too big for the text. I preferred 32 by 32.

Have sent an email with a screenshot.

[jdaw1]

Still pale yellow on mine.

The change has found its way through to my screen. I don't like it either.

Reverted to white with yellow hovering.

[Glenn E.]

I like the two alternating colors currently being used - I'll call them khaki and light khaki in case they change again.