SP.com Redesign Version 6

[ntbullock]

Just got done redesigning the site. Let me know what you guys think and definitely let me know if you find any broken links/inconsistencies. Thanks.

[Brian]

To be honest, it's looking a little busy right now. I think what's pushing it over that edge for me is the Twitter, FB and Google Ads stuff running down the right side. Plus there's that odd toolbar that shows up at the bottom of the page (I know you can minimize it but it loads maximized by default apparently).

But there's also some redundancy at the moment with two large links for the Thing, two for IRAU, and even two links to your movie page, all very close to each other on the page.

...well, you asked!

You know I love your stuff :)

[ntbullock]

Wow, I appreciate your honesty but you didn't even do that sandwich-bad-news-with-good-news thing! Daaaaaaaammn. Harsh, harsh, harsh, harsh. :]

Well, it seems I can't win for losing when it comes to these things. In defense I would like to say that that side bar was there in the last iteration of the site with Google ads. I've begrudgingly gotten on Facebook and Twitter because EVERY site has it now. I guess Facebook and Twitter win. I'm late to the game because I like to wait and see what settles before I go nuts incorporating every new do-dad on my site.

I happen to like the toolbar at the bottom, which I found after redesigning the site, because it can translate pages on the fly [I have a good many people that do not live in the U.S. visit my site]. Plus, it keeps the new Facebook and Twitter accounts accessible. Is the bar REALLY in your way? An instant link to all my YouTube videos and an easy way for people to share the site with others? I'd say it's useful.

There aren't two large links for The Thing. That embedded YouTube player has the latest upload play first. You can watch it right there or go to The Thing page on Sequential. It won't always be like that on the front page. The IRAU ad goes to the DVD page and the other to the main page. I would agree with you on this double link, but it won't be like that forever. I had QUITE a bit of work to do to completely redesign the site, and that ad is more of a placeholder than anything for future images. But, in all honesty the movie is something that I SHOULD be pushing. That thing cost a lot of money, SON! ;]

Finally, as for your point about two MOVIE page links: you'd be surprised how many people couldn't find the movie page on the previous version. Yes, I know it was large at the top right, but it didn't matter - people were confused. So, in trying to simplify the site for navigation you do things like this. The way you intend people to peruse your site and the way in which they actually do can be largely different.

Again, I do appreciate your honesty. I agree with you on some, and the others may be necessary evils.

[Brian]

Wow, I appreciate your honesty but you didn't even do that sandwich-bad-news-with-good-news thing! Daaaaaaaammn. Harsh, harsh, harsh, harsh. :]

Hahah, well I'm not so good as those polite word dances. So I thought I'd just confirm that I like your stuff (and I really do) at the end of my post and that would be enough! ;)

By the way, there wasn't any one feature on the page that I didn't like. It was the cumulative effect I was saying was "busy". Also, I certainly understand the need for Google ads, as I know running a website can get expensive.

Another 'by the way'...I like the Ahmadinejad head on the cupid.

Facebook is around to stay for a long while, yeah, there's no way around that. I tend to think Twitter will fall off eventually since FB could really fill that role. I guess we'll have to wait and see. Did SP ever have a Myspace page? If so is it still there?

[ntbullock]

Yeah, I agree that Twitter is an odd beast. I'm still getting used to it. Its popularity bewilders me. The format is not necessarily how I would like to receive information. That's just me though.

[ntbullock]

So I went back and changed out a graphic on the front. Thanks for mentioning.

[hardbed34]

Finally people who are as confused at twitter as I am. I got an account, and I had NO IDEA what to do. I was just thinkin, "are you serious?" anyway...

Checked out the new design, and as always I think you're a webdesign genius, especially since I've seen you revamp the whole thing a couple times in like a day's time.

The first word that came to mind when I saw this one was, "blog-alicious." Probably cuz of all the widgets and pictures/boxes.

but that kind of seems to be the trend lately. I'd have to agree with the 'busy-ness'. it seems to be the corner that includes "facebook, twitter, watch movies, IRAU" area. maybe cuz they're all graphics/boxes of about the same size, and it kinda off balances the page. I think the stuff on the right looks fine as you scroll down however.

I don't know how I feel about the gradient on the "sequential pictures" seems like you could write it out a little classier.

again, I think it looks great all around. and I'm being fo-shizzle. I'm not just trying to be the sandwich king... ;)

[ntbullock]

By the time I figure out Twitter it will be old hat. Figures.

It's definitely a different design than the other iterations. I'm giving "blogalicious" a try. I mean really there's only two widgets locked off to the right, but apparently that's the threshold for "busy." :]

Most sites have left and/or right panels for info/ads, so I'm not sure what to tell you guys there. Not sure where else I'd put these types of things. I'm sure in two years when I decide to redesign again I'll have replaced them with friendy.com and shortandsweet.com widgets. Or youknowwho.com and tinyinfo.com. Or even youthinkyourpopular.com and bigidi.com. Epic fail for SP.com!

[hardbed34]

just dropping back in, and the design seemed more appealing to me this time. I'm not sure if you've changed anything, but it's banging.

btw, I was at Disneyland a few weeks ago with a bunch of friends, and I quoted the Starwars parody for some reason I don't remember, and one of the kids was like, "wait, where have I heard that before?" and I was like, no way he's seen it. Turns out, he did. And he started telling me all his favorite parts and stuff. thought it was interesting.

[ntbullock]

I've made some small adjustments and tweaking since May, yeah. I think the people who don't like it are the same people who didn't like the Google ads originally. A lot of people came up knowing the site as clear of all that, but unfortunately it's the state of things. The Google ads normally don't even pay for my expenses and having a site and not having a Facebook association nowadays is apparently detrimental. And the web keeps a changin'.