[maemo-community] maemo.org redesign

[From: Dave Neary]

Hi,

I don't want to nit-pick (and so now you know what's coming...)

Quim Gil wrote:
> Andre's latest mockup http://openbossa.andrecunha.com/HOMEB.jpg shows a
> good evolution. Two concerns still before going into really the details:
> 
> - Too thick header. The best benchmark for this is to load the image in
> your tablet. Any height we can save there is good.

This didn't bother me, funny enough.

We scan pages from top left to bottom right - this is part cultural, I
guess, but your most important stuff should be on that axis - so putting
the top menu in the top right seems to be a step backwards to me, I
preferred it top left (Tim's latest offerings) but under the logo is
next best.

> - Too many boxes. I think it gets distressing at some point. Help =
> Support and Join Us = Get involved, therefore I propose (again) to get
> rid of those duplicities. More background boxes can disappear just bu
> putting the elements on top of the background.

I agree that too many boxes could get annoying, but I don't see this as
duplication, I see it as useful repetition. I think the page is worse
without those two blocks, more crowded, less spacious. If anything, I
would favour removing the big blocks for the other sites & replacing
them with something a little more discrete.

> A first step in that direction:
> 
> http://wiki.maemo.org/images/d/d5/Homepage-proposal-4.png

A comment on both designs: "Join us"/"Get involved" doesn't look
clickable in either, it looks like an active tab. The affordance is
wrong on that right now.

And one bit of your design I'm a bit mystified about is the drop-down
"Help" box. Where does that come from, what's in the drop-down, what
purpose does it serve?

> The major changes are the move of login/register from the header to the
> People block (with some design love it can loook sensible and
> integrated) and killing (again) the thick buttons that (really, really)
> I don't think that useful just because they are big.

We disagree there - your most important stuff on the page should be big
& deliciously clickable.

> Now there is a slimmer header (more can be done working on nav + help +
> search boxes) and some more clarity.

OK - you can ignore my question on the "Help" element then - we agreee
it needs work :)

Cheers,
Dave.

-- 
maemo.org docsmaster
Email: dneary at maemo.org
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