Site Redesign: What would you like to see?!

StangFlyer · 11-22-2000, 12:19 PM

Ok all, I can give you these insights already:

"Horsepower Bob" (I have no clue who came up with Piston Pete) is toast. That whole strip on the right side of the screen will be freed up for further content space. I may ax the main site counter all together, as well. It's "neat", but somewhat irrelevant . Most people don't even understand what that counter actually signifies to begin with. That's not the number of "page hits" the entire site has received by any means, which I think most folks think when they see it. That is just the number of users who have loaded the site's "framing" since the thing was last reset. The number of "page hits" for the entire site is a vastly larger number.

Gautam, I appreciate your offer, but I wouldn't put much time into doing any thing. The new main site look-n-feel (Photoshop work) has already been designed. It was actually mostly completed yesterday and is a very professional graphic design. In fact, we may not even need to worry about doing two versions of the site. The new design is graphical, yet very light weight, and extremely clean and crisp. Only two others besides myself have been shown the new design thus far, but they indicated they were very impressed by it. A good sign indeed.

For those of you who commented about the frames vs. non frames issue, I am still not positive either way. However, it's somewhat looking like MW's may have to become a non frame based layout again. The new design may not lend itself to framing. It would fit within a browser width wise at 800x600 resolution, but probably would not fit in the framing correctly height wise. Or, so it appears thus far. When the HTML layout and design is being done with the new design, I will attempt to do it frame based first to see if it can be done. Regardless, I can tell you that the new FFW design will almost certainly still be frame based.

JL1314, I think most people do not like frames because most sites do not use them worth a crap. Most people don't know how to do a high-end, frame based layout. Frames are used very heavily in the professional Internet development world and have been for some time. I've done numerous sites for the big three, and they've been at least 80% to 90% high end frame based designs.

For example, this was the dealer only 99 Ford Mustang Site, which was (it's now defunct) a frame based design:

For those of you who say they love the site now, thanks a lot! We do appreciate it! However, there is much room for improvement still. The site is ok, the the design fits what it is for the most part. But, the design is also not extraordinarily clean, not nearly the quality of my "professional" work, and I think it's time for it to be so, and more if possible!

AxemanZZ, your ideas are both great concerning the homepage and user's rides link in the message board. However, that is a seperate issue from the site redesign, since really that concerns the "look" and "navigation" of the site rather than the content pages or features themselves. However, a good suggestion non the less, and I will definitely try to add them when time permits. The fact is, several new features are planned for the future. Probably most of them will come after new site design goes up though.

More to come later.. I am reading your comments and I appreciate them. Nothing is totally set in stone yet, so keep them coming!

------------------
Dan McClain, Editor
The Mustang Works Magazine
1991 Mustang GT - NOVI Supercharged 377 Stroker
1999 Ford Lightning SVT - Supercharged 5.4L Triton

[This message has been edited by Dan McClain (edited 11-22-2000).]

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11-22-2000, 12:19 PM	#17
StangFlyer Founder Join Date: Jun 1995 Location: Michigan Posts: 19,326	Ok all, I can give you these insights already: "Horsepower Bob" (I have no clue who came up with Piston Pete) is toast. That whole strip on the right side of the screen will be freed up for further content space. I may ax the main site counter all together, as well. It's "neat", but somewhat irrelevant . Most people don't even understand what that counter actually signifies to begin with. That's not the number of "page hits" the entire site has received by any means, which I think most folks think when they see it. That is just the number of users who have loaded the site's "framing" since the thing was last reset. The number of "page hits" for the entire site is a vastly larger number. Gautam, I appreciate your offer, but I wouldn't put much time into doing any thing. The new main site look-n-feel (Photoshop work) has already been designed. It was actually mostly completed yesterday and is a very professional graphic design. In fact, we may not even need to worry about doing two versions of the site. The new design is graphical, yet very light weight, and extremely clean and crisp. Only two others besides myself have been shown the new design thus far, but they indicated they were very impressed by it. A good sign indeed. For those of you who commented about the frames vs. non frames issue, I am still not positive either way. However, it's somewhat looking like MW's may have to become a non frame based layout again. The new design may not lend itself to framing. It would fit within a browser width wise at 800x600 resolution, but probably would not fit in the framing correctly height wise. Or, so it appears thus far. When the HTML layout and design is being done with the new design, I will attempt to do it frame based first to see if it can be done. Regardless, I can tell you that the new FFW design will almost certainly still be frame based. JL1314, I think most people do not like frames because most sites do not use them worth a crap. Most people don't know how to do a high-end, frame based layout. Frames are used very heavily in the professional Internet development world and have been for some time. I've done numerous sites for the big three, and they've been at least 80% to 90% high end frame based designs. For example, this was the dealer only 99 Ford Mustang Site, which was (it's now defunct) a frame based design: For those of you who say they love the site now, thanks a lot! We do appreciate it! However, there is much room for improvement still. The site is ok, the the design fits what it is for the most part. But, the design is also not extraordinarily clean, not nearly the quality of my "professional" work, and I think it's time for it to be so, and more if possible! AxemanZZ, your ideas are both great concerning the homepage and user's rides link in the message board. However, that is a seperate issue from the site redesign, since really that concerns the "look" and "navigation" of the site rather than the content pages or features themselves. However, a good suggestion non the less, and I will definitely try to add them when time permits. The fact is, several new features are planned for the future. Probably most of them will come after new site design goes up though. More to come later.. I am reading your comments and I appreciate them. Nothing is totally set in stone yet, so keep them coming! ------------------ Dan McClain, Editor The Mustang Works Magazine 1991 Mustang GT - NOVI Supercharged 377 Stroker 1999 Ford Lightning SVT - Supercharged 5.4L Triton [This message has been edited by Dan McClain (edited 11-22-2000).]