Building a Better NikeTalk: What are your favorite website designs/layouts?

[DPancakes]

As long as the black/red stays, I don't care. 

 

[Methodical Management]

For those wondering:  the black/red/white/grey color scheme will stay.  User-selectable themes are on the "wish list" for future development, but until that time the current, classic color scheme will remain the default (and only) option. 
NikeTalk's front page badly needs an overhaul.  Let's face it: the entire function of NikeTalk's current front page could be better performed by a single drop down selector.  It's a complete waste of what is, for many people who don't bookmark a specific forum, their landing point on the site. 

The front page, post-redesign, will include the best content (either as featured by the staff or determined by user ratings - another much-requested feature) to help people stay current on the most popular news items and discussion topics of the day. 

There is def. stuff that can be done while keeping it minimalist and the classic black/red color theme.  

The core design philosophy will remain the same:  streamlined, minimalist, and black/red.  That's not going to change.  

What we are interested in is what YOU think are good, MODERN expressions of a minimalist theme - particularly if the sites involved have to organize a wide array of content.  

It's always helpful to provide designers with reference material.  I can scour the web myself for ideas, but ultimately we want to satisfy YOU and use your knowledge and tastes to help us devise the best possible direction for the site.

Just fix the yuku problem please. Layout is fine

If you "fix the yuku problem" by switching to another forum platform, then you're changing the layout.  Every platform displays content a little differently.  Staying the same means staying on Yuku. 

If we LEAVE yuku, then the site becomes costlier to operate and, to afford that expense, we need to update it so that we don't have to run bottom of the barrel garbage ad units on every page.  If you talk to anyone in the ads industry, they all hate the way NikeTalk looks.  YOUR opinions matter more than theirs, obviously, but if we're going to make a big platform change then, as long as we work on the look and feel of the site, we need to find a way to satisfy both our fellow users AND higher end advertisers.  

Ultimately, that's the only way we can afford to make technical improvements to the site while, and it'll eventually help us as a community to contribute even more to charity.  

Also, if you are going to do anything in terms of layout and visuals, could we (the users) get a kind of "demo"? I think the community as a whole should be able to decide what they like best out of several options, that way we don't end up being disappointed in the long run.

I don't want to travel too far down this hypothetical path for obvious reasons, but IF we wind up changing platforms, we WILL offer a limited access sandbox for select users to test out.  Presenting design mock-ups is also a possibility. 

Regardless, user feedback will be an essential and ongoing part of the process. 

Another suggestion, for better future mobile integration. For the main directory page, can we get something that is not a list? 

What do you think about something like the Huffington Post's NewsGlide?  It's an app for iPad, Android tablets, and Google Chrome that could potentially work well for forum content, though assigning an image to each thread creates its own problems:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-berry/huffpost-ipad-newsglide_b_800255.html

Again, mobile is down the road.  The standard website is what we'll be addressing this quarter.  As a general statement, however, we all agree that the site's design could be more "touch friendly" and that will absolutely remain an important consideration.

I really like the design elements on forrst.com a lot. I'm a member there. Black, red and gray on this site can stay the same but the layout and organization could be greatly improved also the tagging system should be at the bottom.

Some of the websites I'm seeing people share have their post content occupying less than 100% of the site's total width.  Is that something you're satisfied with?  

Everyone should keep in mind that devoted forum regulars make up only a small share of a site's overall traffic, and we need to keep EVERYONE'S needs and wants in mind.  One of the biggest problems for the "silent majority" of our site users is that, because they DON'T refresh NikeTalk constantly, they have a difficult time finding content of interest.  Adding "related posts" to a sidebar is a really useful feature for many content-based websites - and it also would allow us to arrange our ad units more efficiently so you don't have to scroll halfway down the page just to see the beginning of a post.  The ad unit could move from top center to, say, the right margin.  

This means less scrolling and more content per screen, but not everyone wants a ton of content as that can seem cluttered.  

What's your opinion on that?  Is it worth extra scrolling and all the blank, unused screen space to have the site appear a little less cluttered?  

Thanks for all of the suggestions thus far!

 

[stringer bell 32]

Originally Posted by Dimelo

I think niketalk is fine the way it is

 

[il prescelto]

i like superfuture.com a lot, i like the rep system too

 

[tr1ll]

I would like hot links at the top of each page. That way I can jump straight from a thread in Gen, to Retro, to Music and back to Gen without having to click on the "Niketalk" link.

 

[nycknicks105]

I suggest you keep the black/red colorway, because we can all agree that those colors have become synonymous with Niketalk.

As for the layout itself, I think we should have some sort of minimalist look to the site. Like someone said before, I like the no scrolling idea but IDK how you guys are going to be able to pull that off.

Since you asked for some examples of sites we like--I like the design and layout that What.Cd is using right now. They use something called Gazelle and it's probably the best layout I've ever seen in an internet community. Unfortunately, you need to be a member to access their site. If I have some time, I'll post some screen shots.

 

[blacklion23]

Don't care about anything but the Yuku problem. Today was one of the worst.

Ok, just read Meths last post. If changing the layout means better performance, let's go!!!

 

[doublejs07]

On the ******** MB, you get a notification when someone quotes/responds to something you posted. I thought that was a cool feature.

 

[dior paint]

/\ If im not mistaken you can do that here w/ the suscribe feature

 

[ggarvinxx3]

i like quiks1987 idea

if we can get that implemented on niketalk and on a mobile platform with more features then the site would be really nice

 

[zk1mpls]

Definitely a fan of the current layout. Black and Red has to stay. Won't be NT without it. Would rather see the site running much smoother than change things aesthetically. Oh, and preferrably a mobile version of the site that's easier to load with people of limited bandwidth.

Good sites out there that are pretty organized:
GTPlanet (great mobile app, too).
Overclock.net

vBulletin sites look good as well.

 

[oh you mad]

I don't want change

 

[1chainz]

Originally Posted by DIOR PAINT

I'll rival everyone else's opinion and applaud for soliciting input on change. I think a redesign is needed.

I agree w/ dude who mentioned a more modern, minimalist design.

As far as forums go...I think Kanyetothe's layout is pretty clean

http://www.kanyetothe.com/forum/index.php

Came in here to post this. Cleanest site on the net. I'm a member of the site though and the owner did it from scratch.

We need a rep system too. And some way to fix the "time traveling" in threads.

 

[lilfalconsfan]

I think NT is great the way it is but just for fun NT should add games for some friendly competition

 

[derryj3j3]

I think NT would benefit from a rep system

 

[dior paint]

Did ya'll not see him say in order to fix the bugs they have to switch platforms?

 

[hankmoody]

I don't visit many sites due to an RSS reader but I like deadspin's layout and think it could work for NT. Specifically, the scroll bar functionality. I want to see other threads while in a thread, just like I see other deadspin stories while in a story. This should definitely be a priority for a mobile platform. Being on an iPad most of the time, I currently waste too much time just trying to get around the forum.

 

[lubu1]

MEth, dont change the site. You see how ISS went after they changed their site layout?


This is the best layout. IT aint broken, dont try to fix it.

 

[ruxxx]

Originally Posted by ILL LEGAL OPERATION

Originally Posted by 1stWitIt

Just fix the yuku problem please. Layout is fine

*Jay*That's all I... ask of you like Raphael Saadiq*Jay*

 

[Methodical Management]

/\ If im not mistaken you can do that here w/ the suscribe feature

These days, that's not good enough.  Everyone wants push notification like Facebook has, and that's understandable.  

Feature development will come in time.  

The immediate priority is to get the site STABLE and improve the overall look and organization of our layout.  If we have to move, a layout change comes with the territory.

You all are our forum regulars.  Stability is your #1 concern because you're checking regularly and if the site's lagging 20 minutes or an hour behind, it's a major inconvenience for you - and everyone on the staff shares your pain there.  For a casual user, having the site 100% in sync isn't as high a priority as layout/ease of use.  I'm glad that many of you like the current layout, but it only works well for a very small segment of our user base.  Many of you have developed strategies to cope with some of the weaknesses in the layout by directly bookmarking your favorite forums, for example, or you use Google to find posts and stay very up to date with repeat visits rather than use the site search.  Since you've adapted, layout (which you can work around) isn't as big an irritant as stability (which you can't work around.)

There's no reason why we can't have a site that looks great and provides even BETTER functionality than the existing product.  After all, for the past few years we can all agree that Yuku's been in a state of neglect.  Now that we're on the verge of addressing those fundamental performance issues one way or another, we also need to set our sights on bringing the site up to date from a visual standpoint.  

Even if we never changed the layout, many of you would continue to post here because you're important contributors to the community.  Some of you would live with a text-only interface if you absolutely had to - and that level of loyalty means the world to us.  All of you, however, were new to this site at one time or another and we just want to make sure that we're delivering a modern, competitive experience so that we can continue to benefit from an influx of new users.  The more outdated our layout becomes, the harder that will be for us. 

For every regular who visits the site, we also need to keep in mind that there are probably 100 "casual" users who find the site via search queries or just come here to lurk.  We need to take care of them, too, because they help take care of us.  The ad revenue they generate is essential to 1) keeping us online  2) allowing us to finance the type of core performance improvements most important to forum regulars  and  3) allow us to increase our charitable donations.  If we had to make do with the traffic from our most dedicated regulars alone, we'd be hard pressed to even stay online.  

Right now, we're like a team with great players (you all) to help put fans in the seats, but our arena's falling apart.  Improving the locker room, training facilities, etc. are all very important, but we also need to consider how to improve our facilities from the fans' perspective.  

We want to make NikeTalk better for EVERYONE, and in order to do that we'd like to learn as much as we can about what you enjoy - not only about NikeTalk, but about websites that you only visit on a "casual" or "passive" basis.  

We need a rep system too. And some way to fix the "time traveling" in threads.

Both will be addressed - and hopefully feedback for the buy/sell area, too.  

 

[cs02132]

Originally Posted by DCAllAmerican

Originally Posted by Dimelo

I think niketalk is fine the way it is

Yep. The basic nature of Niketalk makes NT what it is. We don't need anything else cluttering up our smooth sailing basic loading screens. It is fine the way it is.
I would like a, "Go to first unread post" link to the left of each listed thread though. That would be nice.

If you add any other skins, please allow us to keep this same Vintage NT skin for those of us that don't want to change.

This


IMO you reallly shouldnt change it. the layout is fine the way it is. ever since ISS and Hypebeast changed their layouts many users, myself included, have visited the websites less, or even stopped.  Ive always thought if NT had a "view last read post" it would make it perfect

Dont change it!!

 

[servechilled81]

I like the look of the hypebeast.com front page and forums

Meth will there ever be something like NT related features/spotlights of or created by members
on the front page?

 

[Fong$tarr]

Originally Posted by derryj3j3

I think NT would benefit from a rep system

Hopefully there is a way to control the rep system cause I seen this backfire before and people get bad reps for no reason at all.

 

[dior paint]

This thread is proof that most people don't actually read through threads before they post.

 

[ii flash ii]

- Better search function

- a feature where when you click on a thread it brings you to the last page you read... i think ezboard had something similar

Extra:

- mobile app that runs similar to XDA... Its smooth and easy to navigate, user friendly