Web Design Forums

Jadzia · 21-06-2007, 07:38

Hi

I run a community site where every man and his dog what their stuff on the front page (!) which has left the site looking cluttered and squashed.

Any suggestions to tidy it up? (Check out my profile for the site url please)

Thanks

Do Gooder · 21-06-2007, 07:46

Heck! dats cluttered.

Best i can say is have some structure and order to the information.

have a look at sites like the BBC and the Guardian Guardian Unlimited

twentysixtwelve · 21-06-2007, 11:57

I work for BBC (Wales) and we`re currently redesigning with less clutter. Its easy to try and include everything on a page...

Few pointers :

1 - lose the calendar.

2 - lose the currency converter and finance help thing

3 - lose the clock

4- lose the make bookmark, make homepage, etc thing

5 - lose the live help - maybe link to a page with it on

6 - stick with one navigation system... having the 2 is confusing

7 - cut down the log in box - instead of Session Length, just a tick box with "remember me" is enough

This will free up loads of screen real estate...

You can see by taking them out how much more room you have to play with (this is just removing the above, not rearranging content) :

http://www.icreativ.co.uk/temp/narromine.gif

steveb · 21-06-2007, 13:21

Organize your site like supermarkets organize their products. But in reverse! Have the most interesting and important stuff at the front instead of hidden away behind a shitload of useless content.
Instead of spraying everything onto the opening page, collect the subjects they cover and make those topics into attractive headlines. Clicking on them will take you into the various subject matter. I agree with 20-6-12, you don't need things like clocks, calendars, horoscopes, biorhythms, thoughts for the day, dancing kittens or animated email boxes to distract visitors from your message. Whatever it is. I was so confused by your site, I never found out.

Do Gooder · 21-06-2007, 14:00

agree with all above

.. but keep the dancing kittens

raypdds · 22-06-2007, 01:44

ouch... that's hell lots of stuff going on.
Think you should consider rearranging the informations.

There's simply way too much buttons to click right now.

twentysixtwelve · 22-06-2007, 05:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveb

I was so confused by your site, I never found out.

I still dont know what he does or what the business is...

bmoseley07 · 22-06-2007, 09:28

It has some potential, but you need to lose half of the front page like somebody else has already pointed out. Secondly, when I go to the site, I had no idea what I was looking at because the logo/name blended in with the rest of that stuff you don't need at the top.

If you don't make a point to make the name of the site big, people won't see it and if they don't see it, they won't stick around, because they don't know where they are, and people don't like not knowing where they are.

A redesign of the layout is the first thing that needs to happen.

Jadzia · 27-06-2007, 09:06

thanks everyone
I have implemented some of the changes and will work on the others after a well earned week off work (1st in years).

As for the message on the site there isn't really a single one - it is a community bases and supposedly driven site that imparts information on all aspects of the community for visitors and locals alike, as well as a members area where we keep the dancing kittens.

21-06-2007, 07:38	#1 (permalink)
Jadzia Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 2	Site too cluttered - any suggestions? Hi I run a community site where every man and his dog what their stuff on the front page (!) which has left the site looking cluttered and squashed. Any suggestions to tidy it up? (Check out my profile for the site url please) Thanks

21-06-2007, 07:46	#2 (permalink)
Do Gooder Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 5,482	Heck! dats cluttered. Best i can say is have some structure and order to the information. have a look at sites like the BBC and the Guardian Guardian Unlimited __________________ personal --www.rogersartwork.com work --www.dogoodadvertising.com --www.goodacademy.org --www.reprinted.co.uk Last edited by Do Gooder : 21-06-2007 at 08:13.

21-06-2007, 13:21	#4 (permalink)
steveb 389 ppm and rising Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Järvenpää, Finland Posts: 4,940	Organize your site like supermarkets organize their products. But in reverse! Have the most interesting and important stuff at the front instead of hidden away behind a shitload of useless content. Instead of spraying everything onto the opening page, collect the subjects they cover and make those topics into attractive headlines. Clicking on them will take you into the various subject matter. I agree with 20-6-12, you don't need things like clocks, calendars, horoscopes, biorhythms, thoughts for the day, dancing kittens or animated email boxes to distract visitors from your message. Whatever it is. I was so confused by your site, I never found out. __________________ My free fonts www.utfi.net

21-06-2007, 14:00	#5 (permalink)
Do Gooder Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 5,482	agree with all above .. but keep the dancing kittens __________________ personal --www.rogersartwork.com work --www.dogoodadvertising.com --www.goodacademy.org --www.reprinted.co.uk

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21-06-2007, 11:57	#3 (permalink)
twentysixtwelve css is cool m'kay Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Currently Vancouver, Canada Posts: 385	I work for BBC (Wales) and we`re currently redesigning with less clutter. Its easy to try and include everything on a page... Few pointers : 1 - lose the calendar. 2 - lose the currency converter and finance help thing 3 - lose the clock 4- lose the make bookmark, make homepage, etc thing 5 - lose the live help - maybe link to a page with it on 6 - stick with one navigation system... having the 2 is confusing 7 - cut down the log in box - instead of Session Length, just a tick box with "remember me" is enough This will free up loads of screen real estate... You can see by taking them out how much more room you have to play with (this is just removing the above, not rearranging content) : http://www.icreativ.co.uk/temp/narromine.gif

22-06-2007, 01:44	#6 (permalink)
raypdds Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 18	ouch... that's hell lots of stuff going on. Think you should consider rearranging the informations. There's simply way too much buttons to click right now.

22-06-2007, 09:28	#8 (permalink)
bmoseley07 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 22	It has some potential, but you need to lose half of the front page like somebody else has already pointed out. Secondly, when I go to the site, I had no idea what I was looking at because the logo/name blended in with the rest of that stuff you don't need at the top. If you don't make a point to make the name of the site big, people won't see it and if they don't see it, they won't stick around, because they don't know where they are, and people don't like not knowing where they are. A redesign of the layout is the first thing that needs to happen.

27-06-2007, 09:06	#9 (permalink)
Jadzia Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 2	thanks everyone I have implemented some of the changes and will work on the others after a well earned week off work (1st in years). As for the message on the site there isn't really a single one - it is a community bases and supposedly driven site that imparts information on all aspects of the community for visitors and locals alike, as well as a members area where we keep the dancing kittens.

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