For folks who don’t check TT over the weekends, welcome to the new TT: Treasure Tables has been completely redesigned. I still have a few kinks to work out, but on the blog end the heavy lifting is done. (Next up is trying to unify the blog, forums and wiki.)
I think there are all sorts of things about the new design that are better than the old one (or else I wouldn’t have made the switch!), but there are a few specific differences you’ll notice right away:
The layout is wider and less crowded. A month of Google Analytics data told me that less than 2% of TT readers use a screen resolution of 800×600 — the resolution the old layout was designed to accommodate.
It might be faster for you — I know it is for me. Previewing comments had gotten slower, and there were other problems caused by using an outdated version of WordPress (I couldn’t create new pages, for example…).
The links to the forums and wiki have moved to the top of the header area.
The comments link for each post is now under the title, instead of at the very end.
The recent comments page is more robust.
Previewing comments no longer requires loading a new page — your comment will show up right then, ready for you to edit or post. You can also post comments without previewing them, if you like.
I know it can be jarring when you’ve gotten used to a site and it changes dramatically, but hopefully you like the new layout and find TT both easier and more pleasant to use — that’s why I undertook this redesign.
Feedback is welcome, as are bug reports if you find anything broken.
Update: I’ve found a bug related to closed comments: If comments on a post are closed, it breaks the layout when you view that post on its own. This applies to all posts from July 2007 on back, and it’s completely baffling me right now.
Update #2: The layout has changed! And that bug above has been fixed, although the spacing of the right sidebar is now a little bit weird in IE (which I may not be able to fix). In conclusion, I’d like to say fuck you, Internet Explorer.
The site Looks great, and I love the new theme. I am digging the three column format. I am glad you kept the TT Logo.
Lovely redesign, keeping the good of the old and making it shiny and new ๐
Looks nice. A lot less crowded, much more usable space.
Good work! Looks sharp!
Looks Good. It’s a keeper!!
Hmm doesn’t actually show up as more readable space for me. The column width for all the content is still about the same.
The new recent comments page is not nearly so useful to me. I used to scan down for the last comment I made and then start reading up for comments since the last time I visited. Of course I don’t comment every time I visit, so sometimes I would kind of remember the last comment I had read. With the new format, it’s not nearly so clear to me which are new comments.
Frank
Thank you! I’m sure there’s still stuff that can be improved, so let me know if you think of anything you’d like to see done differently.
Yea…faster and less puke green!
Booo…too much whitespace and layout is “squished.” Sidebars need some padding. Too much white (read a long article and scroll down somewhat).
Nuke column three completely!
[happy dance]
Finally, a direct link to the forums from the main page!
[/happy dance]
I’d have to agree with Abulia, Martin. You could get so much more reading width if you merge column three into column two. Long articles (and the comments!) start to look kinda ridiculous after a while.
So are you not a 9rules member anymore? Can we have your spot? ๐
Frank: Yep, readable space is roughly the same. Usable space has increased, though.
I see what you’re getting at about the recent comments page — there are definitely things you could do with the old one that you can’t do with the new one, and vice versa.
I’d like to see what others think about this before changing it back (assuming the old plugin still works).
Abulia: I didn’t realize the old color scheme evoked puke for you. ๐
In terms of sidebar padding, which specific parts of the sidebars do you mean? I’m guessing the right sides, because every other side seems nicely spaced to me.
In terms of white space and the squished feel, as I’ve been going back through older posts and cleaning up code, I’ve definitely noticed the gulf of whiteness on the right. I’m not sure I dislike it, though — I need a few days to see how I feel about that one.
Would having the page background be something other than white help? The page was a very pale greenish/off-white in the old design (that color wouldn’t have to stay, it’s just an example).
As far as column three goes, I need it there to run ads — a necessary evil. ๐ Here’s the calculation that really opened my eyes on this one:
If I wasn’t running TT I’d be doing more freelance writing (since the time for both hobbies comes out of the same pool, roughly speaking), so I compared the following:
– One hour of my worst output (500 words) and lowest rate ($0.02) freelancing = $10 per hour.
vs.
– One hour spent working on TT (I average seven hours per week, often more), assuming all three of the old ad spots were full at the old rates ($54 less $8 for hosting) = $1.64 per hour.
Obviously I don’t pursue either hobby — TT or freelance writing — for the money. ๐ Even so, I’d like to see the gulf between those two numbers get a lot smaller, and that means there needs to be more space available for ads. One thing I like about this layout is that it doesn’t feel crowded, which means putting several ads in the right sidebar won’t overwhelm everything else.
longcoat000: There was actually a direct link in the old design, too — it was just tough to find. ๐ Oddly enough, wanting to move those links — based on reader feedback — was what originally got me thinking about a redesign.
Mike: If by merging columns you mean increasing the width of the content column, I’m not sure more space is an advantage. From a usability standpoint, narrower chunks of text are a lot easier to read onscreen than wider ones, which is why I’ve always kept the main column fairly narrow.
Dave: No change on the 9rules front, I just moved the button to my footer. ๐ It’s lonely being the only gaming blog on the network, though (at least last time I checked) — I’ve always wished there were more RPG bloggers there!
Hi, Martin. ๐ I gotta say…for myself, I miss a left margin on the main text column. Having the text abut the left side of my browser weirds me out. ๐
Sheep Boy! It’s good to see you again. ๐
I think that makes three votes for re-aligning the content column. Hrm.
How much white space would you like to see to the left of the main column?
And for those at 1280xwhatever and above, are you comfortable with the alignment of this column (as there’s more space to the left of it above 1024×768)?
The current design feels lopsided to me. The left side seems very heavy, since it has the most content.
I would shift the search/advertisement column to the left side of the main column. This would move the main column more to the center and balance out the page.
I also think making the background an off-white would make a difference. A light tan/gray might do the trick.
I should send you a screenshot of all the real estate on the right side of this comment that’s just white nothingness. That 3rd column isn’t doing anything that you couldn’t roll into the second column. Considering I’ve never seen TT have more than one ad in rotation I’m at a loss to explain the function of the 3rd column. (Search can easily be moved.)
The left margin of the navbar (column 2) could use some more padding. (Firefox 2.0.0.6 and OS X Safari)
But yea, I’m feeling claustrophobic in column one and squished. Comments even more so.
Bonus Moan: The TT banner/logo is pretty plain. ๐
lebkin: Hmm — shifting a column could be tough. I might hit that with a hammer tonight, though, and see how it looks. If it breaks, I can always move it back. ๐
Ditto with a different background color.
Abulia: There was only one sidebar ad in rotation in the old layout because there was only room for one. Recently, I’ve had more requests for advertising than available ad space, and that’s what the third column is for. If it was just for search, you’re right that it wouldn’t need to be there.
I added a smidge more padding to the left side of the middle column. I’ll fiddle with it more later, and see how another few pixels looks. Thanks for the suggestion — even just a bit of padding helps.
Yeah, we applied for 9rules a while ago, and even became friendly with one of the people who runs the site, but they’re very slow in approving new sites…
As far as the design as a whole, I think the top has too many things fighting for attention. Your new ad placement is one of the “hotspots” (second, I think, only to being in the upper left), but your post gets lost between the Tokkens ad, the ads on the right, and your sidebar (with a full color picture.) I don’t have the same whitespace issues other people seem to be having, but I think you could fix a lot of your issues by just, as you suggest, changing some of the background colors around.
But then again, I’m on my fifth iteration of redesigning my site, and every time I get it done, I always just want to leave it alone for a long time, despite people’s complaints- so I understand not wanting to do more work!
Hi!
I’m using Opera and unfortunately your site is not displayed correctly. For some reason only pure text is displayed in black and white and in a single column. Any idea what might be causing this?(The site looks normal with the IE-explorer)
To get your most advertising space here is what you do:
Switch back to 2 columns and use the negative white space that is here now for more ads. Just extend the far right column and split it with ads at regular intervals.
You can have the banner ad above the main post.
Then in the right column you can have it in this order:
Search Box
First Square Ad
100% GMing
Article Archives
Second Square AD
Free Downloads
GMing Resources
Site Info
Ads to accompany when the threads get long.
That is the way I would set it up. Maybe tweak the order of sidebar ads. Making it less white might help, but it just builds a lot of negative white space there. If you need more advertising, it is better to use what is now negative white space rather than clutter the main space at the top of the page with 3 columns.
I leave the country and look what I get on return…
I like it as a whole. Much more professional looking, although I agree with the “too much white space on the longer threads” crowd, but I have no idea how to make it work.
Well done, and thanks for the uniform linkage at the top.
Telas
Okay, the side/content/side layout is in full effect. What do you think? Does it solve the whitespace issues? Does it bore you to tears?
I tried both versions (menu left, ads right and vice versa), and this one — menu left, ads right — seems to be the most efficient. The other way also looks weird with the TT logo in line with the ads.
I like it!
Sorry, it still feels as if I’m reading TT through a straw. Now it’s centered, squished text in a field of white nothingness. (stab, stab, stab)
Out of curosity, is the template being used called “Snowblind?”
๐
Oh, and the top is much better, IMO. Now just work on that logo/banner a bit!
I understand that very wide text is hard to read, however, I think the content column could be as much as twice as wide and still be fairly readable. Even 50% wider would make it significantly faster to absorb content.
Can you do something to allow some proportional widths? Or does everyone maximize their browser these days? It used to be you would re-size your browser to get a comfortable column width for the text content of web sites.
Frank
The top plays out much better now. I might consider a bit of color tweaking with the pure white background, but that doesn’t really bug me much. So Kudos, and I am definitely happier with the arrangement.
I miss having the post count available here on the blog. It was something I used to track which comments I’d read and how the discussion was flowing.
Thank you to everyone for the continued feedback — the new design is already a lot better than it was when I first rolled it out. ๐
Abulia: I’ve got some experimenting to do with the width of the columns (narrower sidebars and wider center), as well as with the background color.
I know how to do the first one, but I haven’t had time to fiddle with it yet. The method I know for doing the second one (repeat-y) hasn’t worked so far, and I’m still scratching my head over it.
What bothers you about the logo? I know you find it bland, but why — and what would you prefer to see?
Thanks for the feedback!
Frank: I’m not a fan of fluid widths as a site owner, and generally not a fan of them as a site reader, either — particularly for blogs. I think widening the central column slightly will have many of the same benefits for folks (like yourself) who find it too narrow, with none of the downsides.
John: Thanks!
Sarlax: Yep, I miss the post and comment counts too — I just haven’t had a chance to figure out how to implement them in this version of WordPress yet. If I can get them back, I will.
Alysia’s barely seen me since Saturday, and I have plans tonight — not much may change until Wednesday. ๐
Shiny! I like. It seems to be the weather for new blog layouts. Advertising is well-placed and navigation is clean.
Sidebars could use a little padding, I think.
Also, in my case only 1% of users are still on 800*600. In fact, only 25% of users are still on 1024*768, and a negligible number on 640*480. I was quite surprised.
I’ve being doing more cleanup, but it’s subtle stuff at this point. There’s still an unresolved layout bug in FF and IE (on posts with closed comments, the footer background doesn’t extend to fill the width of the screen), the weird right sidebar thing in IE (which I have no idea how to fix) and some clutter in older posts. I’m going through old posts one by one, which is taking quite a bit of time.
I also can’t figure out how to extend the sidebar backgrounds to the bottom of the page, which is one thing I still want to experiment with layout-wise. The method I know still isn’t cutting the mustard.
Jonathan: Your new design looks great — simple, clean and easy on the eyes. Nice work. ๐ There does seem to be something in the air right now, and it’s not even Spring. Weird.