Site UI, UX and formatting

[homeworld1031tx]

FIRST THINGS FIRST: Ctroy, thank you so much for getting the site back online. I'm a huge fan of the site and have been a daily user for the last 7 or so years - which I think shows how much value I attribute to the site and its content.

That being said (uh oh...), I think there's a good conversation to be had about the new site's usability, mainly pertaining to its design. Its interfacing is quite good, once you get past the design layer, but because of the design and layout, the UI is still negatively impacted. I've posted two screen shots below to help illustrate my frustrations with the design of the site. Please keep in mind that I view the site on a 13" laptop with a very hi res screen, so I have to have default windows zoom options enabled, but I think this is the norm for anyone viewing the site on any modern laptop. Browser level zoom is not enabled on my computer. Viewing on an updated Chrome with 100pct (default) zoom settings.

1.png

1) The header banner is absolutely massive and is visible on every page. It's a beautiful shot, but a pic that big and intrusive should really only be on a landing page. Once someone gets to the site, they know where they are and don't need to be reminded every time.
2) The social media links being displayed at all times on the side bar are distracting, and when zoomed, overlap with page content. Most of those links are also completely static so they don't need to follow the user around. If it was an option to 'share' your current page, I could kind of get it (but personally still wouldn't like it), but considering that they are static links to the same page everywhere you go, I think they're extremely redundant. I personally don't need a facebook link to the cotton belt line facebook page crowding out my content when I'm trying to read a 20 post long page.
3) This is probably partially a result of my global zoom settings (but again, as with most laptops if things were set to default I wouldn't be able to read anything) but there is no content immediately available when you land on a topic thread. This of course goes back to point 1 about the banner, but also relates to a further point in the next image.

2.png

1) Individual post headers are MASSIVE (cannot overstate that enough) and extraordinarily repetitive. Once someone is within a thread, a single larger header for the thread title can be at the top of the page, but definitely does not need to be in each individual post.
2) Related to point 1, the content is completely unfocused. This is probably mostly a result of everything else having extra weight and focus, but the content of the post is literally the least focused and apparent thing on the screen.
3) This is definitely a minor thing but the post creator information being on the right side of the post just feels off. While it's partially a result of it just being a 'change' from the original forum, it also goes against the convention of every other forum platform I've seen, so it's just weird and distracting.


Anyway, it's hard to talk about UX/UI stuff without coming off as condescending and hipsterish, but I really wanted to get my point out there because I think it could help other people enjoy the forum more. Content loss aside from the old forum, I find myself checking the new one FAR less frequently than I did the old platform, and I think it's mostly just because it's a chore to parse out all of the information on the page

[homeworld1031tx]

Just for a quick comparison, this is what the site looks like on at 1920x1200 res screen, with no zoom options enabled either in windows or in the browser. definitely better, but most of the points still have bearing.

Also, there is no easy navigation options to go back once you're within a thread. If I'm in the 'deep ellum v1' thread in the 'urban dev' section of 'the metropolis' subforum, there is no way to navigate upwards through parent hierarchies of your current view. I have to scroll all the way (first world problem, i know..) to the top of the page and click on the tiny DFWU Home link that's floating above the header image. The old vbulletin forum (ugly but oh so functional) had a nice "DFWU Forum > The Metropolis > Urban Dev > Current Post" link list at the top of every post that made navigation a breeze.

3.png

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[tamtagon]

^...what he said. I access the forum from a regular old desktop computer, occasionally a laptop but never from a mobile computer.

[tamtagon]

FIRST THINGS FIRST: Ctroy, thank you so much for getting the site back online.

especially this

[homeworld1031tx]

Could we get the "Dm" icon link at the top left (with the social media posts) to link t dfwu.dallasmetropolis.com instead of dallasmetropolis.com. would be a good stand in for navigating to the forum homepage isntead of having to scroll up to the very top. just a thought

[The_Overdog]

I don't know much about internet security or if anything changed recently, but the site is getting a "not secure" tag from Chrome, and is now blocked on my company's internet for the same reason.

[tamtagon]

at home, Chrome is fine with the site....

[tamtagon]

at home, Chrome is fine with the site....

[tamtagon]

at home, Chrome is fine with the site....

It's running slow and choppy, though

[cowboyeagle05]

I am not getting any warning from Chrome at home or at work for me.

[Hannibal Lecter]

You'll get the Not Secure message if you try accessing the site via https://dfwu.dallasmetropolis.com/. Use http://dfwu.dallasmetropolis.com/ and you don't get it.

Ironically, you really are more secure using the HTTPS link. That way everything is encrypted. The warning is because the name on the server certificate (*.prod.iad2.secureserver.net) doesn't match the site URL.

[I45Tex]

So I used the insert URL option in the Full Editor, and all I got was a lousy t-shirt (and two bracketed plaintext URL tags on either side of a non-working link). Can we get a button for HREF tags, or are they somewhere that I haven't noticed?

[DPatel304]

Works for me. I added https:// to the beginning of your link. Most likely the website just didn't recognize it as a website without http:// or www.

https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tab ... l?src=bkmk

[f4shionablecha0s]

Seriously, what can we do to fix the coathanger abortion of a user interface this forum has now? What exactly is the purpose of the "Dm" black bar currently obscuring part of the text entry box I'm using right now? Why is the banner at the top of the page so ludicrously huge? Why do I have to click on a picture of the mobile interface to enter the forum?

It's just bizarre...

[tamtagon]

ERROR

Sorry, the board attachment quota has been reached.

when I try to attach an image, I get this message. Anyone else getting this?

[f4shionablecha0s]

Quarterly reminder that this user interface is complete fucking garbage, any idiot who has read the wikipedia article on SQL could have recovered the posts from the old forum and integrated them into this forum, and nothing has been done to address any of this. Maybe why this forum is so dead now?

Can me and a few other young people team up and save this thing?

[Tivo_Kenevil]

Quarterly reminder that this user interface is complete fucking garbage, any idiot who has read the wikipedia article on SQL could have recovered the posts from the old forum and integrated them into this forum, and nothing has been done to address any of this. Maybe why this forum is so dead now?

Can me and a few other young people team up and save this thing?

I'll help.

[texasstar]

Is it just me, or is Quick Links not working today?

[DPatel304]

Is it just me, or is Quick Links not working today?

works for me (I'm using Chrome from my laptop). Perhaps try using a different browser?

[texasstar]

I'm using the new Chromium-based Edge. It's working today. Probably was just a beta glitch.

[OrangeMike]

Is anyone else seeing php error messages? I've tried to attach screenshots but instead of them uploading I got this error message in the preview to this post: [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/vendor/twig/twig/lib/Twig/Extension/Core.php on line 1266: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable

[MC_ScattCat]

I am as well

[tamtagon]

Is it back?

[northsouth]

Site's been looking a bit buggy on my end for a few days.

[Cmacemm]

I've been unable to get to the forum on my phone. I can get to the opening page, but I can't view the actual forum on Safari

[DallasAg]

This might get deleted for being off topic, but there is a thread on Facebook re: a number of people no longer being able to utilize the site. For example, I can only retrieve it via Chrome on my phone. Anyone else having issues?

[UptownDal81]

Yes. Can only access through phone and not desktop, regardless of browser.

[cowboyeagle05]

There is a section of the site for posts related to site issues. I will move the thread there.

[tamtagon]

I feel so relieved, thanks Troy.

[CTroyMathis]

Sorry about the pains. It's been a rough go lately.

[potatocoins]

No apologies needed. I appreciate you keeping this site up and running for as long as it has been, I can't imagine it's always an easy task, but it's nice that we have this website to discuss DFW development!

[RodB]

Thank you Troy, maybe the next skyscraper will be named "Troy Tower"

[jimmyx18]

Love the new UI! Reminds me of the old layout. It's like when someone scratches an itch you didn't know you had... blissful!