Hello Inkscape developers, I've been away from this list for a while - I designed the current Inkscape website a few years back, and it's been online for a few months now thanks to your hard work! I tried a couple of times to get the local web development environment up and running on my computer, but unfortunately life kept getting in the way.
Back when I first did the designs, responsive web design was still relatively new - but now with a few more years experience I'd love to help make the website work responsively in my spare time. Would giving it a fresh lick of paint as well--to bring it in with current trends--be welcome? Something more along the lines of this: https://www.dropbox.com/s/m2f988q3jqn2vbr/mockup-hp-2014-26-12_v0.1.png?dl=0 (it's a draft so it's missing important stuff like search, languages, etc, only has Arial fonts, and doesn't show what happens at different screen sizes)... Happy holidays,Hinerangi Courtenay
El vie, 26-12-2014 a las 03:21 +0000, Hinerangi Courtenay escribió:
Hello Inkscape developers,
I've been away from this list for a while - I designed the current Inkscape website a few years back, and it's been online for a few months now thanks to your hard work! I tried a couple of times to get the local web development environment up and running on my computer, but unfortunately life kept getting in the way.
Back when I first did the designs, responsive web design was still relatively new - but now with a few more years experience I'd love to help make the website work responsively in my spare time. Would giving it a fresh lick of paint as well--to bring it in with current trends--be welcome? Something more along the lines of this: https://www.dropbox.com/s/m2f988q3jqn2vbr/mockup-hp-2014-26-12_v0.1.png?dl=0 (it's a draft so it's missing important stuff like search, languages, etc, only has Arial fonts, and doesn't show what happens at different screen sizes)...
Happy holidays, Hinerangi Courtenay
Hi, I like the new mockup. It would be an improvement, the current design looks a bit dated. There are also some odd aspects of navigation that should be revisited (like the buttons under the header changing the header instead of linking to the content straight away). The only aspect of the proposed design that I'm not sure about is the lack of an unique visual identity. It looks quite generic. Maybe we should work on the brand identity of inkscape first (defining a color palette, choose a nice pairing of libre fonts for headings and contents, some design guidelines and elements, etc.) and shape the website design accordingly.
Kind regards, Gez.
On Sat, 2014-12-27 at 00:03 -0300, Gez wrote:
the current design looks a bit dated.
It's dated December 2010 ;-) http://duckgoesoink.deviantart.com/art/Inkscape-org-redesign-188788814
The website's cadence has turned out to be December each year. Which is interesting.
I have 2 says to release 1.3 then! :-D
Martin,
Hi, I like the new mockup. It would be an improvement, the current design looks a bit dated. There are also some odd aspects of navigation that should be revisited (like the buttons under the header changing the header instead of linking to the content straight away). The only aspect of the proposed design that I'm not sure about is the lack of an unique visual identity. It looks quite generic. Maybe we should work on the brand identity of inkscape first (defining a color palette, choose a nice pairing of libre fonts for headings and contents, some design guidelines and elements, etc.) and shape the website design accordingly.
Kind regards, Gez.
Yes, this is one thing I've seen missing as well. Somehow, for a graphics program, except for the front page, the website has hardly any graphics. There needs to be some kind of graphics theme that runs through the whole site, even it's just a color scheme. Goodness knows we have some awesome artists in this community! Maybe could even have some kind of competition for the website graphics?
brynn
-------------------------------------------------- From: "Gez" <listas@...3059...> Sent: Friday, December 26, 2014 8:03 PM To: "Hinerangi Courtenay" <nospamunicornus-mailinglist@...36...> Cc: inkscape-devel@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: Re: [Inkscape-devel] Website
El vie, 26-12-2014 a las 03:21 +0000, Hinerangi Courtenay escribió:
Hello Inkscape developers,
I've been away from this list for a while - I designed the current Inkscape website a few years back, and it's been online for a few months now thanks to your hard work! I tried a couple of times to get the local web development environment up and running on my computer, but unfortunately life kept getting in the way.
Back when I first did the designs, responsive web design was still relatively new - but now with a few more years experience I'd love to help make the website work responsively in my spare time. Would giving it a fresh lick of paint as well--to bring it in with current trends--be welcome? Something more along the lines of this: https://www.dropbox.com/s/m2f988q3jqn2vbr/mockup-hp-2014-26-12_v0.1.png?dl=0 (it's a draft so it's missing important stuff like search, languages, etc, only has Arial fonts, and doesn't show what happens at different screen sizes)...
Happy holidays, Hinerangi Courtenay
Hi, I like the new mockup. It would be an improvement, the current design looks a bit dated. There are also some odd aspects of navigation that should be revisited (like the buttons under the header changing the header instead of linking to the content straight away). The only aspect of the proposed design that I'm not sure about is the lack of an unique visual identity. It looks quite generic. Maybe we should work on the brand identity of inkscape first (defining a color palette, choose a nice pairing of libre fonts for headings and contents, some design guidelines and elements, etc.) and shape the website design accordingly.
Kind regards, Gez.
Dive into the World of Parallel Programming! The Go Parallel Website, sponsored by Intel and developed in partnership with Slashdot Media, is your hub for all things parallel software development, from weekly thought leadership blogs to news, videos, case studies, tutorials and more. Take a look and join the conversation now. http://goparallel.sourceforge.net _______________________________________________ Inkscape-devel mailing list Inkscape-devel@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/inkscape-devel
On Mon, 2014-12-29 at 23:06 -0700, Brynn wrote:
Maybe could even have some kind of competition for the website graphics?
Competitions are a difficult problem. In one sense they open the doors to new artists who lack confidence, while on the other hand they disrespect a professional's time, duplicating work and not using design feedback and critique to work towards the best solution.
With great care should we do such a thing :-)
Martin,
while on the other hand they
disrespect a professional's time, duplicating work and not using design feedback and critique to work towards the best solution.
I don't understand what you mean? Oh you mean, as opposed to paying someone for graphics?
If a competition is the wrong or inappropriate or just not the best approach, it seems like there still should be a way to use the work of Inkscape artists for the website.
Thanks :-)
-------------------------------------------------- From: "Martin Owens" <doctormo@...400...> Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2014 4:41 AM To: "Brynn" <brynn@...3133...> Cc: "Gez" <listas@...3059...>; "Hinerangi Courtenay" <nospamunicornus-mailinglist@...36...>; inkscape-devel@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: Re: [Inkscape-devel] Website
On Mon, 2014-12-29 at 23:06 -0700, Brynn wrote:
Maybe could even have some kind of competition for the website graphics?
Competitions are a difficult problem. In one sense they open the doors to new artists who lack confidence, while on the other hand they disrespect a professional's time, duplicating work and not using design feedback and critique to work towards the best solution.
With great care should we do such a thing :-)
Martin,
Courtenay, any updates on the mockups?
On Tue, Dec 30, 2014 at 3:57 AM, Brynn <brynn@...3133...> wrote:
while on the other hand they
disrespect a professional's time, duplicating work and not using design feedback and critique to work towards the best solution.
I don't understand what you mean? Oh you mean, as opposed to paying someone for graphics?
If a competition is the wrong or inappropriate or just not the best approach, it seems like there still should be a way to use the work of Inkscape artists for the website.
Thanks :-)
From: "Martin Owens" <doctormo@...400...> Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2014 4:41 AM To: "Brynn" <brynn@...3133...> Cc: "Gez" <listas@...3059...>; "Hinerangi Courtenay" <nospamunicornus-mailinglist@...36...>; inkscape-devel@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: Re: [Inkscape-devel] Website
On Mon, 2014-12-29 at 23:06 -0700, Brynn wrote:
Maybe could even have some kind of competition for the website graphics?
Competitions are a difficult problem. In one sense they open the doors to new artists who lack confidence, while on the other hand they disrespect a professional's time, duplicating work and not using design feedback and critique to work towards the best solution.
With great care should we do such a thing :-)
Martin,
Dive into the World of Parallel Programming! The Go Parallel Website, sponsored by Intel and developed in partnership with Slashdot Media, is your hub for all things parallel software development, from weekly thought leadership blogs to news, videos, case studies, tutorials and more. Take a look and join the conversation now. http://goparallel.sourceforge.net _______________________________________________ Inkscape-devel mailing list Inkscape-devel@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/inkscape-devel
Hi Hinerangi,
the people working on aspects of the website have just internally been discussing about the need for responsive design - how could you guess ;-) ?
I personally would very much welcome an additional pair of eyes and hands, as I think an adaptation to more current technology and browsing behaviour would be needed, and we have found that we lack the expertise. I'm not entirely sure about the concrete design you proposed, because you will also find some new website developments (esp. the shield plugin, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rq2EFX9Aw70 ) which need to be considered in the process. Also, there's a lot of new functionality still hidden in the development branch, which is worth exploring (but it's also still under heavy development, i.e. not everything is functional).
Setting up the development branch can currently be a bit tricky, because an additional database migration ($ ./utils/manage migrate) may be needed. If you get stuck, you can contact doctormo / Martin or me (the more difficult the question, the better it is you contact Martin ;) ).
What do the others think?
Regards, Maren
Am 26.12.2014 um 04:21 schrieb Hinerangi Courtenay:
Hello Inkscape developers,
I've been away from this list for a while - I designed the current Inkscape website a few years back, and it's been online for a few months now thanks to your hard work! I tried a couple of times to get the local web development environment up and running on my computer, but unfortunately life kept getting in the way.
Back when I first did the designs, responsive web design was still relatively new - but now with a few more years experience I'd love to help make the website work responsively in my spare time. Would giving it a fresh lick of paint as well--to bring it in with current trends--be welcome? Something more along the lines of this: https://www.dropbox.com/s/m2f988q3jqn2vbr/mockup-hp-2014-26-12_v0.1.png?dl=0 (it's a draft so it's missing important stuff like search, languages, etc, only has Arial fonts, and doesn't show what happens at different screen sizes)...
Happy holidays, Hinerangi Courtenay
I'm just a newbie to this list, but I've been trying to help out on the website, with my very limited skills. I was just asking if the current fixed width was necessary! I think the gallery deserves to be on the main menu, and there's just no room right now (without some sacrifices).
So for whatever my opinion is worth, I'd be thrilled with a responsive design!
All best :-)
From: Hinerangi Courtenay Sent: Thursday, December 25, 2014 8:21 PM To: inkscape-devel@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: [Inkscape-devel] Website
Hello Inkscape developers,
I've been away from this list for a while - I designed the current Inkscape website a few years back, and it's been online for a few months now thanks to your hard work! I tried a couple of times to get the local web development environment up and running on my computer, but unfortunately life kept getting in the way.
Back when I first did the designs, responsive web design was still relatively new - but now with a few more years experience I'd love to help make the website work responsively in my spare time. Would giving it a fresh lick of paint as well--to bring it in with current trends--be welcome? Something more along the lines of this: https://www.dropbox.com/s/m2f988q3jqn2vbr/mockup-hp-2014-26-12_v0.1.png?dl=0 (it's a draft so it's missing important stuff like search, languages, etc, only has Arial fonts, and doesn't show what happens at different screen sizes)...
Happy holidays, Hinerangi Courtenay
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dive into the World of Parallel Programming! The Go Parallel Website, sponsored by Intel and developed in partnership with Slashdot Media, is your hub for all things parallel software development, from weekly thought leadership blogs to news, videos, case studies, tutorials and more. Take a look and join the conversation now. http://goparallel.sourceforge.net
_______________________________________________ Inkscape-devel mailing list Inkscape-devel@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/inkscape-devel
Dear Hinerangi Courtenay,
I've been away from this list for a while - I designed the current Inkscape website a few years back
It was in respect of your design that the website had to be completed and published. It's a good upgrade from the previous version.
and it's been online for a few months now thanks to your hard work!
It's been live for exactly a year, while it was in staging for a whole year before that. With two version releases since that first live push last December.
I tried a couple of times to get the local web development environment up and running on my computer, but unfortunately life kept getting in the way.
Not to worry. I can help you on IRC if you ever want to move quickly getting it set up locally.
Would giving it a fresh lick of paint as well--to bring it in with current trends--be welcome? Something more along the lines of this: https://www.dropbox.com/s/m2f988q3jqn2vbr/mockup-hp-2014-26-12_v0.1.png?dl=0 (it's a draft so it's missing important stuff like search, languages, etc, only has Arial fonts, and doesn't show what happens at different screen sizes)...
There are some technical (code related) challenges to a redesign. I'd also like more evolution than revolution for the design, as our data models need to grow with your designs.
I would ask a big favour though. We have been adding features to the website and I've tried my best to keep the website well designed. But the developer and sys-admin is never going to be as good as an actual designer. There are specific pages that could do with a first lick of paint while things like lists of resources and views could do with some solid designer peer-review.
If you're able to (and interested in) helping me with these website design issues, I would be most interested in making sure you're set up and provisioned with whatever you need.
Thank you for helping once more Hinerangi.
Best Regards, Martin Owens
On Saturday, 27 December 2014 4:04 AM, Gez <listas@...3059...> wrote:
The only aspect of the proposed design that I'm not sure about is the> lack of an unique visual identity. It looks quite generic. Maybe we should work on the brand identity of inkscape first (defining a color palette, choose a nice pairing of libre fonts for headings and contents, some design guidelines and elements, etc.) and shape the website design accordingly
Hi Gez, I totally agree - agreeing beforehand on brand guidelines for the project's visual identity is absolutely necessary.
On Sunday, 28 December 2014 1:02 PM, Martin Owens <doctormo@...400...> wrote:
It's been live for exactly a year, while it was in staging for a whole year before that. With two version releases since that first live push last December.
Wow I didn't realize it had already been a full year since the current website was in production, that's great :-)
There are some technical (code related) challenges to a redesign. I'd also like more evolution than revolution for the design, as our data models need to grow with your designs.
What are the technical challenges you have in mind? I have lots of experience doing front-end development for responsive design, but I'm a bit clueless about back-end stuff...
I would ask a big favour though. We have been adding features to the website and I've tried my best to keep the website well designed. But the developer and sys-admin is never going to be as good as an actual designer. There are specific pages that could do with a first lick of paint while things like lists of resources and views could do with some solid designer peer-review.
I think you've done a great job at keeping things consistent - if you want I can go through and make adjustments to tidy things up, or if you want certain pages laid out differently we can make a list.
Outside of adapting the layout in a responsive way, the main things I think would be nice to redesign would be the header, footer, and the home page - I thought maybe we could use the home page to target new users - the current home page doesn't really target anyone in particular (even the banners in the carousel are hard coded).
The developers home page could be redesigned too (currently just a page of text) - maybe just made pretty, or maybe a kind of dashboard with open issues, news, etc.
Cheers, Hinerangi
Hinerangi,
On Sun, 2014-12-28 at 22:24 +0000, Hinerangi Courtenay wrote:
What are the technical challenges you have in mind? I have lots of experience doing front-end development for responsive design, but I'm a bit clueless about back-end stuff...
Basically the shield work linked by Maren gives us some bounds on what data will be available to contruct the carosel. That work required the css to be reforged so it didn't fall apart when it had different numbers and sizes of items.
The menus also need to be aware of how dynamic the content can be. We have a CMS which means all pages can have languages (with large names) as well as many, many items in any of the layers. Currently the css struggles to contain all variations.
I think you've done a great job at keeping things consistent - if you want I can go through and make adjustments to tidy things up, or if you want certain pages laid out differently we can make a list.
Thanks, so these new pages are the user-account page, resource views (galleries), alert pages (me), moderation pages (maren), and we don't even have front pages for the project/funding work yet.
the main things I think would be nice to redesign would be the header, footer, and the home page
The header and footer would be a great first step I think. Keep in mind the language selector, the user/login dropdown and the alerts/messages icon. The search I think is on your radar.
(even the banners in the carousel are hard coded).
Not any more ;-) (see shield)
The developers home page could be redesigned too (currently just a page of text) - maybe just made pretty, or maybe a kind of dashboard with open issues, news, etc.
That would certainly be nice to have. a developers set of pages. Something that can be done with branding and everything to make it clear what kind of page this is. this is where the power of django-cms really is, being able to set up multiple menu systems etc.
Martin,
El vie, 26-12-2014 a las 03:21 +0000, Hinerangi Courtenay escribió:
Hello Inkscape developers,
I've been away from this list for a while - I designed the current Inkscape website a few years back, and it's been online for a few months now thanks to your hard work! I tried a couple of times to get the local web development environment up and running on my computer, but unfortunately life kept getting in the way.
Back when I first did the designs, responsive web design was still relatively new - but now with a few more years experience I'd love to help make the website work responsively in my spare time. Would giving it a fresh lick of paint as well--to bring it in with current trends--be welcome? Something more along the lines of this: https://www.dropbox.com/s/m2f988q3jqn2vbr/mockup-hp-2014-26-12_v0.1.png?dl=0 (it's a draft so it's missing important stuff like search, languages, etc, only has Arial fonts, and doesn't show what happens at different screen sizes)...
Hi, I like the new mockup. It would be an improvement, the current design looks a bit dated. There are also some odd aspects of navigation that should be revisited (like the buttons under the header changing the header instead of linking to the content straight away). The only aspect of the proposed design that I'm not sure about is the lack of an unique visual identity. It looks quite generic. Maybe we should work on the brand identity of inkscape first (defining a color palette, choose a nice pairing of libre fonts for headings and contents, some design guidelines and elements, etc.) and shape the website design accordingly.
Kind regards, Gez.
participants (6)
-
Brynn -
Gez -
Hinerangi Courtenay -
Ian Caldwell -
Maren Hachmann -
Martin Owens