OPINIONS WANTED - Pets.ca redesign for the OTHER (Non BB) parts of Pets.ca

[marko]

Hi members,

Pets.ca is going to be completely redesigned in the next couple of months and hopefully by the end of this year this new design will go live. This redesign will NOT affect the bulletin board except for new colours. The redesign is for all OTHER parts of Pets.ca so we'd love it if you would poke around the other sections of this site

This is a fairly large project and work will begin next week.

We would love to have some input from members on what features you would like to see, what could be done better. Does anything "bug" you about Pets.ca? Do you feel anything is 'missing' from Pets.ca etc. Please do not be shy, be brutally honest...that's the only way we can improve and make this a better community for pet lovers.

Thanks SO much everyone and feel free to post right here in this thread, or PM me.

Best!
Marko

[JanM]

Here's one suggestion - when I reply to a message, I have to use my back key several times to go back to the list of posts I was reading. Perhaps a button to quickly return to where I was???

(That is, unless I've missed an easy procedure that's already there )

[ancientgirl]

I can't think of anything off the top of my head. But I'll post any suggestions if I can think of any.

[marko]

Here's one suggestion - when I reply to a message, I have to use my back key several times to go back to the list of posts I was reading. Perhaps a button to quickly return to where I was???

Thanks Jan but this is NOT for the bulletin board...it's for everywhere else on pets.ca like the live links at the bottom of this page.
Thx! - Marko

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[Bailey_]

I think the main page should be more 'attractive'. As it stands, a lot of the links are all bunched over on the left side of the homepage, which is fine - but it blends too much. At first glance, it's a LOT of words, not enough 'fancy stuff' or pictures to entice.
I personally haven't looked at a lot of the other pages aside from the BB and a few others, because nothing captures my attention.

Maybe make the links for every section more colorful, interesting (possibly a small photo similiar to the avatars?) with each link, or at least the links that seem to get used more often.

[rainbow]

My suggestions are still the same as last time:

1. Use tabs so there is much less clutter on the home page.
2. Get rid of the dorky logo.
3. Use softer colours.

[rainbow]

Here's the previous thread on this topic for members that have joined after October/08 ....

http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread....=forum+colours


Marko ....is Tommy coming back?

[marko]

ahhh That's what we are after Please keep it coming and feel free to be brutal with your critiques. If members are not looking at the other sections because they aren't interesting please tell us that.

If members have never checked out the other sections, doing so now and commenting would be greatly appreciated.

(Tommy (from last year) is not coming back but we have a new designer and developer on board and like I mentioned the work is scheduled to begin next week...and I foresee no problems this time...)

Thanks everyone!

[rainbow]

I admit I very seldom ever check out other areas here.

As I already said I find the home page too cluttered .....it would be much nicer to visit if the information on the left hand side of the page was done with tabs and drop down menus.

I also don't like the large advertising at the top of the page ...it should be at the bottom.

And, I'm probably getting picky now but I think the bulletin board should be called the pet forum imo.

Was I brutal enough?

[erykah1310]

The home page has always bothered me, it is too cluttery, and quite cartoony and in my eyes unprofessional.
Kinda seems kid ish ( hope you get what i'm trying to say.)
there is WAY too much by way of words on the left, and yes i think also that tabs would look better.
Also, the white background is too sterile, lacks character a softer warmer color would be more inviting.
the bright yellow box at the top that i have no idea what it is, really draws the eye to... nothing, (since i couldnt even tell you what it is for off the top of my head lol)
And lastly for now, off the top of my head... Add Tibetan Mastiffs to the breed profiles already lol
Actually I think the whole breed profile page needs updating

[Marcha]

The font size in the sidebar shouldn't be larger than the font size of the main text in the centre column, and the main text in the centre column should *definitely* be larger than the ad text. The centre column should be visually more 'present'. Perhaps a variable width rather than the current fixed width, and a centered wrapper rather than the left-aligned one.

The three-column layout is hard on the eye on a fixed-width.

Also, there doesn't need to be a double border between columns if the sidebar boxes already have a border of their own. The mess of vertical and horizontal lines detract from the already busy page.

If the sidebar boxheadings have rounded corners, then there shouldn't also be a styled border around them to take away from the rounded corners.

Have a button on the page that allows people to increase/decrease font size.
Have a button on the page that allows for a printer-friendly version so that people don't have all the images and ads on a print of what they want.
Ditch today's date. Add a 'page last updated on' script instead if you must put some date on it.

Less text on the home page. The current article on the front page is irrelevant to the index page. Make links to 'featured articles' or something like that instead, so that there are less words on the main page, but more options for navigation instead.

If people don't find what they're looking for on the main page within a few seconds of their arrival, they're gone again. Make the main page uber clear for navigational purposes.

Categorize the various animals (dogs/cats/birds/fish/etc). People who are looking for dog info might navigate away when the first words they see are about domesticating feral cats.

Have a 'site index' link on every page.

See if there are more integral alternatives to the Google search box, something that continues the site's layout even on search pages.

See if the forums can be more integrated to the main layout of the 'regular' pages. As in, more cohesion, and more access to the main pages from the front of the forum pages. Scrolling down to the bottom isn't an optimal way to get people who land on the forum to see/access the main/regular pages. Perhaps a nav bar at the top or a similar 'site index' link.

[Masha]

I check the forum every day but never go to the other links because i never find anything of 'interest' to me, atleast nothing that i notice..... I think the main page looks very bland as someone mentioned above. its jsut black and white and doesnt grab my attention... the links on the left are so small and cluttered and none of them grab you.... just looks like a list of stuff...

ok here is me being very brutal - the main page looks very amateur, not like the popular site this really is. I am guessing there are ALOT of hits for the forum, because everytime i google pet questions, i get atleast one link to pets.ca forum on the girst google page, but what is there in the main page to generate traffic? If i would first arrive at the main page, i wouldnt even know that there is a forum - the bulletin board means something else to me...

make it prettier, more attractive and include article in a more attractive way, its very sterile now as someone mentioned.... we need some pictures

BTW love ur site and have recommended it to many friends and co workers - if you make it prettier and more user friendly, with more pictures and designs it would appeal to more people

oh and i wouldnt mind a little store of pet toys and stuff (how about with a small % going towards rescues) -- i know i would buy my toys here if i knew that a portion goes to a good cause -- you can sell the kong and cuz toys, with all the product name drops already in the site it would sell amazingly well... oh and i am surprised i never see pet store ads on ur site ---
what kind of pet store doesnt want to advertise on pets.ca???!!!!!

[Marcha]

Oh, and make sure that the pages look the same in all browsers and on all operating systems. Right now there's way too much difference between Firefox and IE and Safari on Windows XP already...

[Frenchy]

Originally Posted by marko

Do you feel anything is 'missing' from Pets.ca

a place where hot single male pet owners could leave their pictures , profiles , e-mail addy ....

just kidding. I'm not of any help , I like everything as it is

[hazelrunpack]

Oh no, marko...I like the blues in the BB. Is the color scheme really going to change? :sad: The blue is so easy on the eye. (Please don't choose red! )

I never go to the rest of the site... I'm already spending too much time as it is and there's really nothing that interests me there... (Well, not that I know of, anyway, since I don't go there ) It typically takes maybe 20 - 60 seconds on a good day to change to a page that I haven't visited before, and that adds up if you're trying to navigate a site. So I usually go right to the BB and bypass even the home page.

[Marcha]

For the admin: doesn't vBulletin have the option to give members the ability to choose their own preferred colour scheme?

[Dee-O-Gee]

I'm with the majority and the home page is too wordy and white! I don't think that cluttering it with a bunch of advertisements and too many links will help either. Maybe just a different hue, font and reorganization of information that's already there?

In any event, nothing appeals to my eye and I find the bright yellow ticker at the top only draws me to the

[growler~GateKeeper]

I don't actually tour the rest of the site I have my site link take me directly to the forum. But I do agree with the general consensus above

Originally Posted by Masha

oh and i wouldnt mind a little store of pet toys and stuff (how about with a small % going towards rescues) -- i know i would buy my toys here if i knew that a portion goes to a good cause -- you can sell the kong and cuz toys, with all the product name drops already in the site it would sell amazingly well... oh and i am surprised i never see pet store ads on ur site ---
what kind of pet store doesnt want to advertise on pets.ca???!!!!!

Pets actually already has it's own store http://www.pets.ca/onlinestore/modeng/name/onlinestore

[rainbow]

Originally Posted by Masha

If i would first arrive at the main page, i wouldnt even know that there is a forum - the bulletin board means something else to me...

Yep, a bulletin board to me is a place where you advertise things for sale, want to buy, public notices, etc and usually made of cork.

[Masha]

Pets actually already has it's own store http://www.pets.ca/onlinestore/modeng/name/onlinestore[/QUOTE]

wow, thats new to me but I dont see any dog toys...... ??? there are cat toys and accessories...

oh and i think the store page can be redesigned a bit too.... a litttle more inviting maybe?

[Chris21711]

Originally Posted by Frenchy

a place where hot single male pet owners could leave their pictures , profiles , e-mail addy ....

MORE SMILIES

[aslan]

I'm with the others that the main page is way too cluttered and i agree with rainbow the word bulletin board doesn't make me think forum. Over the past couple years i am amazed to find out how many members suffer from migraines thus the bright yellow is not a good color for them..hmmm we have a wonderful member here who if asked nicely could probably create a beautiful new logo if given the information you'd like shown. She has done several of our avatars, mine, pbppatties, bendyfoots, etc..(nudges TwinTails).

[marko]

Thanks so much everyone - It's this type of brutal feedback we are after!

No comment/suggestion/critique is too small, if new ideas pop up that would be great. Also if anyone has ideas on stuff that they feel is absent on Pets.ca, please let us know that as well!

many thanks again!
Marko

[Melinda]

I've seen other pages (now remember, I know nothing about programs etc)*L*, where you see a different pet from a humane society up for adoption, each time you click on the page or hit refresh a different dog/cat is up in the spot and there is the spca name you can click on to get to their page.

[marko]

Thanks again for the ideas and please continue to leave ideas and /or feedback/critiques if you feel like it.

Just as an FYI the redesign has already started (today)

[Golden Girls]

I'm no help just wanted to say I like it just the way it is

[marko]

Thanks GG - but it's totally time for a 'freshen'.

BB will stay mostly the same though...it's the other sections that are going under the knife.

thx! - Marko

[LavenderRott]

I confess - the forum part of the website is what is bookmarked on my computer so I never see the home page.

I would go to the home page every single day if it was purple.

[rainbow]

Originally Posted by marko

Thanks again for the ideas and please continue to leave ideas and /or feedback/critiques if you feel like it.

Just as an FYI the redesign has already started (today)

I just had a look at the home page and I don't see any changes.

[marko]

Ahhhh woops forgot to mention...

Although the redesign has already started, It's a HUGE task. It will only be finished in about 1 month from now and THAT's when you'll see all the changes.
....and it will be like night and day.

Thx all!

marko