Fabrik Website

[David]

A web designers work is never done. No sooner have I completed a basic template for the Macfarlane Wilder site and submitted it for approval, I'm working up another new site for a small design practice called fabrik (small F).

I just had my first feedback from the client this morning and it was very positive.

The site had to be started very quickly and so I resorted to tables and had something useable in a couple of hours. In time I hope to return to the layout and see if it can be done with CSS (I've got the bug now).

I had a first briefing with the practice a week ago and they have a very interesting approach. They wanted an "open" site that let people know what was happening on a week-to-week basis. They didn't know what a blog was but when I showed them, they really liked the idea.

Well, as always, comments are very welcome. I thought that this time the discussion could (at least initially) consider the site design rather than the code (which I'm not proud of ;) ).

fabrik website (http://www.fabrikuk.com/index.php)

For your information, I chose WordPress (http://wordpress.org/) for the practice journal. I tried out a few different options and this one is by far the best for the job. Install was a breeze, styling is all CSS, it validates XHTML and CSS, admin interface is well designed, publishing is easy. I gave one or two minor quibbles but overall this is a great piece of software. If you need a blog, definately check out WordPress.

[Tom]

Not much there to comment on yet 9on the fabrik site) except the colours. They are harmonious, but what do they symbolise?

To me they look military, a view from inside a camouflaged vehicle perhaps. Its more cheerful when you get to the discussion page because of the white space.

[francis]

I'll echo Tom's thoughts, although military sisn't spring to mind - I just thought that the colours worked well together. As to what ping back is - I've never bothered to find out, but it's on blogs everywhere. A quick google finds this (http://wiki.wordpress.org/PingBack), which may help.

I won't look at the code! I wonder what we have to do to get others to contribute? JB and I have, over the past couple of weeks, seen Ron and Shu on here, but they don't post. I wish some others would just so there's more of a debate happening. I have to resort to showing links to my colleague so we can talk about things (don't worry, he's never been into the forum). I'd love to hear other people's opinions on your letter kerning (I still don't like it!), but I feel that I never will. Sigh...

Oeer, my next post will be number 666. Watch out...

[Tom]

Francis, what do you think of the colours on the revised Websitearchitecture (http://www.websitearchitecture.co.uk/def/index.php) site. I think it would be more sprightly if the text were in white. Also, have you any comments on the text. It has achieved the objective of coming high on a Google search for Website Architecture but what more should be said to attract people to link to the site and support the notion of a fully balanced approach to website provision?

[David]

Thanks both for your comments. I didn't see the military angle on the colours but I know what you mean. I think there's enough blue in the green to take it away from khaki - maybe your monitor needs adjusting :) .

The colours do not symbolise anything in themselves - in fact, any harmonious set of colours might have done. I offered a limited range of options to the client and this was the one they liked best.

The idea is to interpret the word "fabrik" in its widest context. So, the vertical and horizontal bands of harmonious colour might give the feeling of woven fibres=strength. But also "fabric" as in "infrastructure". The images (there will be more than one) will illustrate this further. They will give a general impression of "structure", "systems" and "networks" - layers of design. Is any of this making sense?

What I'm finding interesting is that the two sites I'm working on at the moment require quite different approaches. I haven't been able to work on both in any one day as they each require a different mindset ( :rolleyes: I'm a designer you know).

Tom, I know what you are saying about the Website Architecture site. In truth, I'm not really happy with any of it. At the moment it's just "good enuough" but I do intend a complete site redesign in the future (maybe that could be next years student project :) ).

[Tom]

Remember Michael Lancaster: colour choices are always rich in meanings, metaphors, symbolism and associations - conscious or unconscious.

[francis]

I didn't see the military colours in the (old - have you changed it?) fabrik site, either. FWIW, the new colours are, I think better. They are still as harmonious, but I prefer them. One thing that does spring to mind is the state of the flowers in the banner image - the petals on some are dying/a bit manky (if you've got a random image thingy going on, it's the thistle-centered one with the white petals). That, to me at least, sends more of a message than the colour scheme does.

I'm not overly keen on the colours for the new WA site (oh, I found a 404 here on the analogies link (the file extension says .pgp) (http://www.websitearchitecture.co.uk/def/bad_web_design.php)), so it's good that David thinks the same :D . As Tom mentioned, the text has had the desired affect of getting us high in SE results, which is obviously a good thing (I wonder if Michael Stevenson has seen the error of his ways yet? (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1556229240/qid%3D1094492815/202-0820595-7909438)), but I'm wondering if it can't be made to relate to the course a bit more, instread of just being text on WA as a whole? For instance, on the IA page (http://www.websitearchitecture.co.uk/def/information_architecture.php) there are a couple of definitions of IA and a paragraph underneath that, but no 'and this is what we do on the course' content. For the standards advocates, the table analogy could be better chosen!


Like a table, web design is best when it has four legs

I suspect that a closing sentence such as:


Reductivism damages design. Don't do it

May not endear people to want to check out the course, unless you're purposely looking the kind of person that would understand and embrace that. The linking strategy seems to be a bit off as well. Take the Dotcom shakeout page (http://www.websitearchitecture.co.uk/def/dotcom_shakeout.php): I would expect the link that said 'Boo.com' to go to Boo's site, not to the web business vision page on the same site because other links on that page (amazon, google, walmat, ebay etc) all go to their respective external sites. As far as I can see, the only actual content on that page that might indicate course content is this:


Website architects must learn to care deeply about good navigation, web usability, user satisfaction and revenue generation: they must learn to monetize web content

How about taking off the link to the forum on the bottom of each page (it's not a lot of use as only about 10 people can access it) and replacing it with a link to the University's online prospectus? That could help drum up trade.

As far as getting people to look at the site more it needs to be more useful. Maybe add some tutorials, maybe write up how you managed to get such a large and fast leap up the Google rankings. The tutorials don't have to be long, just well-written and easy to understand. Take for instance this article on alt text (http://ppewww.ph.gla.ac.uk/~flavell/alt/alt-text.html). That is the top site when Googling on alt text, and I remember printing that off at least 5 years ago to read (it's a keeper). If it's useful, can explain the concepts well, I reckon people will come and use the site.

[David]

Originally posted by francis@Sep 6 2004, 7:26 pm
As far as getting people to look at the site more it needs to be more useful. Maybe add some tutorials, maybe write up how you managed to get such a large and fast leap up the Google rankings. The tutorials don't have to be long, just well-written and easy to understand.
Well said Francis, this was always the intention of the site. BTW are you volunteering to write some tutorials? I was hoping to have done some myself by now but...

The idea of having a bunch of willing students who know their stuff always seemed the perfect recipie for creating a self-sustaining website. So, contributions welcome.

As for the Fabrik site, I'm still experimenting. The colours have remained the same (did you think I'd changed them?). I am working with images at the moment. I really like the flower image on there at the moment - the "manky" petals do not bother me. It all hints at natural process and it's the architectural and geometric quality of the flowers that are important. The fact that the image colours blend perfectly with the site colours is, of course, very important and makes (I think) for a beautiful composition.

You probably missed the Lego brick image and the field system image. Maybe when I have come to my final set of images we'll have a poll :D

[Tom]

I agree with Francis' and David's comments on the WA site and would like to suggest (1) a new topic (forum ) to discuss the content of this site (2) encouraging staff & students to contribute content, as suggested (3) working at developing links. If anyone contributes to other website discussion forums it would be good to mention the WA site. It would also be good if David and I and others put in links from the various sites we manage.

[James]

It would also be good if David and I and others put in links from the various sites we manage.

And can you link to our sites from WA in return? You scratch my back and all that!

[David]

Of course, we'd have to ensure that the sites we link to were of good enough quality :D ;)