Skins

[MikeM]

Please tell me that there are plans to add more - this one is kinda blah, IMO of course.

[Gypsy Baron]

Please tell me that there are plans to add more - this one is kinda blah, IMO of course.

"blah" is a gross understatement, IMO.

Unfortunately the Invision board software makes use of poorly chosen colors and fonts

which I find makes it very difficult quickly scan/browse the forums that have gone

to this software.

IMO, there should be a very distinct means of seeing at a glance the topics that you have

previously read, or as a minimum, are new since your last visit WITHOUT having to resort

to "filtering". My preference is a BOLD font for the topic with the NEW Topics

highlighted and the OLD TOPICS in a subdued color. The sort

of "boldness" that is used with the "IP BOard Mobile" scheme.

There just is not enough contrast in the Invision board software for my old eyes. Clearly it was

designed by someone much younger who was more inclined towards "pretty" and "bells & whistles" than

functionality.

A couple of other boards that I frequent have gone to this software and I fear the future of my forum

contributions as a result if this trend continues!

Paul

[JohnD]

There are certainly visual clues - icons that illustrate threads that contain posts you have not read, as well as a "View New Content" - which specifically lists threads that have changed since your last visit. Look at the "DCP 3.0 Forum Index - Quick Reference Guide" at the top of this Member Service Center forum for clues as-to where to find those items.

As a point of clarification, colors and fonts are not defined by the Invision software per-se ... but rather by the 'skin' (template) the designer chooses to use. While a 'default' skin is provided by Invision - we have elected not to use it. We find that a combination of icons/elements plus color/font presentation provides the best information - especially in an interface that is already VERY busy.

Thank you both for your feedback. We'll keep your input in-mind as we look at ways to improve our systems.

[Jeff Zehner]

The skin/design of IPB is superb. Rarely do you hear compliments, but there ya go.

Change itself is the biggest confounding issue in determining design success. The subtleties can best be seen using a modern browser (not IE) - rounded corners, text effects etc. This shows a willingness and philosophy of Progressive Enhancement on the part of the IPB team. Excellent product!

To those who think garish color palettes are preferable... I feel for you. ;-)

If you need to "increase text size" - there is a nifty function in your browser called View -> Zoom (Firefox) or View -> Text Size (Internet Exploder)

[JamMan]

This new user interface is a step backward in only one locations: The thread topics page. Why do the colors alternate from dark blue to light blue and back going down? I wasn't getting lost before, now I am. Bring back the uniform color. Also, the text should start in the same place for each topic title, regardless of how many icon are put in front. I've found myself searching on the page for where the topic title starts. Why?

[Gypsy Baron]

There are certainly visual clues - icons that illustrate threads that contain posts you have not read, as well as a "View New Content" - which specifically lists threads that have changed since your last visit. Look at the "DCP 3.0 Forum Index - Quick Reference Guide" at the top of this Member Service Center forum for clues as-to where to find those items.

As a point of clarification, colors and fonts are not defined by the Invision software per-se ... but rather by the 'skin' (template) the designer chooses to use. While a 'default' skin is provided by Invision - we have elected not to use it. We find that a combination of icons/elements plus color/font presentation provides the best information - especially in an interface that is already VERY busy.

Thank you both for your feedback. We'll keep your input in-mind as we look at ways to improve our systems.

I don't scan "icons" when looking for content. I scan WORDS! The choice of the text font and the color scheme that has been chosen

makes it more difficult to find threads of interest. The only mouse actions I want to take are those associated with going from

page to page. I do NOT want to have to resort to filter options, etc.

Easy of use....the designers these days seem to have lost sight of that and gone for the "bells & whistles" and "pretty page"

approach.

Paul

[Gypsy Baron]

The skin/design of IPB is superb. Rarely do you hear compliments, but there ya go.

Change itself is the biggest confounding issue in determining design success. The subtleties can best be seen using a modern browser (not IE) - rounded corners, text effects etc. This shows a willingness and philosophy of Progressive Enhancement on the part of the IPB team. Excellent product!

To those who think garish color palettes are preferable... I feel for you. ;-)

If you need to "increase text size" - there is a nifty function in your browser called View -> Zoom (Firefox) or View -> Text Size (Internet Exploder)

Well, I must take issue with all that you find to show "a willingness and philosophy of Progressive Enhancement".

I don't ask for "garish color palettes". I ask for contrast that makes identifying read vs unread threads possible at a glance. Or if you will readvs unread.

As to the "nifty function" in my browser, I am well aware of it. I have already set my Firefox preferences to a minimum

font size of 14, however that doesn't seem to hold true for boards such as this.

I dislike the CTRL+mouse-wheel zooming and avoid using it. I'm not going to "tailor" Firefox to be able to read the, IMO,

aberrant boards and thus PORK the display of the forum boards that I find to be well designed and usable as they are.

Paul

[dcsnare93]

This new user interface is a step backward in only one locations: The thread topics page. Why do the colors alternate from dark blue to light blue and back going down? I wasn't getting lost before, now I am. Bring back the uniform color. Also, the text should start in the same place for each topic title, regardless of how many icon are put in front. I've found myself searching on the page for where the topic title starts. Why?

For the most part, that's the only issue I have with the new design -- the alternating row colors on the threads page. It's a bit too busy, visually. I honestly couldn't spend more than a minute or two scanning the page without getting frustrated before I fired up firebug and tweaked it myself. Using a uniform color made a huge difference alone, imo.

Result: http://i.imgur.com/6Otac.png

Edited December 7, 2010 by dcsnare93

[dbc03]

My biggest problem with the new design is that it is harder for me to pick out which topics I've posted in. The image for topics I've posted in just isn't as obvious as the old one.

I also feel like all the images and buttons are just too big. Feels like I'm on my grandma's computer with one of those extra large windows themes turned on.

[JohnD]

I am looking at the merits of modifying the alternating background color for the Forum Index and Topic List. We're doing a bit of testing with that and will have more on this in a day or so.

I'm not aware of an icon that indicates "topics I've posted in" - so can't comment on that. As for the icon set in-general, we have no plans to make a wholesale change to reduce icon size.

Thanks for your feedback.

-john