WEBSITE suggestions: Layout, Design, Etc

SFGIdeas wrote:

Shoda wrote:My suggestion would be to make page layout be more friendly to laptops. My laptop is 1200 x 800 ( or something close to that) and I love to read the forums while the TV is on. Trouble is, the page header (Green bar & SFG graphic), menu bar and such take over half of the vertical space. This means in order to use the forum on my laptop, every page has to be scrolled down so that the content displays. 400px is a lot for static stuff. Would be nice if this could be smaller.

Thanks for asking.

That's interesting that you have to scroll on your laptop. Our page is set up at 1000 x 650 so there should be no reason why you would have to scroll on the main website for anything other than merchandise. We will look into it but you may want to check your computer settings as well. Thank you again.

I think the original poster is speaking about the forum, not the main site. Even on my laptop I can see all but the very last line of text on the main site. But, the header on the forum takes up most of my screen space on the desktop as well as laptop. I like the banner you use -- pretty -- but perhaps for the forum use something much shorter?

jkdistad wrote:

SFGIdeas wrote:

Toastie wrote:How about an iphone app or at least a version of the website I can access on my iphone

Also how about a wikipedia so we can look at tips from other users about certain seeds and such

We are currently in the process of building an iPhone. Keep your eyes open for it in the application store in about a week or two!!

This excites me! will it be a free app, or paid?

We will be offering both.

The biggest problem with the site is the use of flash. It is very slow to load, and you cannot search the text, nor link to it. The best approach for users is "KISS" (keep it simple stupid), I am more interested in accessing and sharing information - technical gimmickry is getting in the way.

pattipan wrote:...Here's a well laid out site with lots and lots of content.
http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/index.shtml
Note how much info they were able contain on their home page -- with links and images to important content. The navigation is on the left and expands to sub-menus as needed. It loads very FAST too. Is the print too small? -- no problem! -- just hold down your CTRL key and scroll with your mouse wheel (or touchpad scroll). The entire page and text becomes larger. This is accessibility.
Patti

I agree with Patti that her example is a great example of clean, professional, easy to navigate, non-flash site with TONS of content. If the SFGF could emulate something like that in a new site it would be GREAT! ...and there was much rejoicing, yea!

SFGideas...

re teaching/learning section. I will study that section more thoroughly and give feedback but am on the road for a few days so may not get to it till next week. Hope that's ok.

Claire

mckr3441 wrote:SFGideas...

re teaching/learning section. I will study that section more thoroughly and give feedback but am on the road for a few days so may not get to it till next week. Hope that's ok.

Claire

That is absolutely fine. Enjoy your "road trip".

I think the focus of an informational web site should be content and ease of navigation. Flash should be embedded here and there as a cherry on top!

I addressed the scrolling issue here:

https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/outside-the-box-f40/scrolling-in-the-forum-t2140.htm#14888

boffer wrote:I think the focus of an informational web site should be content and ease of navigation. Flash should be embedded here and there as a cherry on top!

I addressed the scrolling issue here:

[url=https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/outside-the-box-f40/scrolling-in-the-forum-t2140.htm#14888

https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/outside-the-box-f40/scrolling-in-the-forum-t2140.htm#14888[/quote[/url]]

Boffer, Thank you so much for creating the topic for the scrolling issue. It seems to me the scrolling issue is only one that is seen on the forum and not on our actual webpage. The only scrolling that should need to be done on our website (not forum) would be navagating through our merchandise and information.

One more thought... I think a SFG badge would be nice. Something we can put on our web sites and blogs that links back to the SFG.com site.

SFG Badge! What a great idea Tim!

Here's another idea - have a proper footer - with the Foundation's address and phone number - at the bottom of every page. This will make it very easy for people to contact you. Right now there isn't an address or phone number listed anywhere that I can find (and I just spent several minutes searching). Instead there is a "form" to fill out and send.

I was in need of the foundation's address and phone number because I'm submitting a proposal to teach SFG to my city's recreation department and they want to verify my credentials. Well, since I took the correspondence course to get my SFG teacher certification and my diploma was emailed to me as a .doc file the formatting and the fonts are a bit off making the final printed version look less than official. (A .pdf would have kept all fonts and formatting intact btw.) Instead of finding the required info easily and effortlessly I had do dig through the CD's that came with my course to locate the info.

jkdistad wrote:

SFGIdeas wrote:

Toastie wrote:How about an iphone app or at least a version of the website I can access on my iphone

Also how about a wikipedia so we can look at tips from other users about certain seeds and such

We are currently in the process of building an iPhone. Keep your eyes open for it in the application store in about a week or two!!

This excites me! will it be a free app, or paid?

Howdy y'all. We now have an iphone app to help with your gardening. We partnered with 'garden tracker' and have designed a version of their app just for SFG. I have set up a thread for it on the forum and a page on our main website. Try it it out. The app is $1.99 and there is a limited version available for free. Let me know what you like and what could be improved. Alan

I just downloaded the app... am putting in all my info... looks pretty neat so far, but I've only just started, LOL!. Are kohlrabi seriously 16/square? I thought the 5 I have in one of my squares was pushing it size-wise. hmmm....

Thanks for making an app! If I think of any suggestions or ideas for it, is this the place to post them?

jkdistad wrote:I just downloaded the app... am putting in all my info... looks pretty neat so far, but I've only just started, LOL!. Are kohlrabi seriously 16/square? I thought the 5 I have in one of my squares was pushing it size-wise. hmmm....

Thanks for making an app! If I think of any suggestions or ideas for it, is this the place to post them?

alright, here's a question... is there a way we can input more than one kind of plant per square? Like, for example, in my garden, I have some lettuce in the inner corners of 4 squares under my snap pea tee-pee.

jkdistad wrote:Thanks for making an app! If I think of any suggestions or ideas for it, is this the place to post them?

Thanks for the feedback; for now, this is the place for it.

The OP is Squarefoot=Alan. He runs the website and is handling the iPhone app. He's not always able to participate in the forum everyday, so answers may be slow in coming. I know there are a few other members trying out the app, and perhaps they will have suggestions to offer as well.

I am always open to suggestions. (I can't guarantee they will all be implemented as I still have to run everything through Mel) Thanks guys!

Just curious as the forum grows is it possible to get subforums for common plants and have an area for herbs that is subdivides also
Not sure how feasible it is right now but in a few growing seasons as the forums expands it might be something too look at

OK troublemaker!! Check for a PM!

As the sfg forum grows, there is wonderful information being posted and accumulated. We're aware that it is getting buried and are concerned about that. We want it accessible for members down the road, and don't want to lose it like we did when we changed software in early March.

Expansion of the forum directory must be done carefully. Having more dedicated forums would help a bit while looking for specific info, but, the bigger it is, the more intimidating and confusing it becomes for new members. We've been looking at some compromises.

My scrolling issue was for the forum. Sorry. I didn't have that problem with the main website.