When I posted last week about long threads, I heard a lot of frustration from people who have been around long enough to remember the site before the fresh new look. When I wrote the post, I hadn’t realized that reusing the same thread helps people keep track of the conversation. It was also eye-opening that people really wanted the post to be in the Parents Cafe because it’s harder to find stuff in other parts of the site. I mean, we can tell from site statistics how much damage the redesign caused, but I hadn’t fully understood the effect on people who are already using the site. This isn’t just a new user problem.
We’ve been planning to fix the site navigation. But before we get too far, I wanted to get your feedback on the first piece: a new Forum Index page. The page was purposely designed to resemble the list of categories from before the redesign. It doesn’t have the featured discussions section or the most recent thread on each forum. The goal is to just have a list of forums that people can browse.
We’d like to feature this page in our navigation. An obvious spot is the “Highlights” box in the right sidebar. It’s also going to be added to the home page.
The feedback I’d like to get is:
Is this page a step in the right direction? I know it’s not nearly enough, but is it progress?
The previous design had “Jump to Discussion Area” buttons that would scroll the page down to one of the four top-level categories. Did you use those buttons?
Do you find the number of threads and replies useful on that page?
Where should we put links to this page where you’d find them?
Other feedback might still be useful, but this isn’t the place to critique the font or the color scheme. We’re matching the style of the rest of the site and so that would be a much bigger discussion. For technical reasons, we aren’t showing the latest threads on this page. Reorganizing the forum hierarchy is also a task for another day.
Thank you - this is much clearer and easier to read than the current page. If the goal is to list the forums so people can browse by category, I say mission accomplished. Nicely uncluttered.
I never used “Jump to Discussion Area” so wouldn’t miss it.
That’s definitely a step in the right direction. I’ve only seen it so far on my relatively small iPhone, but it’s still hard to get a birdseye view. Is there any way to offer a “compact view” option with less white space and possibly smaller font? I will have to check it out on a desktop browser; I will remain optimistic. Definitely better.
I like it. It more closely resembles the former start page. Everything seems to be now listed in one place. Much easier to find all of the sub forums.
Not glitzy but who needs glitzy. We need functional.
ETA…why do you need the “highlights” if everything is so nicely listed. IIRC the highlights thing was added when folks couldn’t find things after the last upgrade which was a downgrade. I’m not sure it’s needed with this new list as you present it.
In response to your questions:
1. Is this page a step in the right direction? I know it’s not nearly enough, but is it progress?
YES, definitely, although as you say it needs work - Parents Forum does not currently appear, for example, although it’s very important.
2. The previous design had “Jump to Discussion Area” buttons that would scroll the page down to one of the four top-level categories. Did you use those buttons?
NEVER
3. Do you find the number of threads and replies useful on that page?
I DON’T UNDERSTAND THIS QUESTION - which page is “that page”? In general information regarding number of threads and replies is helpful in weeding out/skipping over inactive threads.
4. Where should we put links to this page where you’d find them?
MAYBE ABOVE HIGHLIGHTS, with the same level of prominence and then reduce the number of items under Highlights. Or eliminate the Highlights and just keep the Forum Index and the Latest Posts link. The Latest Posts link is important.
I don’t understand the question either, but I like what I saw in the link. Yes, do please bring that back.
Also, perhaps you could raise the present Highlights column so that it is not something one must scroll down the page to even know is there. Seems the profiles of guests and such on the left have prime shelf space.
My advice is to put the full index back on the main forum page. Lots of wasted space there and stuff that is kind of useless now that could be removed.
The index looks good and I easily found the Parents Forum and subheading of Parent Cafe. That’s the only place I usually go these days; my bookmarks open into it so I don’t use other links. Therefore I adjusted easily to the new format - once I found my way back in…
I think what is meant by this question is the inclusion after the main heading in the Forum Index of how many threads and replies are in that category. Yes, I find it helpful.
I love it! Agree with those who’ve said to replace “highlights” with the new section. Never ever have clicked on anything in Highlights except Latest Posts.
Had no trouble viewing new index on my android phone.
My litmus test was whether I could easily find the Learning Differences forum, which was destroyed by the upgrade, and I could. Well done.
