[thelist] New site - Critique for look/feel/user experience (http://www.hughblair.com/)

[Duncan O'Neill]

Hugh,

Just a small addition. The hierarchical menu rollovers are
not behaving as they should, and are causing Javascript
errors in NN4.7 on my PC.

No error is reported when the menu for 'agreements'
appears. But when I roll over 'pricing' on the main menu,
the 'registration' menu does not disappear. The top part
of it shows behind the 'pricing' menu, and the first javascript
error is triggered. This is the error report;

====
JavaScript Error: http://www.hughblair.com/, line 84:

Layer visibility property must be set to one of 'hide',
'show' or 'inherit'.
=====
Both menus disappear when I mouse over another main menu
item, but both reappear (as above) when I mouse over the
'pricing' item again.

The bottom two sub-menus also generate more instances of
the above javascript error.

hth,

Duncan O'Neill
http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~dbaxo/urban_legend.htm
=============================================
----- Original Message -----
From: "Hugh Blair" <hblair at hotfootmail.com>
To: <thelist at lists.evolt.org>
Sent: Monday, April 08, 2002 9:02 AM
Subject: RE: [thelist] New site - Critique for look/feel/user experience
(http://www.hughblair.com/)


> Newer version up at http://www.hughblair.com/ - and THANKS to
> all that looked and responded. Sorry this is long, but I've put
> all the responses in this one email. You folks are great!
> -Hugh
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > On Behalf Of Ed McCarroll
> >
> > I loved the "style..." concept - I got to pick the one that worked
> > best for my taste/browser/configuration.  In my case that meant I
> > got to choose between the one with the best contrast (1) and the
> > one that made the links most recognizable (3).
>
> Thanks. My first experiment at doing that. Still much to learn.
>
> > As a newbie, I did not catch on immediately to what the styles
> > were all about; Bob's response clued me.  Changing the label from
> > "style ..." to "site style:" would help.
>
> How about "page style"?
>
> > The lack of underlines in the linked words (registrar, management,
> > etc.) was confusing.
>
> Changed. More about that later...
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > On Behalf Of sasha
> >
> > and how will non-javascript browsers (like lynx)
> > be able to access certain areas of your site?
>
> I'm not really sure. Anybody that can take a look?
>
> > being an opera user with both iframes and pop-ups
> > disabled, i cannot see the news content you
> > intended.  why dont you just make it an include of
> > some sort to just make it easier for everyone?
>
> With iframes and pop-ups dead, you're right, you won't
> see the "news". I may change this a little later.
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > On Behalf Of Hassan Schroeder
>
> > Moz0.9.9/Win:: looks nice, but while the left menu and the top
> > right [home][?][@][c] buttons all have mouseover behaviors, the
> > style selections [1][2][3][4] do not, nor does the cursor change
> > to a hand to indicate a link - so it's not at all clear they're
> > 'clickable' rather than decorative.
>
> Good point, I'll look at makeing that change in the next build,
> probably tonight. Thanks.
>
> > NS4.79/Win:: the News section is just a link, which when clicked
> > produces a popup containing:
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------
> >   Not Found
> >   The requested URL /netscapenews/nnnewsframeset.htm was not found on
> >   this server.
>
> Sorry, I didn't make that page for NS users yet. First thing next
> on the list.
>
> > The style selection 'buttons' are flattened to a couple of pixels
> > high.
>
> Actually, they're supposed to be totally flat.
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > On Behalf Of cdj
> >
> > Is the entire site suppose to disappear when you rollover the menu links
>
> Fixed - bad css build. Sorry.
>
> > One thing that I have noticed in the default style is that the
> > background of the text and the menu cell do not line up, whereas, once I
> > click on style 1 they do.
>
> That should be changed now. Thanks for finding it.
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > On Behalf Of Bob Boisvert
> >
> > Actually, I think the use of strong is fine as long as those links at
the
> > very least have an underline under them signifying it's a link.  A
> > discussion about underlined links quite a while ago on the list argued
that
> > users don't recognize a link if it's not underlined simply because that
what
> > the user is used to.
> >
> > The underline to the user means they can go elsewhere in the site so I
think
> > the use of strong somewhere else in you content would be fine also, no
> > underline means no link.
>
> Everyone mentioned the links - and I've added them on all styles. Y'all
made
> good points and I agree. I'm a little surprised though to hear this issue
> put as strong as it was. More and more I see sites that don't have links
> underlined. Maybe I'm just getting used to flying my mouse all over the
> screen, or checking for links by hovering. Anyway, links are now on.
Thanks
> to all for that input.
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > On Behalf Of Joseph A Borg
> >
> > First: I prefer style 1 by far, some UI issues:
> > >> Link underlining:
> > Have to thread slowly on this one: not easy to go against
> > a Neilsen convention ;-)
>
> Yeh, you too. I got the loud and constant voice from the group. :>)
>
> > >> Main menu:
> > try to limit the options a user would have to juggle ( menus,
> > ideas/concepts, lists) in groups of 5-9, at 13 you're going to be
> > terribly unlucky ;-)
>
> LOL - never counted - never saw the "13". Hmmm, will think on that.
>
> > >> LAYOUT structure & color:
> > The most important page groupings are:
> > masthead: top left corner (correct)  (I would always link it to
> > homepage)
>
> Done.
>
> > simple menu: it's too far right (it's aimed at novices right?
> > so place it nearer the masthead using a darker masthead
> > colour (ocre?)
>
> I'm not sure what you're describing as the "simple menu." Do you mean
> the 4 fly-out submenus?
>
> > main-menu: 7±2 the magic number: should be coloured
> > similar to masthead lighter maybe?
>
> Brain cramp: I don't get what you're describing here.
>
> >main-text area: good as is... though I would re-structure its use:
> > the side bar with the news is useless where it is, should be
> > incorporated into the main text area: that's where everything
> > is happening! Right? So make up some templates for this area
> > for news items, short stories, long stories...
>
> Thanks for the input, but I think I'll leave it there for now. I plan
> on making the 'index' content more news oriented so the sidebar could
> be skipped as not too important.
>
> > layout:
> > even though the eye sees the whole page, a new user has to absorb
> > the whole stuff and from the ques you provide, determine what is
> > most important, how things group together: the conceptual clusters
> >
> > users:
> > another magic number: 80/20, don't forget that 20% of the site users
> > are going to generate 80% of the traffic/value so try to determine who
> > they are, and how to best serve them. you are morally justified after
> > all you are not peddling spirits to alcoholics...
>
> Hey Joe, I appreciate all this great imput. I'm sure the structure and
> content will evolve as users (hopefully) find the site and I can determine
> who 'da h*ll they are. My guess is that most will be a little above the
> general 'civilian' population. Time will tell.
>
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