Latest website design - tidier hopefully

Write test posts here. This is the place to experiment with the forum. I may delete the contents from time to time.
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mrsonchus
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Latest website design - tidier hopefully

#1 Post by mrsonchus » Sat Aug 13, 2016 9:50 pm

Hi all, I've been slowly getting the measure of the web-site building software from BT and have come to what I think may be a nice clean, uncluttered basic layout that I can use to take the site's development a little further. I must get the first few pages at least usable and at best good enough to continue with as a design for the rest of the site, at least for the near future.

At the moment it has very basic functionality but seems to be quite coherent and easily navigated - I've lots to add as you may imagine, but I must start modestly as I have only so many hours to spend on the website, and very, very little expertise to bring to bear!

I've received some invaluable help, feedback and advice here in the forum for which I'm really grateful all! :D :)

If you get a chance to peruse and try it please do let me know your opinion and 'how it felt' to visit in this hopefully reasonably agreeable form.

p.s. - No, I doubt if I'll keep the rather striking purple! I only discovered how to change this about 15 minutes ago! :oops:

Thanks all for your continuing help and advice - very useful and kindly offered by the fine folk here! :)

Oh - here's the link mrsonchus.co.uk - all feedback is greatly received my friends. :)
John B

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zzffnn
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Re: Latest website design - tidier hopefully

#2 Post by zzffnn » Sat Aug 13, 2016 11:47 pm

It is much improved over the previous version. Content width/size is perfect on my Android phone.

One thing though, photos cannot be "opened in a new tab" as higher resolution version. It is fine not to provide full res for all photos (maybe that is your intent?), but maybe provide a few full res will showcase full glory?

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mrsonchus
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Re: Latest website design - tidier hopefully

#3 Post by mrsonchus » Sun Aug 14, 2016 2:28 am

zzffnn wrote:It is much improved over the previous version. Content width/size is perfect on my Android phone.

One thing though, photos cannot be "opened in a new tab" as higher resolution version. It is fine not to provide full res for all photos (maybe that is your intent?), but maybe provide a few full res will showcase full glory?
Ah, that's a good idea Fan, especially as I've yet to 'standardise' the picture shapes (and probably sizes) as entered into the current grid. The actual image sizes will I think need to be reduced but, the idea of the separately-opening tab for selected high-res images is a very good one. As you say, many of the slides have 'areas of interest' that are very suitable indeed as a 'showcase' for the slide quality on offer - I'll put that into the design - thanks for that Fan. :)

I really prefer the narrower layout now, and also the vertical (on the left of pages) arrangement of buttons - which means that additions will increase vertical size rather than quickly cause an ugly mismatch horizontally as in my earlier versions....

It seems (my layout) to have evolved into a 'portrait mode' page layout rather than the earlier 'landscape mode' - which I find far better personally, more suitable I think the the 'documentary style' of such a site rather than a multi-media orientated site that for example includes film and video as it's main theme perhaps....

Anyway, onward-ho! - :D :D

I'm pleased with the amount I've learned (and been taught) in the last couple of days and now feel able to exploit far more of the editing-software's capabilities. Within about another week I think I should have a 'proper' facility to view and choose slides implemented! I'm about 90% sure that I'll use this basic layout now - I like it thus far.

Thanks for your help again Fan, greatly appreciated - slowly but surely I'll get this beastie up & running - there's so much to add, lots of complementary info to come for certain around the topic of the histological adventures that slides offer.

Once the basic functionality is in place to peruse and maybe enquire or even order I can develop the rest at a more leisurely pace!
After all, I've been collecting many samples of Liverwort in my area (goodness I've skulked around in some dank places recently to scrape Liverworts from under bridges etc! :D :D ) recently and now have a definite 2, possibly 4 different species!
I've a whole raft of adventures planned for their investigation, not to mention some slides to make! Such fun! :D :D

The web-site's a very useful thing to have, especially if I can generate even a small income towards my lab's facilities, but my love is of Botany and histology - every hour spent developing the website includes 45mins wishing I was elbow-deep in leaves, stems and kaleidoscopic stains! :D :D

I'm learning a lot about the 'web-site stuff' and of course this will be useful knowledge - but an adjunct only to the Botany!

Ah - I love the sight of a well-filled gemmae-cup! :D

I've a nice Liverwort thread planned for the forum, detailing a lot of new material discovered - oh and I've been able (having fresh Liverworts at the right stage of maturity) to watch and will video the twisting-elaters throwing spores all over a slide! I'll put something nice together in the next couple of days - lots of pictures and Liverwort investigations to come soon!

Thanks again Fan! :D :)

hmmmm - Liverworts......
Teaser for next adventure...
Teaser for next adventure...
ws-liverwort-trays.jpg (113.78 KiB) Viewed 6132 times
Back soon. :)
John B

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gekko
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Re: Latest website design - tidier hopefully

#4 Post by gekko » Sun Aug 14, 2016 2:38 pm

Very nice. The only thing I would do differently is the top image: to my (admittedly bad) eyes, it looks as though it was taken through ground glass (blurry and low contrast). You may well have good reasons for this which are evident to most people but which escape me, so I am only giving this as one layman's reaction.

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mrsonchus
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Re: Latest website design - tidier hopefully

#5 Post by mrsonchus » Sun Aug 14, 2016 6:49 pm

gekko wrote:Very nice. The only thing I would do differently is the top image: to my (admittedly bad) eyes, it looks as though it was taken through ground glass (blurry and low contrast). You may well have good reasons for this which are evident to most people but which escape me, so I am only giving this as one layman's reaction.
Hi gekko,yes I deliberately 'screened' the image to give what I hoped was an image that didn't grab too much attention but still gave a little colour and orientation - but I agree with you here, the image is a bit of a horror in it's current form. These are easy details to fix, the hard part has been trying to get to grips with the whole idea of web-site design and implementation - it's all totally new to me.

I'm thinking perhaps of a row of staining-bottles or similar to give that 'apothecary-shop' look - or should I have a modern lab-look here? The possibilities are endless! :D :D

Thanks for the feedback gekko - it's all great food-for-thought my friend. :)
John B

billbillt
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Re: Latest website design - tidier hopefully

#6 Post by billbillt » Sun Aug 14, 2016 9:25 pm

Hi John,
I liked both designs.. But, I have to admit that the newest one seems to work faster..

The Best,
BillT

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