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Suggestions for good themes? Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
I really do not like the default vBulletin theme. We need to find a new theme for the default, and having one or two other good choices for users wouldn't be bad, either.

I have done some searching around without much success. Does anyone have suggestions they'd like to throw out here? Perhaps another forum you know of that has a good theme?
 
They had a "poll" on vBulletin.com to elect the "best" theme of the month:
http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=178942
They even have a page with the successive "Board of the month"
I'm not sure I really found one I liked there, but it can give you some ideas...


Corentin

Last edited by Cortig; 2006-03-25 at 07:22 AM..
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott Maier
I really do not like the default vBulletin theme. We need to find a new theme for the default, and having one or two other good choices for users wouldn't be bad, either.
The main problem that I have with the default theme is that, with the threaded display mode, too much vertical space is wasted. The logo and the navigation bar take up 1/3 of the vertical space. The thread tree takes up another 1/3. That leaves 1/3 vertical space left for the actual post. This is with the default window height of 750 pixels.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by eugene
The main problem that I have with the default theme is that, with the threaded display mode, too much vertical space is wasted. The logo and the navigation bar take up 1/3 of the vertical space. The thread tree takes up another 1/3. That leaves 1/3 vertical space left for the actual post. This is with the default window height of 750 pixels.

it is somehow true, but I do want to have the thread representation. I find it really helpful.

Corentin
 
Sometime today the forum theme changed from a very readable font to a tiny font. While I can still read it, I feel like I'm taking an eye exam.

I tried increasing the font size using OmniWeb's Bigger Text feature, but that seems to make the text bolder as well as larger. It's not as crisp and readable as before

I took a quick look thru the User Control Panel to see if the forum theme is a user option. Is that possible?

BTW, the font in the message editor remains at the original size. Try previewing a new message, which shows the published font and editing font in the same window.

-- Ward
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cortig
it is somehow true, but I do want to have the thread representation. I find it really helpful.
I like the thread tree too. I'd rather see the a much-thinner logo and minimal vertical whitespace (between the top of the window and the logo, the logo and the navigation bar, the navigation bar and the thread tree, and so on). Or maybe even (ick) do the 3-panel scheme: vertical navigation bar as a narrow left column, and the big right column split into a narrower top thread tree and a bigger bottom content window. :confused:
 
Grrr. I got logged out while creating a reply because my husband called and talked with me for a while. The message was still here, but when I tried to post it, I was told I wasn't allowed to do that. :mad:

Anyway, I managed to increase the text size, and it's okay on my Apple Cinema Display.

I looked at the other theme examples, but maybe the content and garish colors turned me off. I didn't see anything I liked.

I want something compact and clean. I'm looking for information here rather than buddies. Aim for efficient elegance. For example, we don't need the "post icons" and thread ratings. Yes, I used a smiley, but I didn't need to and considered leaving it off.

I like the indenting of each thread as a block, but it's too wide on each level. There's just too much wasted space. I have a big display here, but if I'm reading on my laptop, it's going to be cramped. Let's find a default theme that is compact and no-nonsense so that it conveys information but isn't splashy. Make a fluffier, more graphical theme an option. Sorry, I don't have examples.

Last edited by bethkatz17582; 2006-04-06 at 06:29 AM.. Reason: To trim out wasted space including my signature
 
Hybrid mode seems to be the way to go with the thread map showing at the top. Despite my previous message, the actual text indenting doesn't seem to be consistent and it's misleading if you are reading the messages in chronological order. So I'd get rid of that.
 
I'm feeling opinionated (and I researched this earlier in the week and had the forum lose the post ) ...

I wandered through the examples looking at themes and wondering what I liked about each one. When I visit this forum, I'm looking for information not buddies. So I'd like the information to be readily accessible.

Having tabs at the top for categories seems good. I liked the idea of tabs at The Admin Zone (http://www.theadminzone.com/forums/) and SitePoint (http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/). However, these sites encompass the whole of their purpose. Omni Group has the separate web site for many of the things shown on those tabs. So I'd probably make the tabs the top-level forum headings. Or I'd make them links to stored information.

For ease of use and a bit of advertising, I think it would be good to have the products there. And include a link to the Omni web site as well.

Another thing I liked about The Admin Zone was the trimmed down option list band. This forum's band lists Control Panel, FAQ, Members List, Calendar, New Posts, Search, Quick Links, and Log Out. But the The Admin Zone band lists only Register, Today's Posts, and Search. Seeing the member's list and calendar isn't important. And many of the other things are available through QuickLinks if someone needs them. So I suggest merely QuickLinks (calling it Extras, Options, or Go, ..), FAQ, New Posts, Search, and Logout.

Anything you can do to shrink the space used would be good. It's easy to read this on a big display, but try to think about those of us reading on laptops. We're looking for information and quickly finding answers. I'd fit the Omni logo, the tab connections, and the login/welcome part all in the top 1.5 inches of the frame. That was something else I liked about the other two forums.

But the icons for new posts versus no-new posts should be distinctive. That was another thing I liked about The Admin Zone. Subtle icons help experienced and frequent users. Obvious icons help casual users. I realize that Omni apps are elegantly wonderful. However, if people come to the forums looking for answers, they shouldn't have to learn the forum software as well. Help them find what they need. Make it elegantly obvious.
 
Hey Beth, I like your feedback and tend to agree. As I mentioned in another thread, the OG really needs to look at what they want to create with the forum. They may have, and we just don't know.

Here's how I tackle implementing a forum/community.
1. First thing to do is determine the audience. Not just who I anticipate coming, but who I want to attract.
2. Next item is to determine what intended result of the forum is. Tech support? Community? Both? Is it more members-helping-members or an official channel for the OG?
3. Determine how 1 & 2 go together. For example, if the intent is to attract a broad audience, add categories such as general discussion, political/debate... if it's to support only the software then only provide categories related to that. (And now we see they have created a general discussion area.)
4. Based on the above, prioritize the built-in features. Then look for any gaps and see if there are any mods which fill those in. The priority list is very important. This will help design the site's information architecture and prevent less important items from fighting for visibility with more important items.

I can go on, but you get the idea. Your recognition of other boards and how they, for example, trimmed the nav down are prime examples of prioritizing. Sure some people will not be happy that the background color doesn't change ever two seconds, but when priorities are set those decisions are easy.
 
 


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