[Imc-web] front page redesign ideas

[Danielle Chynoweth]

Hi Kids -

Attached is a txt file of homepage redesign suggestions.  I am going to
start working with Clint on Wednesdays to implement some of these.  Please
review if you wish and send concerns to this list.

thanks,
d

-- 
| Danielle Chynoweth
|
| Art Director * OJC Technologies * www.ojctech.com
| City Council Member * Urbana City Council * www.city.urbana.il.us

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10/4/02 notes on redesign

Home:
- change all colors
- set all tds to <td valign="top">
- tweek all padding and spacing
- clean and simplify design 
- integrate logo and banner
- remove boxes

- re-distribute space between columns - give features more space and shrink right nav but stop wrapping of time stamp on right nav
- drop banner down
- add who we are to the banner
- banner graphic alterations
- add "urbana-champaign" to the logo
- make banner and top nav equal to height of the logo
- bring back imc location below banner
- shrink top navigation text
- change top nav to: about, publish, get involved, donate, newspaper, radio, library, gallery, shows (same order as participate) 
- add events section to imc that slurps from the calendar
- new graphics for search, participate, and media centers
- change order under participate to: publish, upload, volunteer, ...groups..., calendar
- change "info library" to about ucimc
- add login to "about ucimc" and remove from front page
- add search button and remove search capabilites from front page
- remove hello feature - what's its function?
- add a community links page (eventually)
- move media gallery to another place so publish can rise and be removed from top nav
- list on-going stories - allow publishers to catagorize their stories in these areas

Post an Article:
- explain difference between this and uploading media


Comparison with other sites:
nyc.indeymedia.org 
- clean and uncluttered due to the tiny banner, simple headings, and lines.
- they have special space for "media teams"
- if newswire is close enough to the top, you don't have to have a publish button 
- they have avoided repetition
- they moved search to the top bar and removed it from the front page
- newswire says "publish your news" with an arrow to newswire
- next to title they say "community-based participatory media"