Help, please! Critique Clarity's new look

[Sparhawk]

There is an institutional, dogmatic aspect of the Yi I personally do not find very inviting or appealing. The Yi is so old, so encrusted with traditions and theories, that it is no easy task to break through all the shells that encase it. Here at Clarity there is space to brush the past aside, and approach the Yi in a direct, personal way. We are not required to worship sacred cows or lifeless idols. We are welcome to bring our own ideas with us, but Clarity is pretty much an open market – ideas are bought and sold on their own merits at the day’s going rate.

Sigh... Lindsay, amen for that. Great observation! The world is full of "Yi Masters" and "Aspiring Yi Masters" that believe they hold the candle of "truth" regarding the Yijing...

L

 

[bruce_g]

I like this latest version, Hilary. I find is more "airy"...

L

And less lemony. I'd move the logo a tad more to the left, and would also consider dropping it down a bit partly over the menu bar. Just a bit too 60.6, me thinks. Makes me want to ruffle its hair enough to look relaxed and natural.

Oh, by logo, I only meant the symbol, not the name.

 

[hilary]

less lemony

Um - I haven't changed any colours... This is what you get for looking at things for too long. Unless Dawud's changed something already. And yes, I'm hoping to shunt the logo around a bit.

 

[bruce_g]

Cha! The menu bar on version 1 is longer, hence more lemon. Is this new one a bit too narrow?

I like the reduction of the top dark blue. Like Luis said, it looks more airy and open. I also like the tabs, and am not fond of drop down menus. It seems intuitive and continuous with the newer IE and Firefox tabbed browsers.

I'm easy with 3, but can't resist the urge to muss its hair just a little.

 

[bruce_g]

What if that red stripe (which you don't like) was a long Wormyi-tze? Ya know, a branding character element? Like Tony the Tiger, or the Geico gecko lizard, or.. or..

 

[Sparhawk]

What if that red stripe (which you don't like) was a long Wormyi-tze? Ya know, a branding character element? Like Tony the Tiger, or the Geico gecko lizard, or.. or..

Hilary, I'll e-mail you a contract for Wormyi-Tze. My client and I will make you a deal you can't refuse. Our usual price in the studios is a little steep but we are among friends here...

L

 

[bruce_g]

Good hustle, Luis!

 

[bruce_g]

View attachment 269

 

[hilary]

Is this new one a bit too narrow?

Right. I'm going to commission a new script from Ewald. Everyone will enter their proposed width for the text block, in pixels, and it will calculate a running average and adjust the stylesheet accordingly in real time.

There. Simple.

(Negotiations with Wormyi continue behind closed doors.)

 

[ewald]

Shouldn't be too hard.

 

[hilary]

I think this could be a good moment to rename the forum 'forums'/ areas, don't you?

Those who joined before I was born may remember that the 'Friends' Area' was so called because it was the only place you couldn't post without first signing up. Now the whole place is the 'Friends' Area' - and maybe if we called the readings forum 'Reading Exchange' or something, we wouldn't get newcomers posting readings in 'Divination discussion'?

Speaking of which - there has got to be something snappier than 'Divination discussion, advice and tips' to describe an area for discussing hexagrams and divination outside the context of individual readings. Suggestions?

'Announcements' is defunct and can be closed (since Vbulletin has its own announcements system). I never managed to sort out what went in 'News and Reviews' versus 'I Ching news' versus 'Clarity news' (yes, this thread is in the wrong place), so I might as well merge those.

So we basically have...
Readings
Not readings, but divination-related
News, also divination-related
Open Space

Any good ideas for names? Something that manages to be both comprehensible and succinct?

 

[ewald]

Good ideas.
I like the four subforums. Some brain storming for names:

1. Readings / Practical Readings
2. Meta Discussion / Theoretical Readings / Yijing Theory
3. News
4. Open Space / Anything

 

[hilary]

That's good. Nice, short and clear.

Though #2 is tricky, isn't it? Maybe because it's two forums in one: meta-discussion (I like that, but how many people'll know what it means?), and also talk about particular hexagrams/ lines. Don't want to subdivide it, though - too much fuss. (There are forums where the moderators spend ages moving threads to the Right Place.)

1. Readings in practice
2. Reading in theory

?

 

[RindaR]

1. Life application
2. Theory

??

 

[Trojina]

We don't really do readings for each other do we, we just share ideas about interpretations. To me 'readings' alone sound too cut and dried/formal as if some have the knowledge and some are recipients of it - I think its important to give idea its a place for sharing intepretations - hmm so something like 'shared readings area' ? Sounds clumsly though i guess.

You could always leave it as it is

I'm not quite sure what meta discussion is ? I think its discussion about discussion ?

 

[getojack]

How about...

1. What's this I Ching thing anyway? (Divination Discussion)
2. What's your Hexagram? (Friends Area)
3. What's new? (Divination News)
4. Wuzzup? (Open Space)

 

[bruce_g]

1. Readings
2. Readings about readings
3. Readings about the reading of readings

But seriously, I think the ones here now are simple and easy to understand.

 

[pdparsons]

I'll vote for the "Alternative" sample...

I'd give a "thumbs up" for the Alternative example... the word, "Clarity", needs the "clarity" of display as seen there. Both are, otherwise, very similar, even taking the heavier shading into account on the "proposed" version.

If a statistical inference test were to be given to even hundreds of casual viewers, I suspect many wouldn't recall any diffence if faced with the "alternative" header being occasionally slipped into play.

That said, I'd still give the "aternative" the edge for clean, simplistic tastefulness.

PDP

 

[hilary]

Ack, I really need to get the hang of email notification from my own forum! Sorry I missed the last few responses until now.

PDP, you have a nice point about the differences I'm fretting over not being noticeable to normal people. But the latest from Dawud, just btw, is here. (Dunno why he keeps turning the main text blue. It won't be.)

Anyhow, what to call things...

The new layout has a tab for 'Members' Area' that'll lead straight into the free membership - and since when you sign up here you 'join as a Friend', that's logically the 'Friends' Area': the whole thing, downloads and excerpts and I Ching Community and all. It doesn't make sense to have just one subforum bear this label. (Bruce, I think it makes sense to you because you're a Clarity dinosaur. No disrespect intended. )

I like 'Shared readings' for - well, the place where readings are shared. Hard to misconstrue.

And I can see the attraction of 'wuzzup?' - though maybe that's just because I like words with two 'z's in, as they make me think of furry hats for some reason. Where was I? Oh yes...

1. Shared readings
2.
3. News, reviews
4. Open Space

'Divination discussion, advice and tips' actually covers it pretty well for #2, but it lacks a certain snappiness, don't you think? Also it won't fit on the menu.
"Reading in theory"
"All things divination"
"Divination discussion"
"About divination"



Well, at least they're pretty much intelligible, if lacking in spark. And at least these things can be changed with minimal fuss any time inspiration strikes. Any preferences? Or inspirations?

 

[heylise]

How about 'theory' for 2? Then readings will go where they are supposed to go, to readings. Everything else is not clear to someone who is in love-stricken panic, but 'theory' is the last thing he/she is looking for.

LiSe

 

[ewald]

I like LiSe's idea.

 

[Sparhawk]

(Bruce, I think it makes sense to you because you're a Clarity dinosaur. No disrespect intended. )

I'm starting to wonder what's my adjective...

L

 

[hilary]

Something with 'theory' in it - good. David says 'Theory Zoo', which perhaps fits too well. 'Divination theory', then?

 

[bruce_g]

Shared readingzz?

 

[bruce_g]

theoryzz?

 

[Sparhawk]

theoryzz?

You are falling asleep on us... Time for another cup of Joe...

 

[Trojina]

How about 'theory' for 2? Then readings will go where they are supposed to go, to readings. Everything else is not clear to someone who is in love-stricken panic, but 'theory' is the last thing he/she is looking for.

LiSe

I like LiSe's idea too - anything for a love-stricken panic free zone

 

[bruce_g]

For me, 'theory' sounds too wishy washy, not very snappy.

um...

Contemplation Den
Views
Perspectives
Yi Musings
Think Tank
Fish Tank
Exchanges
Mars Hill
Groping for Answers.....

 

[Trojina]

For me, 'theory' sounds too wishy washy, not very snappy.

um...

Contemplation Den
Views
Perspectives
Yi Musings
Think Tank
Fish Tank
Exchanges
Mars Hill
Groping for Answers.....

I like Contemplation Den, except the drawback would be those in a love stricken panic would go there to contemplate their love stricken panic

 

[bruce_g]

You are falling asleep on us... Time for another cup of Joe...

Sounds like a good idea (said the dinosaur to the New Jersey Stud).