Been working on a design, need input

It doesn't matter if you do all the error checking in the world, or if you have the most beautiful graphics, if your site or application design isn't usable, it's not going to do well. Get input and advice on usability and user interface issues here.

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gaogier
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Been working on a design, need input

Post by gaogier »

Hello

We love the design, but 2 things are letting it down, the RuneHints logo - Needs updating, and the icons (between RuneHints logo and the RuneScape logo)

What I need, is people to tell me how to improve?

http://www.runehints.com/rune-new-mockup-final_2.jpg

Your views?


New update image http://runehints.com/rune_new_modified3.jpg
Last edited by gaogier on Sat Jun 19, 2010 11:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Eran
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Re: Been working on a design, need input

Post by Eran »

Do you want feedback just on the logo and icons or on the entire design?
gaogier
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Re: Been working on a design, need input

Post by gaogier »

Just the icons, which will be links in the top navi.

Our side navi will have a collapse feature.

How to improve the icons? (the background)
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Eran
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Re: Been working on a design, need input

Post by Eran »

You have a usability problem with the top navigation in general. Using just icons for navigation is bad from a usability standpoint, especially when the icons are not extremely familiar. As it is, I would have to either hover with the mouse and expect to get a bubble telling me where the link goes, or click on it and find out for myself. Using icons is nice visually, but at least add a word describing to the target page.

Regarding the icons themselves, it seems it has two problems - first, contrast between some of the icons and the background is low, making them hard to identify. The gradient-textured background might also be too much in this case, grabbing too much eye-attention. Second, they are too detailed and three-dimensional. It would probably be best to go with flatter (if not completely flat) icons.

Just my 2 cents.
gaogier
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Re: Been working on a design, need input

Post by gaogier »

pytrin wrote:You have a usability problem with the top navigation in general. Using just icons for navigation is bad from a usability standpoint, especially when the icons are not extremely familiar. As it is, I would have to either hover with the mouse and expect to get a bubble telling me where the link goes, or click on it and find out for myself. Using icons is nice visually, but at least add a word describing to the target page.

Regarding the icons themselves, it seems it has two problems - first, contrast between some of the icons and the background is low, making them hard to identify. The gradient-textured background might also be too much in this case, grabbing too much eye-attention. Second, they are too detailed and three-dimensional. It would probably be best to go with flatter (if not completely flat) icons.

Just my 2 cents.

Thanks, just want I was after.

With the bad usability part, well its a fansite for a MMORPG - Huge game 130+million accounts. Therefore our users will know what each icon will mean, so no need to have a name under, however they are going to be a drop down menu, so you hover over and a menu will drop below, so the user can then click on the "right" link. We have also kept the side navi, so that users can find what they want fast, if they are new to the site, New to the game or just like to use side navi's.
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Eran
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Re: Been working on a design, need input

Post by Eran »

The 130+ million accounts sounds a bit much... I looked it over, and this article claims there are 1.25 million subscribers - which isn't bad, but not exactly 130
http://www.brighthub.com/video-games/mm ... 35992.aspx
gaogier
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Re: Been working on a design, need input

Post by gaogier »

The game is free to play, therefore 1.25 million are the people who pay for the membership, who get weekly updates.

What I am on about, there are somewhere between, 10-15 million active accounts, and 130-140 accounts created.

Please note, some users have created more than 1 account, all included in the 130 million accounts.

Eiter way, out target base know the game, know the icons, know what they mean, therefore should be able to use the top navi.
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Eran
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Re: Been working on a design, need input

Post by Eran »

I see. 15 million accounts is a lot :)
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Re: Been working on a design, need input

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