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Announcements | 05 May 06 | Comments (35) | Stumble
We've had the same look and feel for a while now and we're thinking of updating MoCo Loco to this design - and we'd like to get your opinion. It's a three-column layout derived from the original design. The decision is driven by many factors, but the primary one is that three columns allows for more/different types of content. Please let us know what you think by leaving a comment. BTW, every comment posted this month is elegible for our book giveaway
That layout looks great! I also think the two colomns look and work fine too though.
thumbs up
Redesign is always fun, and probably mandatory for a site like this. I have to say, though, that this new design is a bit wider than I'd expect. With my web browser's default width, I'd usually cut off the third column, probably to the dismay of your advertisers.
But the truth is that I'd really wish you'd instead spend the time improving your RSS feed.
90% of what I read is via a news reader (NetNewsWire). I imagine that I'm in the minority of your audience, but it's a growing minority: once you start using a news reader, it's impossible to go back.
The limited blurbs in your feed make it so I read only a fraction of what you publish. Since reading the full story means leaving the news reader and visiting the site, I only visit when something looks promising. Overall, I find that I read a lot less of your content than that of other sites.
If you had a feed with full text (including advertising in the feed is FINE!), I'd read a lot more. Almost every other site I read has a full feed available.
RSS use is growing. Why continue to cripple it?
Thanks for listening,
Brad
I am a big fan of your site and I always find something inspiring from the contents you pull in. If you were to use the newly proposed 3 columns design, I would put the Directory column on the left side of the page, the main body in the middle and the Index and the right hand side to balance the page.
Keep up the good work.
I guess for blogging, the layout is easy, but I would love a more visual approach-check out the nice navigation of favorite web awards:
www.thefwa.com
I think the new layout with the third column will be really effective for the site. There are three things that keep me coming back often to this site:
1. Quality - interesting+provoking links
2. Freshness - not only are the links current, but also are updated constantly, making it one of the most active sites i've seen and makes me want to come back often so that i don't miss out on some 'breaking news'!
3. Quantity - multitude of variety
The third column will only expand the positive qualities of the site by adding more interesting, fresh links that will be more accessible.
On a different note, I'm not a huge fan of the light green stripe. With such an interesting array of content, the monocromatic scheme lets the content speak for itself without getting distracting.
Thanks for running this site, keep up the great work!
conor
(winnipeg)
Great comments and suggestions, thank you. Regarding RSS, we've actually been working on it and will deploy something soon.
Well, to be honest, I have a hard time distinguishing the advertisements on the #2 column from the Directory on #3 column
No reason why the directory cant go below the ads.
I do agree the appeal of the design lies in how visual it can get..so the more visual and the less scrolling involved, the better.
I like it. Would be even better with a little more color thrown in.
Julian
I like the current design. Will the three columns display well in an average browser, or am I going to have to scroll sideways? (yuck)
The columns don't seem to fit in a normal browser window. Btw, it would be great if you could include the images in the RSS feed so I could avoid having to click-on-each-entry-to-see-it. This would save bandwidth on both sides.
I should have mentioned that we would be adopting the 3-column layout, not the content that you see in the Montreal city guide. In other words, the 3rd column won't be a directory, it will be a mix of new content and ads. I've duly noted the desire for more visual elements (it's going into the brief). As for lack of color and screen size, I believe the new content will provide the missing color. We'll make sure to put the most ads in the 3rd column so that small screens won't be disadvantaged. However, a lot of you have big screens, check this out: http://www.sitemeter.com/?a=stats&s=s18freshmoco&r=73
The new layout looks more interesting than the current one.
However, I'm a bit bothered by the gap on the left: although there's a gap on the current layout (much larger), on the new one it bothers because of a) the colors between the background of the page and the background of the posts (green lines vs. grey to white gradient); b) the diagonal lines at the top of the main container simply seem cut off by "nothing" (there isn't enough contrast between the backgrounds to really divide the sections).
I'm also wondering how this will look on a RSS reader. When I see the feeds in Thunderbird I see the full layout perfectly, but that's because it was designed for a smaller screen resolution than mine.
Overall it is a nice idea and I support it, but there a few issues (such as the ones described above or the ones described as others) that should be avoided, specially because when one thinks of redesign one thinks of making things better - in this case, it is *almost* better.
Please include the images in the RSS feed
Not state of the art. Visual mix-up of editorial stuff and ads. Too wide.
But generally, it's all about what you write. Keep up the good work! :-)
As a designer myself, I understand (& respect) the urge to constantly tweak and improve...and upon reviewing the new layout, I do like the visual/stylistic elements of the new design.
My problem with the new site is this: I question the need for the additional column. Upon first visiting the site, I look at it and can't tell what it is. Why it's there. A directory of what?
And given that I see it that way, well...it merely serves to clutter up the space. It distracts from the content as a whole...and it doesn't even do a good job of that (it tries to lead my eye away from the blog entries, but when my eye arrives, there's nothing of remote interest for it to look at.
Which brings us back to one used-to-the-point-of-cliche word: KISS. Think of the Microsoft iPod packaging parody that was circulating on YouTube a few months back.
I think your current layout is functional to a tee. I'm not sure why you would want to mess with it...save perhaps to tinker with the graphics a bit (I confess, I do like the yellow & green stripe). Otherwise, though...if it ain't broke...
Just my two cents. :-)
By the way, here's another vote for showing full articles inside the RSS feed.
I understand the need for another column—have to get those ads up near the top to make them effective—but I'll really miss the old two-column format. It was so elegant.
The problem I see with both sidebars on the right hand side is that once they run out, as they inevitably do, you end up with a large white browser window and all the remaining content pushed to the left, as if someone forgot to center it. What works near the top no longer works at the bottom. So, I say posts in the center, sidebars to either side.
And, one chevron (or whatever you call them) for the main column is more than enough. No need for each column to have one. It has the effect of saying here's the main column if used once, but three times says these are superfluous—not what you expect from Moco Loco.
i do think its too wide and the 3 columns are in my opinion just to much. it sort of confuses you, because there is suddenly to much of everything, especially if you are used to this design. and i really like this design becase is just so simple and functional. you could throw in the design from moco montral, while keeping 2 columns.
Hi.
first let me say that you are doing a great job. It`s updated
and fresh. About the new page, i think it will look better, i would maybe think about placing the advertisment at the end. Maybe just placing a logo, ore a watermark between the differnt info groups.
Maybe some of the green color
stripes from the heading between the info groups?!.
ok anyway good luck keep up the good work
best M.
Is a good decision improve your layout.
Nice, quite clear and visually simple, I like it... maybe, the only aspect to review is the text, not easy to read.
A biggest font and more space between lines can be better... and as a personal feeling I prefer a centered layout.
Any other considerations will be only subjective impresions that can't be useful for you, good Job!
mocoloco.com is my absolute favourite site for inspiration, and I find your present design sooooooo nice and tidy - with lots of air outside the two columns.
I would probably get used to the new design, but my first impression is that it looks too packed, a little unbalanced (I think the new coloumn is too heavy), and ... I'm sorry to say ... I dont like the angled stripes at all.
Anyway - your site IS all about the contents, which are great, great, great :-)
The best bits of advice I've followed is to make the next step you want the user to take the boldest on the page and KISS keep it simple stupid. When designing a website you become totally immersed and forget that the users will never have seen it before.
I am so pleased you are looking to re-design your site and I do like the new layout but the headings in grey instead of black do confuse and are easily missed, try bold black.
I used to own wheredidyoubuythat.com and worked constantly on the design, when following these rules it increased sales 6 fold.
thanks for the web page - very inspirational. I find the new design more practical, but would move the columns around. maybe directory to the left and the main content in the middle? otherwise I also like the simple layout...
this could make the web site a much friendly place. but a little more color wouldn't hurt.
I like the new website. Just a few comments -
One that concerns me the most is the gradation that seperates different topics. It's a great idea and looks good when the webpage is static/not scrolling.
The same Gradation becomes painful when u are scrolling...hope u understand.
peace
Simple, elegant and well-designed. I like it.
I like this new design, hope it will be the one.
I'm so sad that you're contemplating changing the layout of MoCo Loco. I'm partial to your current layout, the biggest reason for this being its simplicity. I love its extremely clean layout which is absent of much of the crap that fills other websites. The faint horizontally lined wallpaper outside the articles helps keep the page from looking bland but is not distracting in the slightest. The entire page is refreshing in its simplicity and I would hate to see it lose this quality. The addition of a 3rd column throws the articles to left side, leaving an awkward space on the right as the directory and index end far before the main article column, which just makes the entire layout look ill fitting. Perhaps you could shade the index column a separate color so as to disguise the rather large free space on the right or move either the index or directory to the other side of the main column to better balance the page. Also, the top of pages end up looking quite crowded while it thins out considerably towards the bottom. Maybe you could continue the green, yellow and grey colors farther down the page in some manner to help strengthen the bottom. The colored strips in the top left corner of each column is also distracting and further accentuates the three columns, which I think would be something you would want to avoid. Personally, I think the setup you're going with right now is just about perfect, but maybe add a tiny bit of color. The green and yellow from the Montreal page would be nice. Best of luck with the redesign!
I like it!
I like it a lot. It's different enough to look fresh, but the same enough to feel familiar. The simplicity of the style allows the images to "sing". Go for it!
I appreciate the intention of the new design. This site is about delivering content and having more visual links is an easy way to boost hits...
1. Mocoloco is a canvas. The original simplicity and monotone allows the content to speak for itself. Mocoloco remains a credible, open and honest voice. I see the brand as transparent, a window, a lense. Adding a tint, green and yellow stripes are simply unnecessary. Stay pure, don't be tempted. Create a separate brand for your product development (the only legitimate reason for adding graphic devices in my opinion).
2. The third column isn't a bad idea. The problem it seems to present is that it places the site outside of 800 X 600 pixels standard size. I suggest that you simply make the additional graphic links smaller, rather like a thin line of thumbnails.
I also feel that having a city specific directory of retailers as a default in the new column, makes no sense to your global audience. A concept gallery would be more interesting, presenting new collections from designers, artists, photographers etc.
3. Mocoloco rocks, even down here in Cape Town.
Personally, I feel that the new design is too much like the current design. Given, it looks a little cleaner, but the columns should be reorganized. The navigation should probably be to the left of the main text area, so more emphasis could be put on the user interaction area or could be edited so it is a horizontal bar right under the banner. I think the greatest problem with the site is the ads- not that there are too many, but the ads aren't uniformly the same style and for lack of other descriptions, ugly. It would be great if the google ads could be reworked and try to use non-animated gifs for the other ones. The directory portion could actually be a horizontal bar put at the top or left of the text. (if the navigation isn't placed there) I totally agree with some of the other posters - the multicolored lines are unnecessary, but if a must, then only leave the one on the main banner. (the other two column header lines are redundant)
MocoLoco is a great resource and is essential to my surfing experience. I commend you for making such a simple and well organized site.
Harry:
I love the new layout! I think it would a great addition! Its nice and clean, very concise.
the site is fine in blog format. its probably a lot nicer to do it like thefwa.com, but its more logical for them to do so than ML because they have the sotd, sotm, and soty concepts, whereas here, its a listing. though, it really depends on what you guys want to do with the structure.
its not like design-savvy ppl aren't able to adapt.. are they?
i'd probably get used to the new one.