New web design - RealWorld forums

Repeating visitors have undoubtedly noticed that the web site looks differently today. After four years, it was about time. The new design is still a work in progress and suggestions are accepted. Nevertheless there already are some noteworthy features as...

• The Google custom search box in the upper right corner can be really useful to find what you need. It searches the main web and the wiki.

• Niftier log-in form. You can log in from any page - it pops up instead of taking you to the old login page.

• Navigating the updated icon a cursor libraries should be much easier. With 40 sets per page and better navigation, I hope more people find what they need. The library search was improved as well to search both sets and individual cursors and icons.

• New page for the library contains latest icons and cursors and also most downloaded sets of the previous month. I'll probably make it so that no set can appear in the top 20 for 2 months in a row to prevent positive feedback.

• New forum section for requests. Instead of the current (soon to be deleted) Request cursor page, a structured forum should do a better job in eliminating duplicite requests and tracking completed ones. The forum will allow anonymous access if is is not abused.

(There is still no best rated sets category, because there are not enough ratings. At least 20 ratings per set on average would be needed to make the rating significant.)

Customizations

In the previous design, it was possible to pick a background image for the header. In this design, there are customizable backgrounds for the header, sides and page. Those interested in making one or more of them, the dimensions are 1100x112 for the header, 1920(or more)xWhatever for the sides (it should be seamless in the vertical direction), and 850xWhatever for the page (seamless again).

Oh so that's why everything doesn't reach both sides of the screen. Well i'm OBVIOUSLY going to make something! I absolutely love this website and i'll do anything to make it even better!

(It kind of bothers me that all the polls at the bottom aren't lined up(some are higher or lower than others) and it would just satisfy my OCD if you could line them all up. :D)

Yes, though I may make the edges of the header and footer not so sharp. You can try the Fractal background as a sample of a background for the sides.

Once you have your background ready, send them my way. I especially liked the astronomical one!

Could you send me the raw background images? The fractal one. It would help me understand what you did.

Here are the sample images:

• Header: http://www.rw-designer.com/RW2010beta/fractal-header.png
• Sides: http://www.rw-designer.com/RW2010beta/fractal-background.jpg
• Page: http://www.rw-designer.com/RW2010beta/index-background.png

The page background probably could be wider, up to 1100px. But I'll have to change few things first.

Where is the last image used?

Under the page content (try the Realworld logo backgrond). Not all images are mandatory.

Vlasta this is the perfect example for very good timing =)
Just thought whether I should keep posting cursors and there is this new design . . .
Yay

I know someone who is good at making backgrounds and signatures and stuff (owning some pretty expensive software ). I'll ask him for composing a nice background . . . Maybe for the most used tags.
And I'll finally upload my last cursors . . . about 10 sets on my stick . . . You should try to update the upload window so that people can post whole sets faster

However pretty nice work Vlasta Oo

Wich resolution should the image have?

Another piece of the new design is ready and running. Today's changes include:

• Additional information pops up when mouse moves over icon or cursor set previews in the gallery. Author name, download count and description snippet is displayed. Be sure to describe your sets - empty bubbles look lonely .
• Icon and cursor junkyards were updated too and are using the new boxes instead of the old ones.
• And the same applies to the page with your own cursors or icons. You can now finally delete your extra cursors and icons - the error that prevented you from deleting your stuff is now fixed.

And that is all for today. Hope you'll like it

Updated comment section, that's the another piece of the new design.

• New look, with bubbles and user role under the name.
• Comments can now use the same formatting as forum posts. There are even smilies you can click on to insert them into the post.

And yes, there is that gray user icon. It is not hard to guess that these gray icons will eventually be replaced by actual user icons. ...when the time is right.