Cite Theme choices

Options

Option 1: http://mbgserv18.mobot.org/testcite/node/1158

• CF: I like this one, but the whole header needs to be shrunk to 1/2(+) of its size and the citation title should stand out more on the page.
• Henning: I like this one too, clearly organised, that was the first impression. To really work with it is too slow right now. Although I don't understand why change of colors and fontsize is necessary. Is it the intention to give the BHL portal page the same look and file like the article repository? I like to have the logo and title on the page, but if this is included in the header somehow or the orange color bar maybe the links can be aligned more to the top. Thus, the white area on the top would be smaller. I also like to have the links left.
• keri, Grace, and Erin: this is our fav, I like the 3 column layout, lets us clearly divide functions, and the font size options at the top (for those of us who need glasses). agree that header with logo take up too much space. At the risk of opening the same can of worms yet again, perhaps we need a mini-logo as supplement to our current logo. Or a new logo.
• Phil: I like this one, although I feel the columns are too narrow. I also think the header distracts from the site, perhaps something other than orange?
• Connie: I like the layout of this one but not the colors. I agree that a smaller version of the logo might be helpful and also incorporating the log into the currently orange (need color change....) bar would use the real estate better--the empty bar seems superfluous. If we want the full size logo, it would fit in the empty white space below the left or right nav bars.
• Chris M: Change fontsize is a good feature to have.
• Martin K: first pick, but would like logo on LEFT and font/color changes on RIGHT
• CNN I like 1 but the colors are a tad jarring... and I think the login and pswd need to be much higher on the page.. even in the real estate of the logo's white space.
• John M: Layoutwise my #1, colorwise (ORANGE!!!!!) not so much.
• Diane R: Wow on the orange - too much. The color bar doesn't need to be that big. I like the three columns. Ditto on the login (CNN) and logo size. Font size is also a bit small on the default.
• Bianca: like layout on this one best, agree about banner issues with real estate, logo too big - I'm a fan of developing a 'thumbnail' logo!!! Like the ability to change font size, ambivalent about needing to change colors, agree that orange a bit much, but the warm tone is nice. Would also like log-in to be higher up...unless the purpose of the page is 1st for general user browsing and 2nd for those with log ins.
• Pilsk: Most comments seem right on. If the columns seem too narrow, I'd be up for narrowing the left being narrower. Except - shoot. I don't like having the search box narrow. There is a floating feed back button. ooooo
• Adrian S: I agree, I like this the most.

Option 2: http://mbgserv18.mobot.org/testcite2/node/1158

• CF: I like this, but I'm not convinced that the citation content in the center deserves 2/3+ of the screen. There's a lot of empty space that could be used for a 3rd column.
• Henning: The left column is just to long so it is easy to get lost.
• keri grace and erin: second choice, clean and easy to read. header with logo is still a problem - if there were a way to make it a transparent gif and overlay onto the color bar perhaps?
• Phil: This is my favorite theme, it is simple, but still has enough style to build off of. It is very flexible and customizable, and would lend itself well to having a different laid out title page vs normal record pages (something the current BHL is lacking). From the suggestions above, let me say that you can create a 3rd column easily, just the same the left column could be collapsed, or shortened (a smaller font would help here as well), I don't like the icons used either, I would drop those, and as for the overly, yes a transparent gif would fix things, but I would look to reduce the size,or bring the logo down to one of the side columns, and maybe only show it on the title page (but I think there's far too much space used up by the headers in all of these examples)
• Connie: I like this one ok but the left column is too long. Again, there is too much real estate at the top devoted to the logo. Could some of the left hand column go on the right and the logo at the bottom?
• Chris M: Probably the easiest to read. Good color scheme. Good symmetry and alignment; very eye pleasing. Color contrasts make forms very easy to read (for those who can see the colors, of course). Block in left bar are very distinct (doesn't just look like a jumble of stuff) even if the drop shadows do look a little dated. Blue bar expands and collapses with mission statement (or lack thereof).
  Too much space wasted up top. Left menu jumps around; should be in a predictable place. Weird double chevron chars on browse page under Year, Title, Type, Author.
• Martin K: this is good, esp. if color/font changes could be added to it
• John M: this is my color scheme fave, most biodiversish.
• Diane R: Could the login be moved to the upper right corner in all the white space? Hate having to scroll down. Phthiraptera Reseachers have two boxes on left hand side plus there is another "Group notification" box. Could these be combined into one "Groups" box to cut down on the long left column? Maybe three columns with the navigation stuff on one side and the group specific stuff on the other. Too much white space at the top.
• Bianca: like this one too, but banner too big. think star and keys icons are cheesy. this layout makes me REALLY appreciate the 3 column layout - cause who really wants to scroll that much.
• Pilsk: I like the layout - I'll let you color guru's fight over blue vs greet vs orange, etc. I like the shadowed alternate lines but worry about the inevitable people who will attempt to print the screen
• Adrian S: This would be my second choice, I agree with the comments...

Option 3: http://mbgserv18.mobot.org/testcite3/node/1158

• CF: I like the top alignment of the links and the focus given to the title
• Ryan: No
• Phil: I like the layout of this the best, but it's just not very interesting. It's what we first started with, and it's very regimented, but think it would look stale quicker than the others.
• Connie: I like the the top alignment of links but miss the logo (am I contradicting myself here....) and the taxonomic list.
• Chris M: Little wasted space in header. Boring color scheme and layout. A bit cluttered.
• Martin K: what CM said :Chris M: Little wasted space in header. Boring color scheme and layout. A bit cluttered.
• John M: Maybe a bit too crowded.
• Diane R: I actually find this one a bit less busy than many of the others and I like the lack of scrolling. That said, it's very boring and I miss the guided search, which I sometimes use when I'm too lazy to do advanced searches. Like the big title and the little Larry (see option 5 comment).
• Bianca: like the banner on this one better than first 2, more concise, less real estate. Layout ok, colors kinda sterile - not as inviting as first two
• Pilsk: Maybe I should n't be included. I like this one. Clear and easy to read. Not flashy or cute but factual. Oh well
• Adrian S: Not a bad effort - But there are better examples to look at in option 1 & 2.

Option 4: http://mbgserv18.mobot.org/testcite4/node/1158

• CF: Argh! Do Not Like.
• Henning: I don't like.
• Keri: worst. theme. ever.
• Phil: Just seeing if you were paying attention! I vote no as well.
• Connie: This one give me a headache.
• Chris M: Looks like a Yet Another Blog. If I navigated here, my first instinct would be to immediately discount the site. Top menu is there, but doesn't stand out; it took me a while to find it. Left menu looks like a text dump; no gestalt principles used here.
• Martin K: don't like this one at all
• John M: Fugs.
• Diane R: Too many shades of gray - maybe more appropriate for politicians and lawyers. Left column far too long.
• Bianca: boo on this one
• Pilsk: Can we save this one for certain people we want to scare?
• Adrian S: Don't think this is a contender...

Option 5:http://mbgserv18.mobot.org/testcite5/node/1158

• Henning: I don't like
• Keri: I kind of like the sterility of this one, but the scrolling for left column content is a little too much
• Phil: I liked this because it would do away with the big banner, and allow the user to focus on their work under the tabs at the top.
• Connie: I miss the logo and the left column is too long but overall simplicity is kind of nice.
• Chris M: Very clean top nav. Understated color scheme (in a good way). Font in form fields is way too small; form will thus be hard to use for some users. Breadcrumb trail is weighed down by the long titles of references (like the whole loaf of bread just kinda laying there). Layout on individual citation pages is very sloppy.
• Martin K: too generic
• John M: Way bad.
• Diane R: Too plain. Too long again on the left column. I honestly couldn't care less most of the time that Larry submitted it but that's the first thing my eyes were drawn to because of the different color and large font.
• Bianca: boo on this one too
• Pilsk: this reminds me of something... some other product... some other citation product... hmmmm
• Adrian S: This is a good example of how NOT to do it!

Overall Pick

• CF: Waffling between 1 & 2. I like the look of 2, but the overall layout (3 columns) of 1.
• Henning: I vote for 1.
• Ryan: I vote for 1 as a starting point, but needs work.
• Phil: I vote for 2, it will offer the most flexibility moving forward, and has plenty of room when you don't have a right sidebar. I am certianly biased since I've actually seen the code that this, and the other example themes are based on. Also, this theme is being used as the base theme for a Drupal support venture, thus it's clear that this theme is well constructed, will have strong support, and will be supported well into the future.
• Connie (I don't even know if I get a vote....) I think some combination of one and two (lose the orange). The 3 column set up is good but need to find a better way to present the logo.
• Chris M: number 2, but simplify the nav and the left panel.
• Martin K: number 1, but also like number 3
• John M: 1 with 2's color scheme.
• Diane R: I like the layout of number 1 but the look of 2. Perhaps if some of the things can be joined together and shifted around, it would look simpler.
• Bianca: 1 with edits the group has outlined
• Pilsk: I will go along with the majority..I guess. if I have to - but I kinda like the number 2
• Anthony G: 1 or 2 will work, but it would be great to move away from the "drupal / joomla" look
• Adrian S: I like Option 1 and then Option 2 - Comments reflect my thoughts...

General Critiques

• Chris M: breadcrumb trails are great in many cases, but they don't seem to add much value here.
• Chris M: None of the themes except #1 underlined links but relied solely upon color to indicate what is a link. Very bad practice! Worse still, the colors used often did not sufficiently differentiate links from text.
• Chris M: Top nav and left nav are a bit redundant in most cases; top nav just expands and collapses portions of the left menu. If the top nav doesn't do anything above and beyond the left nav, what is the point of having both? If the left menu could be context sensitive and the top could be persistent, that might make a bit more sense, and also reduce the number of items on the left nav.
• Martin K: generally agree with Chris M's comments, but I think the breadcrumbs do work; I like the FEEDBACK widget, but not sure about the placement (on my screen it was in an odd place, 1/3 up the page)
• Diane R: If I have to use logins and passwords, I want them right up at the top. At the very least, they need to appear on the first screen. I don't even mind a little pop-up as long as the "Login" is big and easy to find. If you are going to offer the site in other languages, that needs to be up at the top. If I can't read the site, I'm never going to scroll down and find this. Those don't have to be big but need to be near the top. I would gather some of the "group" things under one header - some of the examples were too confusing with that.
• bianca: i like the subtle breadcrumbs from opt. 1, i know not everyone will use or notice them but I'm a fan of breadcrumbs and appreciate using them when available. Also agree with Diane - log-in should be front and center (but not literally).
• Anthony G: I hate to be a total killjoy, but to me they all look like stock joomla / drupal layouts
• Adrian S: There are a couple of considerations for the color implementation, it's to do with accessability have a look at this: http://irlen.com/index.php?s=index Also, have a look at the new BL website at http://www.bl.uk/ - The British Library have just revamped their site, looking into Web 2.0 and how to integrate it...

Suggested Alterations

Using option 1 as a starting point:
1) Bring over color scheme from option 2, also emulate as much of the look and feel from option 2 as is possible (look and feel = spacing, alignment, symmetry)

Using option 2 as a starting point:
1) Make the layout three column
2) bring over the font-size changer from option 1
3) Drop or change the much-derided icons

Using either theme as a starting point, some other changes that are warranted:
1) reduce space taken up by header
2) find a better place for login box
3) underline the links for better accessibility
4) streamline menu / navigation where possible (does this mean we can keep the breadcrumbs?)

Agree: Chris F, Pilsk, keri, Bianca (breadcrumb fan), Henning, Joe, John M (won't you please save the breadcrumbs), Ryan (also breadcrumb fan), Connie: generally agree but we do need the (a) logo and also a breadcrumb fan. Adrian S: I Like breadcrumbs too...; Martin K: agree, I prefer a spicy crouton (also, were we supposed to pick BETWEEN #1 and #2 ? if so, I say start with OPTION 1)
Disagree, with suggestions: