----- Original Message ----- > Adding the arch list (for those who do not keep track of infra and > not > registered to board list) > > > > On 16/08/12 20:17, Garrett LeSage wrote: > > Hello all, > > > > Warning: This email is long, but important. > > > > I've been working on a new website design for oVirt, and gave folks > > a > > preview during yesterday's weekly status IRC meeting. > > > > The website mockup is at: > > http://people.redhat.com/glesage/oVirt/website/mockup-1/ > > (This is simply a static PNG exported from Inkscape, wrapped in a > > very > > simple HTML page. Therefore, don't expect it to scale with your > > browser, > > have selectable text, etc.) > > > > The mockup has many different sections and updates, and I will > > explain > > each change, as well as the thought process that went into each, > > below. > > > > There are two main things to remember about this design: > > 1) It's a bunch of individual changes that work together. > > 2) It's a work in progress. > > > > Also, the mockup was designed with our target audience in mind: > > administrators (setting up and running the software), enthusiasts > > (who > > may run instances at home), and programmers (tinkering with and > > contributing back to the project), all with experience using Linux > > or > > some form of UNIX. It is also important to note that our audience > > is > > specifically _not_ casual desktop users (although they could > > benefit > > from someone setting up and maintaining oVirt for them). > > > > I'm eager to hear feedback on any and all changes, and work with > > you to > > refine everything. > > > > When you do provide feedback, and want to discuss more than one > > point, > > please limit each email to one aspect of the site at a time. If > > you'd > > like to talk about the logo and the site structure, for instance, > > please > > send one email specifically talking about the logo, and then > > another > > discussing the structure. This should make conversations easier for > > everyone to follow and make it easier for me to track requested > > updates. > > Thanks! > > > > > > == Detailed changes == > > > > = Logo = > > > > The oVirt logo is actually quite similar. I altered the "o" glyph, > > to > > make it more aesthetically pleasing. > > > > Comparison graphic between current and new (in simple greyscale, to > > make > > it easy to see the difference): > > http://people.redhat.com/glesage/oVirt/logo/ovirt-logo-proposed.png > > > > > > = Color = > > > > oVirt.org, right now, uses a green color throughout the site. The > > oVirt > > administration UI also features green in its header. As a result, > > I've > > pulled in that green and used it as the primary accent color for > > the new > > site design. > > > > (It also has the advantage that it is not blue, which is overused > > for > > iconography, on the Internet, and for software in general.) > > > > > > = Style = > > > > Based on the typeface of our logo and our highlight color, our new > > style > > reflects simplicity, openness, vibrancy, and elegance. > > > > We can make this style work for both the WordPress and Wiki parts > > of the > > site. > > > > > > = Site structure = > > > > A revised site structure is hinted at in the front page mockup. You > > can > > see this reflected in the top navigation. I did some overall > > categorization, strongly influenced by Dave Neary's pre-existing > > work on > > the topic. > > > > You can see a proposed sitemap here: > > http://people.redhat.com/glesage/oVirt/website/ovirt-sitemap.txt > > > > This is a general grouping of types of content, not necessarily a > > view > > of the top-level page, or of sub-pages. In some cases, these items > > would > > be sub-level pages, in others, they would be part of the navigation > > page. > > > > The documentation page would highlight the best documentation > > available, > > regardless of format - e.g. wiki, blog posts, etc. - and also have > > a > > prominent link to the wiki. Other sub-pages may also link to the > > wiki, > > if there is pertinent information (such as live docs for > > developers, > > linked to from the develop section). > > > > > > = Tagline = > > > > This is a short, catchy phrase to indicate what the project is all > > about. Since the target of oVirt is running on a server, most > > likely in > > a datacenter, and it's open source, I figured we should make this > > prominent. > > > > Usually taglines are simple and direct, and often have some sort of > > play > > on words. "Open your virtual datacenter" can be interpreted in a > > few ways: > > 1) You can use oVirt to start (open up) a datacenter with > > virtualization > > 2) Take your existing datacenter and virtualize it > > 3) Use oVirt as an open source solution to manage your datacenter > > > > > > = Supporting lead-in text = > > > > It's important to start with some powerful explanatory text to > > state the > > overall goal of the project. Usually, this ranges from a phrase to > > around a sentence or two. > > > > I wanted to express the purpose of the oVirt software in a very > > high-level view, as a hook to get people interested to read more. > > > > > > = Call to action = > > > > "Start using oVirt now »" is a call-to-action button. After the > > simple > > text explaining what oVirt is, it's important to provide an obvious > > next > > step. > > > > After clicking the button, it would take the viewer to another page > > where it provides a quick and simple way to start using oVirt. > > Naturally, one would have to download oVirt to use it, so it should > > be > > super-easy to do on this page. The page should also start a simple > > step-by-step guide on getting oVirt working on one's own system(s). > > > > I'm thinking that this may be, perhaps, simply a link to the > > "Download & > > Use" section. Yes, it's in the navigation, but it does provide a > > very > > important and clear next step, which helps with a natural-feeling > > progression for an interested viewer of oVirt.org. > > > > (BTW: If the simple guide is too complex, then we need to work at > > further simplifying the process of setting up oVirt. It's important > > to > > try to lower the barrier to entry. Part of this is making sure that > > oVirt can run on one machine as well, and possibly booting from > > live USB > > media for first-time evaluation purposes.) > > > > > > = Front-page sections = > > > > Most of text on the mockup is, in some way, based on content from > > the > > current oVirt.org website — it's just edited a bit. > > > > While most everyone appreciates a clean aesthetic, our primary > > target > > group *also* likes to get to the point and see the information > > right up > > front. The mockup of the front page that I'm presenting is based on > > this > > concept. > > > > In addition to being an overview of the project and the software it > > produces, it also makes it really easy to explore from the content > > areas > > to relevant other parts of the website. By bringing the top-level > > navigation into the context of the overviews, we make it easier for > > someone to jump to other sections, instead of having to scroll back > > up > > to rely on the navigation. > > > > The order of the front-page sections is important too. A goal with > > this > > design was to: > > 1) Introduce people to oVirt, with a simple explanation > > 2) Let people know right upfront that it's an active project > > (release > > blurb) > > 3) Detail some of the most important features > > 4) Make it clear that it's a community project > > 5) Provide timely news & a way to easily get more info > > 6) Publish information on upcoming oVirt-related events (currently, > > in the > > mockup, there's filler text for the time being)
I think the home page is overcrowded with text. It makes me feel like I am reading a blog or some sort of PDF . Adding to this is the monotonicity of using only the green color.. I think if we take as example Fedora or Gnome sites, you can see they look more colorful and less intimidating (less text in-your-face and the text is down the page, where whoever is really interested in it can read it). Of course we're not talking about a desktop shell site here, but I think more graphics would make it more pleasant to look at. Also I would add some screenshots/screencasts (maybe even a section where more can be viewed) since it really helps visualize what the product is and what it does. > > > > Items #5 & #6 should both have a way to subscribe so that someone > > could > > access this information without visiting oVirt.org. Twitter solves > > the > > news component for us; we have to make sure the calendar is able to > > be > > subscribed to as well. > > > > > > -=-=- > > > > Thanks for reading all of this! I'm looking forward to all > > conversations, especially if it's constructive (regardless of a > > positive, negative, or neutral slant). > > > > Garrett > > _______________________________________________ > > Infra mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://lists.ovirt.org/mailman/listinfo/infra > > _______________________________________________ > Arch mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.ovirt.org/mailman/listinfo/arch > _______________________________________________ Arch mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ovirt.org/mailman/listinfo/arch
