News   Apr 16, 2024
 638     3 
News   Apr 16, 2024
 459     3 
News   Apr 16, 2024
 823     1 

UrbanToronto Redesign

Edward Skira

http://skyrisecities.com
Staff member
Member Bio
Joined
Apr 22, 2007
Messages
16,220
Reaction score
21,343
Location
Toronto
Want to take a sneak peek at the future design of UT?

We've been working away behind the scenes to build a new local Calgary site that will be a template for the future redesign of UrbanToronto, and we thought you might want to take a look.

We'd love your help finding bugs or other idiosyncrasies that need to be addressed, so poke around and then tell us what you think below.

Please keep in mind that this is just a test site, which means that the Forum link does not work.

Ready? Take a look.
 
Want to take a sneak peek at the future design of UT?

We've been working away behind the scenes to build a new local Calgary site that will be a template for the future redesign of UrbanToronto, and we thought you might want to take a look.

We'd love your help finding bugs or other idiosyncrasies that need to be addressed, so poke around and then tell us what you think below.

Please keep in mind that this is just a test site, which means that the Forum link does not work.

Ready? Take a look.
It's a bit like looking at CP24 where the screen has lots of different things going on! Frankly, I find it a bit confusing but I guess I may get used to it. One thing I wish you would/could do would be to REPEAT all of the navigation links (Mark Forums Read Search Forums New Posts Alerts etc etc ) at the bottom of each page (not only at the top.)
 
Agree with an earlier comment about the general design/look and feel: the CGY site feels a little busy and cluttered above the fold. I'd suggest considering reducing the number of "feature" stories from three to one.

Other than that, I think there are clear improvements with the typeface (clearer and more modern) and main navigation, among other things.
 
A suggestion. Active construction projects normally have 3 'threads'. A general discussion thread, a real estate thread and the Database. Any chance that you can put links to the other 2 threads on each of these and also ensure the titles are the same! It would, I suggest, make navigation much simpler.
 
Since typography here is, at present, unreadable, and since the Web is mostly typography, and since discussion fora are almost completely typography, type needs more than amateur-level attention. (Anyone who says “I can read it” or “I have no troubel reading Urban Toronto,” even if they run the site, is lying.)
 
embed.php.png
 

Attachments

  • embed.php.png
    embed.php.png
    38.7 KB · Views: 845
I am unsure why, but I always feel like the Skyrise website and forum is slower than the UT website and forum. That alone makes me hesitant to change until that is resolved.

As for the name, UrbanToronto is already a brand. I've spoken to people IRL who have heard of this place, or recognize it when I mention it. It shouldn't be changed to SkyriseToronto. (But I am 100% supportive of the expansion to SkyriseCalgary!)
 
I am unsure why, but I always feel like the Skyrise website and forum is slower than the UT website and forum. That alone makes me hesitant to change until that is resolved.

As for the name, UrbanToronto is already a brand. I've spoken to people IRL who have heard of this place, or recognize it when I mention it. It shouldn't be changed to SkyriseToronto. (But I am 100% supportive of the expansion to SkyriseCalgary!)

We recently upgraded and it is working better. Let me know if this is the case. And we now have added Edmonton to the list: http://edmonton.skyrisecities.com

UrbanToronto will be redesigned next year to fit the SRC look and usage. But the name will remain UT.
 

Back
Top