Calling all web designers

[St Helens RLFC]

As part of our move to VBulletin, TRF is looking for a revamp to the home portal page. Using Joomla, we are hoping to create an innovative, top class home page that will be the number one source for rugby blogs and information.

We are looking for someone who believes they can bring our ideas to reality and create the bridge from homepage to forum. We will be able to offer you some money towards this, although not likely the full fee that you would expect.

We'd be happy for you to have your name across the bottom of the page and a contact address hyperlinked to it.

If you are interested, please send getofmeland a PM and if you have some examples of previous work, please feel free to include them

 

[dullonien]

Hope you find the kinda person you're looking for.

I think the front page has needed overhauling for a while. I personally never pay any attention to it and come straight into the forums.

The layout needs to be simplified, with less writing. I don't see the need of the login part on the side, as that can be done once clicking on the forum link. I also don't think entire articles need to be visible, instead just a snippit from each article and clicking on a picture etc. links you to the full article. I'd also get rid of the 'latest posts' part, if your aim is to provide somewhere for non forum members aswell as us forum regulars to get information etc.

Take a look here at another forum based website that offers a decent front page (although they also provide reviews etc.). Everything is easily accessable, and although I personally don't hugely like the over use of different colours, the layout is good.

Just my 2p worth. You might have other ideas. But I would possibly ask the community what they think. I don't know how to code a website etc. (something I plan to learn at some stage), but I'm willing to help out working on some graphics etc. for the site revamp (as long as I can find some time between uni work).

 

[getofmeland]

Thanks Dullonien

Thats all really helpful stuff, I have to agree I don't take much notice, but I would like to change that over the next couple of weeks, to have some more interesting features. One of the major problems we have at TRF is the fact that our lives are every changing and not always able to give the time the place deserves... If your able to help with writing blogs, articles or even features it would be greatly appreciated... Also any feedback will help make us make the right decisions for the forum.

 

[monkeypigeon]

Generally agree with Dullonien but (and it's a big but...kinda like BUT); the 'latest posts' thing is the most important part...It's what lets me know where the latest posts are.

I don't wanna have to go looking through each section for the latest posts in each. It could become especially confusing during that part of the year when the NH and SH seasons overlap and I'd have to switch between the two sections looking for the latest posts. in each...

 

[dullonien]

I'm not much of a writer myself (currently writing an essay for uni, and I'm hating it, even though it's on a subject I picked and enjoy!). I may give an article a try in the future and see how it goes. But I will try and help in other ways. I may give a go at updating the banner at the top of the page to begin with, see what I can come up with (keeping a similar trf logo). If there's other graphics tasks that need doing, let me know and I'll give it a go. I do have alot of uni work at present though, so not promising anything for the next couple of weeks.

I understand that you guys have to do alot of work to keep this site going, work that has to be done in free time.

Monkeypigeon. I'm not suggesting we get rid of the 'View new posts' function in the forums (that would be criminal). Just the bit on the right ride of the home page, showing a few of the latest posts.

 

[SaintDean]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Monkeypigeon @ Jan 17 2010, 06:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Generally agree with Dullonien but (and it's a big but...kinda like BUT); the 'latest posts' thing is the most important part...It's what lets me know where the latest posts are.

I don't wanna have to go looking through each section for the latest posts in each. It could become especially confusing during that part of the year when the NH and SH seasons overlap and I'd have to switch between the two sections looking for the latest posts. in each...[/b]

Being a owner of vBulletin i can guarantee that reading unread posts is alot more efficient over their.

their is a mod that i add to any forum i setup which displays how many their are and the good thing is they disappear once read. Im not great on joomla but i still no admin end. All the best.