New Website Design - Working Example!

[PCS]

We now have a partially working example of our new website design. To preview this, have a look here: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/new

By clicking the link above you will be re-directed to the new design and the new design will remain in your current session until you close down your window.

Please can you all post your feedback. Do you like it? Do you think it's better than the current design? What can be improved/changed?

Current issues that we're already aware of:

1. The banner buttons are in the wrong place (too high).
2. The advertised systems menu is not yet displaying.
3. The inner content is far too light and does not match the outer content.
4. The configurator system summary box is set too high with this design.

 

[Wozza63]

Very good, one thing i mentioned before, on the middle section, you should change OverClock to just Overclock, i don't like the C being caps other than that its good, although the multi-colour titles in the middle look odd

 

[PaulH]

Looks like 2 different websites mixed together, I dont know if thats because I stare at the normal one all day every day or what, The buttons, header and footer do not match the middle parts, possibly a background colour change from white would solve this?

 

[DeadEyeDuk]

Very important question that I don't recall being asked/answered in the other thread.

Are the forums changing too?

 

[Frenchy]

Few things

I really dont like the green colour your using for highlighting, I think something more contrasting would be better (especially for the highlighting text on the left sections).

The left hand buttons move when you hover over them, only by 1mm or so but its very annoying, you should never see movement in buttons, not while hovering anyway.

In the bottom section the 3 columns of links look odd, they are not horizontally aligned from column to column.

I also think the gray background on the login and forum button at the top looks taccy. Either dont give it a background and keep it black like the rest of the banner, or keep background black and give it some sort of border to stand out, The gray background almost makes it look like an after thought.

 

[JSG10]

I just don't like it I'm afraid, couldn't tell you exactly why, I just much preferred the old site. I particulary don't like the turquoise on grey colour scheme :S

 

[Corfate]

I like the look of it, one thing I'd change is the different coloured boxes in the middle. Liking the big forums button though

 

[Fear]

As has been said already the green on the text and when things get highlighted i don't really like i would either go for a green like the chat box you have or a red apart from that me likes it.

 

[tom_gr7]

i think it looks good, just get the middle boxes to match the black outer.

 

[vanthus]

I would prefer a lighter outer content as opposed to a darker inner,
just dont like black backgrounds.

 

[mantadog]

I agree that the middle looks a little out of place when you look at the darker edges. I don't have anything against a darker looking site, but if you make the middle darker too it might make the site feel a bit bland so i can see why the colour is their. However i think the site looks spot on when you go to configure a PC, everything just seem to come together better than the main site.

I also like, the highlighted text as you move over it and the new login + the forums button position.

Thats my input, i sure as hell couldn't do any better!

 

[Music Guy123]

I must say, I don't think it is bad, i don't really like the black outer though. the inner doesn't exactly fit either. Personally, I just think the text font and size just isn't right in the black boxes. I like the forums button. Just a thought though, to attract more people onto it, how about saying that the forums are for advice, like 'need advice, post a question in our forums'. that is just a small idea, can't say that phrasing is very good. Anyway, those are just my thoughts!

 

[PCS]

OK - can everyone have another look at the new design: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/new

Those who have visited this page before will need to press refresh or CTRL + F5 to load up the latest version.

Changes:

1. New "Quick Navigation" menu - allows for fast navigation to any configurator.

2. "Recent Quotes" (if you have any) now appear at the top in a drop down menu.

3. Revised inner layout with consideration for pro-audio (not yet working) and home office systems.

4. Assuming our configurators and other pages use the same table colours as the OC configurator (http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/computers/intel-2011-overclocked/) do you like it?

Overall - does anybody have any further comments to make? Frenchy - do the left hand buttons still move when you hover over them?

We plan to put this live this week once all bugs are ironed out and assuming on average everybody likes it more than the current design.

 

[Fear]

I have just had a look and yes the text and images in the buttons on the left still drop down slightly when highlighted also i am not sure if it has been mentioned but when you hover over the buttons part of the text does not highlight "configure a" the image and rest of the text highlight ok, and lastly i thinks it's good but i would still change the light green you are using for a red or more of a neon green.

 

[DeadEyeDuk]

This moving of buttons thing...what browser are you using, because I cannot for the life of me see any movement whatsoever, aside from the obvious slight enlargement of the highlighted text (when it changes colour). Just wondering thats all.

Are all the other parts of the site also changing to this format, or just the front page? I imagine the links to all the other parts are still the current ones for now, but just checking

Change is good, and hopefully the fresh site will help you guys get even more people to buy stuff

 

[Frenchy]

Yes the buttons still move, from what I could see though it's just the laptop and desktop buttons (the top two) that seem to noticably move.

I still think the turquoise highlight is really horrible too,

 

[PCS]

It is strange - we've tested it with IE7, IE8, IE9, Firefox, Opera, Chrome and Safari and it all works fine. It does however do this on Gormans PC too. Will keep investigating.

 

[Corfate]

I don't get any button movement..? Odd.

I like the design though

 

[JSG10]

Tried on a number of browers and no button movement here.

Liking the site more now but as others have said that turquoise text isn't nice

 

[Frenchy]

It is strange - we've tested it with IE7, IE8, IE9, Firefox, Opera, Chrome and Safari and it all works fine. It does however do this on Gormans PC too. Will keep investigating.

On this particular machine which I know is affected im running Ubuntu 11.04 Natty, and running Firefox 6.0 and the only plugin I have installed is Firebug which isn't enabled anyway. The movement occurs not on the button itself but the image on the button, when you hover over the button the image moves by 1 - 2mm.