A new look at SBN
by James Mirtle on Nov 4, 2009 8:55 AM CST
50 comments
In case you missed it, yesterday SB Nation introduced a new look for all 200+ of its various sports blogs. There's been a lot of feedback elsewhere, some positive and some negative, but I'm interested in what you think of the design and what we can do to make it better.
I'll pass on your thoughts to our design team and hopefully they can continue to work on how the blogs function and look as the network grows.
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The New Improved Avalanche. Now with Real Coaches!
Jibblescribbits: C'mon over and waste some time
by Jibblescribbits on Nov 4, 2009 8:57 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
The redesign reminds me of design changes in newpapers or magazineds that seem to be aiming for clean and modern, but end up looking like a cheap advertising insert. I miss the rounded edges of the old design. And am I the only one who sees just a black box and some text to the right of the square site logo?
by Its Cold In Here on Nov 4, 2009 11:00 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Agreed. These are all just cosmetic changes, and cosmetically, the format is worse.
However, we all read these blogs for the content, not the layout. The rest is trivial, and people will get used to it soon enough.
by Resolute on Nov 4, 2009 11:41 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I don’t mind it too much.
Previously, I found the content on the right-hand column didn’t always load up. Not sure if that’s changed or not. Pretty much everything’s where it was before, or at least close to it.
The colours look…maybe not drab, but just more…plain? Bland might be the word I’m looking for. Not so much the FromTheRink blog as the individual team blogs, where before they had their own colour scheme and identity. Now they all look the same, minus the header image. Cookie-cutter design across the board. I appreciated and enjoyed the different style and different feel for the different teams.
I understand that black text on white background is the norm for text and the whole “the eye is naturally attracted to white space” thinking, but yeah, the white, especially when it’s whitewashed across all the NHL blogs, is my main complaint.
I guess if less colour and individuality improves site performance, then go nuts.
-Kevin Forbes
Hockey's Future
by kforbes on Nov 4, 2009 9:27 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Oh!
And they need to figure out how to do the little subtitle things for each blog like “A hockey journalist’s blog by James Mirtle” so it doesn’t look like something that was forgotten when they were scripting the website.
-Kevin Forbes
Hockey's Future
by kforbes on Nov 4, 2009 10:28 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, I realize that the space above that is prime real estate for an ad sell, but it is really irritating to have a big ad running across the entire top of the page…particularly when it then seems to read “Lifelock: Identity Theft Protection” – A hockey journalist’s blog by James Mirtle…not good.
World Ph*cking Champs! That was fun - let's do it again...
by Moridin417 on Nov 4, 2009 4:47 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
My biggest gripe in anything – when the ads overwhelm the actual name of the website or book or building.
"While there's life, there's hope." --Cicero
by Baroque on Nov 4, 2009 7:10 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
And…Does that logo look blurry to anyone else?
-Kevin Forbes
Hockey's Future
by kforbes on Nov 4, 2009 12:13 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Yes it does.
"While there's life, there's hope." --Cicero
by Baroque on Nov 4, 2009 7:09 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Oh!
And for some reason, ever since the switchover, every third or fourth time I try to load up the front page, be it by clicking an internal link or typing it into the browser, the page will begin to load (with the header and maybe 1 or two articles showing), and then the whole thing will turn dark blue or black.
Scrolling around, it looks like the right hand side bar has loaded below where the content is and it also looks like the dark blue is coming from the footer. Somehow it’s filled in the whole page. I’ll see if I can take a screen grab and post it somewhere.
-Kevin Forbes
Hockey's Future
by kforbes on Nov 5, 2009 2:00 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Here’s what it looks like: http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/354/57325355.jpg
-Kevin Forbes
Hockey's Future
by kforbes on Nov 5, 2009 2:05 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Me too. I’ll pass that image onto the support staff.
Blogging on hockey at fromtherink.com
by James Mirtle on Nov 5, 2009 2:08 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Aw, c’mon.
Positive: I didn’t have to expend any effort.
http://www.battleofcali.com/
by Earl Sleek on Nov 4, 2009 10:09 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Maybe I’m in the minority, but I’m a huge fan of the new, simpler style.
"My face is my mask."
by jakeshapiro on Nov 4, 2009 11:03 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, we can sit here and rant all we want, but the new style will grow. I prefered the old style, but hey, sometimes change is good.
The only thing I don’t like (and this is a commentary on everything as a whole) is the focus on Facebook and Twitter. Tweet this! Retweet this! Post on Facebook and retweet again!
by Afino on Nov 4, 2009 11:11 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
I’m with you there … I don’t use either … but hey, guess it’s all the rage now huh? … us old timers have to get with it or be left behind …
(I’m all for being left behind in that category tho)
Ever get the feeling we are on a collision course with reality? (boycott Hollywood!)
by ang6666 on Nov 4, 2009 11:23 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
What about the left sidebar missing in the comments?
by Tommelot on Nov 4, 2009 12:35 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
It was missing in the old layout as well. You can only see the left sidebar on the main page, even before yesterday’s overhaul.
by Nael M. on Nov 4, 2009 2:32 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I might be the only one to encounter this, but does the Facebook “share” button run across the entire bottom of the article under recs, comments, and tweets? I doubt it was done intentionally, which makes me think it’s an issue with my browser…
Fear The Fin: Where Selling Your Soul Is The Likely Solution
by Mr. Plank on Nov 4, 2009 3:25 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
it’s a small button for me, you’re probably right about it being a browser issue
"The only way out is in a body bag. Go Leafs Go." - Blinky
by Karina on Nov 4, 2009 4:12 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Too much going on on the right hand side still. I’d rather just have the simple content of the post I’m looking at.
But, then again, that’s why I only really view this site in an RSS reader almost all the time, except when you have a title that says “A new look at SBN”. Keeps it clean.
by jameshstephenson on Nov 4, 2009 11:20 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Visually, looks fine. Maybe a little bush league with the Arial font, but fine nonetheless.
Functionally: I find it frustrating that the whole page has to load before you can click “Sign In”. Almost all of the SB blogs I’ve visited take a really long time to load and I end up having to manually stop the page from loading, sign in, and then wait for the site to load up again. There’s gotta be a way to make the SB blogs less bandwidth intensive.
"I will take the subway - we were on the subway last night...I'm not above riding the subway or riding on a bus, I don't care. As long as people don't hit me." --Ron Wilson
by Jo4nny on Nov 4, 2009 11:46 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Functionally: I find it frustrating that the whole page has to load before you can click "Sign In".
This. Very annoying.
Still, I don’t have many issues with it aesthetically. Wouldn’t mind seeing it expand to fit higher resolutions a bit more: I have more grey sidebar than I do content right now. Oh, and again with the time-limited edit button for fixing my stupid mistakes.
SNN Sports - A theoretical Oilers blog (i.e. theoretically, I write stuff there). Link now 100% less broken.
by Doogie2K on Nov 4, 2009 1:26 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
There’s an app for that?
I love the internet.
"I will take the subway - we were on the subway last night...I'm not above riding the subway or riding on a bus, I don't care. As long as people don't hit me." --Ron Wilson
by Jo4nny on Nov 5, 2009 3:19 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
font
is the thing that I don’t like. The Arial looks cheap. And the titles are way too big. I don’t like every single page having the white background either, each blog should be able to have their own background colour.
"The only way out is in a body bag. Go Leafs Go." - Blinky
by Karina on Nov 4, 2009 11:58 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Not really digging it so far, James. Seems like too much white space. If we’re going to go back to simple white spaces, then let’s go all the way back to the old mirtleblog. The previous style was allright, but more importantly, I’d rather the SBN tech team improve functionality. Edit button in the comments would be great. I regularly run into issues with SBN blogs wanting to be rather slow to load, as if they’re getting stuck somewhere in the process, which is particularly irritating. As mentioned above, making the site better able to handle higher resolutions would be great too. It’s kind of distracting to have some great big splash for Inside the NFL or some crappy movie sprawled across the sides of Mirtleblog. Right now its just a bunch of gray space. I mean, really, who is reading this website on 800×600 anymore?
http://sacrificethebody.blogspot.com/
Sacrifice the Body - Examining the NHL through statistical analysis, reasoned thought, and blind conjecture.
by IAmJoe on Nov 4, 2009 2:19 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Edit button in the comments would be great.
There are a few good reasons to prevent editing and this is a pretty tired complaint when ‘preview’ is right there and allows the exact thing that you want to do.
I regularly run into issues with SBN blogs wanting to be rather slow to load, as if they’re getting stuck somewhere in the process, which is particularly irritating.
Part of the re-design is aimed at this issue.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
by PPP on Nov 5, 2009 9:33 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
There are a few good reasons to prevent editing
Mind sharing?
I’ve seen even a time-delayed edit work on other sites. Where for 5 minutes after a comment is made, the original commentator can come back and make changes, be it incorrect information, typos or adding on an additional thought.
-Kevin Forbes
Hockey's Future
by kforbes on Nov 5, 2009 11:20 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
1. The functionality exists. Using the ‘Preview’ button requires the exact same amount of effort just before the comment is made rather than after.
2. Even a five minute window allows for a lot of other comments to piggyback off of the original comment before it is changed.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
by PPP on Nov 5, 2009 12:43 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
That doesn’t really answer what you said about “good reasons to prevent editing”.
Yes, there clearly is a Preview button (I use it on occasion when doing any posts that use the HTML codes to make sure it comes out right), however, clearly people are still asking for an edit button. By just advising people to use the Preview button regularly, what you’re suggesting is that the commentators change instead of the blogs change, whereas this thread was asking for feedback/direction on the blog. In essence, you’re not actually listening to what is being asked. But yes, I agree, the functionality for editing exists (as exemplified by the Preview button), which makes it even more puzzling that the option doesn’t exist.
Allow me re-phrase my question though: Is there a reason, be it technological or administrative or policy or what have you, that there is not (and seemingly will not be) an edit button?
I know you mentioned that other comments can come in to piggyback off the original, which at the very worst, I would think it is an inconvenience. Is that the reason there is not edit button? How often would cases like that occur? I could see it happening in Game Day Threads and maybe some juicy breaking news or divisive opinion, but on the other hand, most of the commentators here, from what I can tell, are familiar with the idea of editing (which is why they are asking for it in the first place), so I can’t imagine them being too lost if an original post is edited after comments are already made off of that post.
Clearly, the writers posting actual articles to the blog, be they posts, fanposts or fanshots or whatever, can edit them and that doesn’t seem to cause any problems…
Is there another reason? Can the framework support it? Does it mean more work for the moderators? (although, I must admit, I don’t know if there are moderators or some sort of comment approval process) Is there something else I’m overlooking?
Not sure if you can answer this, but your original comment seemed to indicate you might be able to.
-Kevin Forbes
Hockey's Future
by kforbes on Nov 5, 2009 1:13 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Regarding Edits
Hey kforbes – there are two major reasons why we don’t have an edit button.
1) Allowing people to change the what they’ve said in the past is dangerous. It generally leads to flame wars, confusion, bad practical jokes, and severe disruption of the space-time continuum. Most sites on the internet don’t allow it for this reason.
2) We don’t get many requests for it, as features go. Our tech team has plenty of higher-priority stuff to work on.
We do like the idea of allowing a user to edit only her most recent comment for 5 minutes. It’s been discussed before and might be something we enable down the line. Thanks!
proud to be creative director for SB Nation
by sixfoot6 on Nov 5, 2009 3:32 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Interesting…
Thanks for taking the time to reply!
-Kevin Forbes
Hockey's Future
by kforbes on Nov 5, 2009 4:37 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
So basically what I said plus the fact that the tech team has more important requests.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
by PPP on Nov 7, 2009 10:42 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Well I’m sorry you guys spent all this money for our time and effort and things aren’t up to your exacting standards… OH WAIT.
The West Coast is the Best Coast.
by RudyKelly on Nov 4, 2009 5:02 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Don’t worry RK, I’m asking for candid feedback. These are the customers, paying or otherwise.
Blogging on hockey at fromtherink.com
by James Mirtle on Nov 5, 2009 12:30 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I like Arial. :)
But I don’t like all the blogs having the white background. It would be nice with each blog having it’s own background color. This looks pretty blah.
Meh. As long as the content is there, I’ll get used to it.
"While there's life, there's hope." --Cicero
by Baroque on Nov 4, 2009 7:11 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Let SBN know
Everyone should e-mail their thoughts to SBN:
They’ve already touched up a lot of the little things that were issues but definitely let them know your thoughts.
Unless it’s asking for an edit button.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
by PPP on Nov 5, 2009 9:33 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Dear SB Nation,
I love your sites, but I have one big issue with the redesign…..there’s still a Leafs blog here! Please fix this at your earliest convenience as this is a large sticking point for me having to deal with Leafs fans. Thanks!
(tongue firmly in cheek)
by Afino on Nov 5, 2009 11:55 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Sorry
Dear Afino,
We have looked into the issue but it’s part of our blog outreach program to losing teams’ fanbases. That’s why we also still have Sabres, Kings, and Avalanche blogs. Someday the Leafs will rise again.
Sincerely,
TPTB (but not really)
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
by PPP on Nov 5, 2009 12:44 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Nice. Rec’d because I got a laugh out of it.
by Afino on Nov 5, 2009 1:23 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah but we'll be up to Web 5.9 by then
and we’ll have floating holograms and scratch and sniff pages… all used for porn.
by twoeightnine on Nov 5, 2009 2:23 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
New design is cool, but there is a bug on the display side of every SBN website for me. For whatever reason I am always sent to the mobile version of the site first. Using Vista and IE8.
by pj48 on Nov 5, 2009 6:33 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
E-mail support@sbnation.com with as many details as possible.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
by PPP on Nov 7, 2009 10:43 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
?
i could have sworn i left a comment on here yesterday, saying the design missed by so much that i was going to be using rss as the only way of viewing this site.
the comment seems to be gone now? not sure why.
by jfry on Nov 5, 2009 9:55 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
I never saw it, and I can’t imagine anyone else would delete it.
Blogging on hockey at fromtherink.com
by James Mirtle on Nov 5, 2009 11:41 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
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