Re: [boost] New boost webpage

From: Rob Stewart (stewart_at_[hidden])
Date: 2005-08-08 22:00:15

From: Aleksey Gurtovoy <agurtovoy_at_[hidden]>
> Rob Stewart writes:
> > From: Aleksey Gurtovoy <agurtovoy_at_[hidden]>
> >> Rob Stewart writes:
> >> > I don't find the enlarged text an improvement, particularly.  In
> >> > a sense, the enlarged size makes that text compete too much with
> >> > the body text on the left 2/3.
> >> 
> >> Well, the navigation links are supposed to be easily identifiable at
> >> first glance. Besides, they don't really compete with the body text in
> >
> > They should be easily identifiable when you look at that side of
> > the page, but they shouldn't draw your attention to that side
> > immediately.  The larger text does the latter.
> 
> >From a seasoned visitor's standpoint, I consider this to be a feature:
> I read the text only once, and the rest of the time what I want is to
> find the navigation links instantly. Falimiarity with the site's
> layout doesn't help as much as one would hope for here because usually
> you regularly visit more than just one site.

Ah, I see the difference.  I've said before that I don't think
the main page should be designed for visitors like us.  It should
be designed for the newcomer.  There should be other pages that
we bookmark that provide the things we want regularly.

Thus, I'm not looking for the main page to be my main entry point
to what I want from the Boost web site.  Indeed, I'll create my
own bookmarks or put links on my own home page to get me to what
I want quickly.

> >> a sense that once you start reading it, you concentrate all your
> >> attention on the flow and simply don't notice what's around it (much
> >> as you don't notice the ads and the likes when you are reading a news
> >> site). IMO from usability standpoint the larger size is an
> >> improvement.
> >
> > Did you find the smaller text somehow unreadable?
> 
> Yes, I find that I actually have to read what the links say before
> clicking, while with the larger text I recognize what I'm looking for
> "instantly".

That's as it should be for newcomers.

> >> > I like the consistent treatment of links.  I don't like the
> >> > selected color as the contrast is too low.
> >> 
> >> FWIW, it works for me. The links are clearly distinguishable from the
> >> plain text.
> >
> > Yes, they are distinguishable.  The problem is, they are harder
> > to read because of the lower contrast.
> 
> Lower contrast between the links and the text or the links and the
> background?

THe problem is low contrast relative to the background; it makes
the text harder to read, something Rene mentions in another
reply in this thread.

> >> > The subtle difference for visited links is fine, but the selected
> >> > color has even less contrast, so it is a poor choice.
> >> 
> >> Again, it's clearly distinguishable, which IMO makes it an acceptable
> >> choice (although may be not the best one).
> >
> > Readability is of great concern, not just distinguishability.
> 
> No argument here.

Apparently, we need to agree on the audience in order to agree on
the visual treatment.

-- 
Rob Stewart                           stewart_at_[hidden]
Software Engineer                     http://www.sig.com
Susquehanna International Group, LLP  using std::disclaimer;