Introducing the New B&B Front Page (Pt. II)

[Nick]

As those returning to B&B can clearly tell, we've improved our Front Page, once more. The features everyone's become accustomed to have returned, along with a new site-wide look, but new articles and content will still show up on the front page. We've also got a couple new features that will slowly be turned on over the coming days.

If you prefer the 'classic vB' look that B&B was using earlier, you can choose your theme by logging in, going into your User CP, clicking Edit Options, scrolling to the bottom of the page, choosing "vB Default Style" from the Forum Skin drop down menu and clicking Save Changes.

We hope you enjoy,

-The Mods

[StickPig]

I like the new look!

[moses]

Sexy.....

(No, I'm not talking about John's avatar.)

[Walravine]

Nice job!

[DarkCanuck]

Very cool.

[priisholm]

Smoother yet familiar.

[vcardona]

I like it too!

[JBHoren]

If you prefer the 'classic vB' look that B&B was using earlier, you can choose your theme by logging in, going into your User CP, clicking Edit Options, scrolling to the bottom of the page, choosing "vB Default Style" from the Forum Skin drop down menu and clicking Save Changes.

I don't like the new theme's color scheme, and I never liked the "classic" one, either. What I'd really like would be the ability to specify my own color-scheme theme. How about it? How about empowering me?

[lhuchison]

Really like the new look!

[Must Dash]

The web site equivalent of a BBS. Really, really, really nice job.


Cheers


Jeremy

[Must Dash]

I clicked on 'Shop' (dunno why I go there since you can't ship this stuff to me) and couldn't get back again. There's no top menu bar, or at least I couldn't find it.

Cheers


Jeremy

[Smell The Glove]

Pleasing on the eye. Good job.

[galopede]

Too blue for me! Hate reading against a deep coloured background. Glad the old style is still available!

Nice to have a choice.

Gareth

[Reddobie]

Looks good, thanks.

[krawlx]

Whoa!! I really like the new look. Fantastic job.

[SobBill2]

Ya done good.

[PTurchan]

Sticking with the older, more simple looking skin :thumbup1:.

[rm71]

I really like the look/layout, but prefer the old colour.

[indykramer]

This is very nice guys. Thanks for always improving.

[tim8557]

Outstanding job. I really like this new look in its entirety.

[scoopster]

Folks, I like the look. I really like getting all the old features back. Thanks much!

[bjrn]

I love the bit at the top, it looks really great. I do prefer the lighter colours of the old style for reading posts, but I think I'll give the new one a try I may very well get used to it. :)

Thanks guys.

[RichGem]

Much nicer and more functional than the old new homepage. :thumbup:

EDIT: but too tough to read; going back to the old skin.

[Amyn]

Yea you kicked a homerun!!!!!
Very nice I like this front page a lot.

[crankymoose]

Very Nice overall design now :cool: :thumbup:

[SmoovD]

/golf clap/

Outstanding work, gentlemen!

[tvphotog]

Too blue for me! Hate reading against a deep coloured background. Glad the old style is still available!

Nice to have a choice.

Gareth


I do prefer the lighter colours of the old style for reading posts, but I think I'll give the new one a try I may very well get used to it. :) Thanks guys.


Only one "druther" - I vote for a paler blue behind the text. I find the lack of contrast makes it a bit difficult to read. John

+1.

I love the layout, thanks for your time in creating it.

I think the background of the posts is too dark blue, I think it should be lightened more to contrast better with the text.

Regards,

J.

[daverpig]

Wow! Visually very attractive. Wonderful job, gentlemen.

[thirdeye]

Fantastic work gentlemen. I really like the clean old way with the re-added features...Very well done indeed....:smile:

[Prince]

I like the new look. A little change is always good. :thumbup1:

[hoselayer]

I like the new look. A little change is always good. :thumbup1:

+1. Excellent job guys!!!:thumbup::thumbup:

[Paul10]

Looks sweet.

[jlander]

All very nice. Especially the option to keep the layout that I prefer. It is so much better than the other forums.

[packRat]

I like it. Very nice.

[Handy]

Very sexy!

[VFR79]

Very crisp, very clean. Thanks for giving the options to change the layout, great idea! :thumbup:

[maniv85]

I REALLY like the new look. Way less hokey than the last.

Matt

[Groundhog]

Schweeeeet!

[MaxP]

I like the latest layout.

[Padron]

It looks great, too much blue though. Any plans for any other colors / themes?

[ada8356]

Very sharp.:thumbup1:

[rafikz]

Gorgeous :w00t::w00t:

[Androclese]

Sweet!

[ouch]

Nice to see the old familiar face again.

I'd insert a custom smilie here, but...................... :lol:

[greendyk]

Very nice, and thanks. Only one "druther" - I vote for a paler blue behind the text. I find the lack of contrast makes it a bit difficult to read. But I'm sticking with it, and I'm sure my old eyes will grow accustomed.

John

[arcman]

I definitely like the header as well as the color scheme. Some very sharp light-blues going on.
Is the icon set final? I like most of them, but the "dot icon" that sits next to a thread that indicates that you've participated in that thread is harder to make out. It's a very small dot and fairly easily missed.

I don't like the new theme's color scheme, and I never liked the "classic" one, either. What I'd really like would be the ability to specify my own color-scheme theme. How about it? How about empowering me?How are your CSS skillz?
http://userstyles.org/ :cool:

[castlecraver]

Wow. REALLY sharp! Nicely done guys. :thumbup1:

[Raso]

Really, really cool! Nice Job!

[daniel.boone]

Well done, very nice!

[thechurchill]

That's beautiful man

[Soccer Hawk]

Awesome Job!!!!

[JoePerri]

One of the fundamental tenants of good web design is to avoid low contrast, dark on dark color schemes. While I like the new 3D look the colors are just not functional at all. Way to dark and to much blue. I'm glad I can use the old color scheme but hate to lose the cool new effects, however, the new colors are just unreadable. You may want to give some serious thought to changing the colors.

Joe

[Nick]

Thanks for the kind words all, and the constructive feedback.


I definitely like the header as well as the color scheme. Some very sharp light-blues going on.
Is the icon set final? I like most of them, but the "dot icon" that sits next to a thread that indicates that you've participated in that thread is harder to make out. It's a very small dot and fairly easily missed.


Nothing's set in stone. I'll take a look around and see if I can't find a better status icon set. I'll also tinker with the text backgrounds and see if I can't lighten it up a bit without turding the whole thing out.

-Nick

[TOB9595]

It's always a LOT of work to change something over.
Well done

[CJMaxey]

I give it :thumbup:

[MotoMike]

Looks great. I was a little unsure initially, but it is now top notch.

You gents do a fine job and all your efforts are appreciated very much:thumbup1:

[tvphotog]

One of the fundamental tenants of good web design is to avoid low contrast, dark on dark color schemes. While I like the new 3D look the colors are just not functional at all. Way to dark and to much blue. I'm glad I can use the old color scheme but hate to lose the cool new effects, however, the new colors are just unreadable. You may want to give some serious thought to changing the colors.

Joe


Nothing's set in stone. I'll take a look around and see if I can't find a better status icon set. I'll also tinker with the text backgrounds and see if I can't lighten it up a bit without turding the whole thing out.

-Nick

Thanks, Nick. I'm glad for all the hard work you guys did and I, too, don't want to lose the cool features, but it's harder to read the black text on the dark blue background. Glad there's tinker room.

Best regards,

Jay

[joel]

We MIGHT offer another color scheme, and B&B look all together, so you'd have 3 to choose from (the original, this new one you're looking at, and one completely different) however the biggest "change" will be the features that will slowly be added in due time. :biggrin:

[michael m]

Nice job.....Looks great

[Dirk Tanner]

Smooth, clean, cool.

[Confuzius]

I like the cohesiveness of it all. Especially at the top of the page.
I don't like the new online/offline indicators.

If anyone wants to customize it themselves can mess around with firefox addons greasemoney and stylish along with Platypus, which lets you edit any page online as if it were in frontpage or dreamweaver.

[stevensj2]

I like the old one myself.

The new one is nice looking, but it is too reminiscent an Apple site from 1999; which isn't necessarily a bad thing - it is a GREAT looking skin. But it just doesn't mesh with the shaving atmosphere at all.

I don't know if this skin was custom made by someone here, or downloaded from a skin site. IMHO, a custom, B&B-only, skin designed with shaving and this particular forum in mind, would be more suiting.

Something masculine and rugged, yet clean and easy to read.

This is just a quick mockup I made while at work to attempt to convey my thoughts, trying to incorporate the razor and brush into the logo:
http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/6902/bbtempzs1.jpg

[texcattlerancher]

I am glad the most recent posts are back on the front page.

[joselastra]

love it .......

[JoePerri]

Something masculine and rugged, yet clean and easy to read.

This is just a quick mockup I made while at work to attempt to convey my thoughts, trying to incorporate the razor and brush into the logo:


Awesome!!! That is a nice skin!

Joe

[tvphotog]

I like the old one myself.

The new one is nice looking, but it is too reminiscent an Apple site from 1999; which isn't necessarily a bad thing - it is a GREAT looking skin. But it just doesn't mesh with the shaving atmosphere at all.

I don't know if this skin was custom made by someone here, or downloaded from a skin site. IMHO, a custom, B&B-only, skin designed with shaving and this particular forum in mind, would be more suiting.

Something masculine and rugged, yet clean and easy to read.

This is just a quick mockup I made while at work to attempt to convey my thoughts, trying to incorporate the razor and brush into the logo:
http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/6902/bbtempzs1.jpg

That's cool, too. I do like the logo.

[joel]

I like the old one myself.

The new one is nice looking, but it is too reminiscent an Apple site from 1999; which isn't necessarily a bad thing - it is a GREAT looking skin. But it just doesn't mesh with the shaving atmosphere at all.

I don't know if this skin was custom made by someone here, or downloaded from a skin site. IMHO, a custom, B&B-only, skin designed with shaving and this particular forum in mind, would be more suiting.

Something masculine and rugged, yet clean and easy to read.

This is just a quick mockup I made while at work to attempt to convey my thoughts, trying to incorporate the razor and brush into the logo:
http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/6902/bbtempzs1.jpg

Awesome! Did you just make that? We'd love to have someone skilled create some B&B logo's/graphics, etc!

[stevensj2]

Awesome! Did you just make that? We'd love to have someone skilled create some B&B logo's/graphics, etc!

Thanks. I made that earlier today during my lunch break, trying out an idea I had (I sometimes have more free time than I know what to do with :lol:).

I'd be more than happy to offer a hand w/ graphics and things, if needed.

[tohpass]

As those returning to B&B can clearly tell, we've improved our Front Page, once more.

You certainly have. In doing that, though, you have also broken the Hall of Fame submission form (http://badgerandblade.com/vb/newthread.php?do=form).

http://tohserver.com/~robin/HoF-fsckage-preview.png (http://tohserver.com/~robin/HoF-fsckage.png)

[Nick]

Thanks for the heads up. HoF should be back to normal now.

-Nick

[galpman]

My two cents..Love the new look. Great job