New Header Art for TBP
Ok, the next set of site tweaks are in the queue, and the people have spoken: Its not a full blown redesign, but rather, a series of minor upgrades and improvements. The biggest visual changes are going to be making the top header reduced in size, and moving the flash to the Cafe.
This means I need some art work for The Big Picture main page.
Any ideas?
The main logo is definitely staying — its whatever graphic that replaces the flash header that needs to be developed.
Any concepts?
Anyone want to take a stab at designing something? If I use your work, in addition to the glory (and endless blog groupies), an autographed copy of Bailout Nation is yours, plus a credit buried somewhere on the site.
Your suggestions?
You guys complained about the flash, so here’s your opportunity to replace it!
January 18th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
No new artwork, … but you sure could use a makeover on layout!
Slide the main logo hard to the left, and create a left column (sidebar). Move the top six column tabs “Big…Listings” to six row tabs on the left sidebar. Move the second tier sales six column tabs “About…Disclosures” to the bottom. Now your daily posts are headlining your blog, where they’re supposed to be. But you’re not done yet! Your daytime financial audience can’t read your blog! Deflash/reformat your content to a mirror site at http://mobile.ritholtz.com Reformat for mobile. Nobody can read your blog on a Blackberry/IPhone!
~~~
BR: Sounds alot like the old site!:
http://bigpicture.typepad.com/
January 18th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
Well, BR, if it were up to me I’d do a little cross-promotion with the Swedish Bikini Team for the header…
January 18th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
Well, not sure this site will ever be #1 for graphics however it is one of my favorites because it has relevant and interesting economic content with a sincere attempt and an unbiased presentation. Here is idea how about a link to the topics with the most responses. I know, you asked about graphics I like the Bikini idea make that the link and put a number on it, why not.
January 18th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
BR, who are you trying to appeal to with all this branding stuff?
1. Loyal readers? We don’t care: make the page load fast and make sure new content is easy to find (we don’t do tabs.)
2. Accidental tourists? Pretty counts, but they came for a reason, and graphic design isn’t it.
3. Upsellable consumers? Maybe this is the demographic you are aiming at? If so, don’t ask us, ask a Mad Ave guy.
4. Movers and shakers? Signaling is important: a nice lobby, atrium, etc, shows you have skin in the reputation game, but how much is it really worth on a blog?
~~~
BR: Its not branding, its making the site be “all it can be.” Cleaner, faster, more easily navigable.
I am making it advert friendly. I long ago promised Mrs. Big Picture that the blog wouldn’t be a big money loser, so other things I want to add (charts, more interns and researchers, etc.) have to be able to pay for themselves. Hence, maintaining traffic numbers and adding revenue becomes an important part of the process.
January 18th, 2009 at 11:01 pm
BR: what size are you looking to make the header? got dimensions?
~~~
BR: Just small enough so the header doesn’t dominate laptop screens!
Take any other 5 econ blogs and average the header size.
January 18th, 2009 at 11:23 pm
I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing your Quote of the Day up there where the flash is currently. Or a list of links to your most recent comments, most recent blog posts, favorite recent post headline, or most recent whatevers. Doing that would let you keep your current logo or at least the current size.
If you want to be new-user friendly, you can put a little blurb (or the beginning of one) about what this site is and who you are.
You could also roll all that other stuff up into that space — the links for about/contact/etc. as well as the subscribe/search/email. That would tighten up the whole masthead, assuming it didn’t make things too busy.
In my website designs, which should not be used as a model, I either put some empty white-space up there, a tag-line, or placards for awards recently won.
If you really want the ad-revenue, you could easily slot an ad in there too.
Along the lines of Chief Tomahawk’s comment, you can do something like this:
http://macenstein.com/
On a side note, you might take note that your site’s width is just over 1024 pixels. Most people have better resolutions these days so it’s not a big deal, I just get a h-scroll bar because I set my browser to be that wide.
January 19th, 2009 at 12:01 am
One of the useful things the on-line WSJ does is post a set of links to “Most-read” and “Most-emailed” stories.
You could put a couple of javascript drop-down on mouse-over menus to “most-read” and “most-commented” blog postings. That would likely be popular.
Alternatively, you could put large-ish thumbnail charts (about 4×4 of the current icons would make for a nice size) of particular interest, linking them to blog posts associated with them so that viewers can see enough of the chart to get interested, and click-through them to bring up the linked post.
Note that both of these notions are merely ways to get to the best current stuff on The Big Picture in a time-efficient manner.
ps — I don’t have any problems accessing any of the content through the TBP mobile feed via my iPod. Except for not being able to see any flash content, it works fine. It’s one of the best-designed pages for a small-screen browser that I have seen anywhere.
January 19th, 2009 at 12:01 am
Well, if flash content is unpopular the I guess video is not going to score any points but if you wanted to use some of my content I’d let you have whatever you want – also I’d be willing to shoot for you if you required something specific. I also do a bit of graphic design on the side. Considering how into chart porn you are I think the look should reflect that particular interest of yours…
Still, I think a video header would be cool ( takes a minute or two to load due to high res file…)
http://5bfilms.com/east.html
-five borough films
January 19th, 2009 at 12:41 am
Flash is Rad, someone with talent should look into this…
January 19th, 2009 at 12:47 am
Barry,
Hate to say it, but we’ve been web designers and developers since there was a web, and you’re in a category of client we call “tweaker”.
Leave it alone. Substance over style, dude.
~~~
BR: The original redesign (TBP 2.0) was way behind schedule, and to get it launched by November — original launch date was July — I cut things out and compromised on others, just to get it done.
The process was based on the advice of several readers who are web designers and programmers: Their advice was:
That was good advice I am following. This isn’t tweaking, its finishing the original design process . . .
January 19th, 2009 at 12:48 am
It’s not so much that flash content is bad, but useless time killing space wasting logo splashing junk is not needed.
Would like to see better navigation of the archives, though, assuming they get fully imported.
January 19th, 2009 at 1:35 am
Jason has a good idea for the quote of the day.
If you want to go ‘all info’ then maybe a scrolling headline of current articles would probably get reader’s attention and appreciation. It might draw more first time readers into the site if their eye is caught. That is random of course.
I still like the ‘big picture perspective’ idea I had of the space walking guy. If you could stretch and crop an image like this it would be cool
http://tinyurl.com/7q7gks
January 19th, 2009 at 1:39 am
As already suggested, one of the Manhattan skyline wide angle shots, probably the purple one from here:
http://www.photosig.com/go/users/viewportfolio?id=28549
With a graph line picking out the peaks and troughs of the buidings. The big picture. No flash so quick loading and half the depth of the current header. Also as suggested earlier, tabs all light grey/transparent for selected tab. This makes the header much less busy and with less colour clash.
January 19th, 2009 at 2:05 am
Just to hammer the above the fold point home, here is a screenshot
http://stylizedfacts.com/coruscation/2009/01/page_layout_above_the_scroll.html
January 19th, 2009 at 7:22 am
Here’s a great art site. I don’t think it’s public domain material but, if you can track down the artist, he will undoubetly make a fine deal.
http://web.archive.org/web/19990125084741/http://badart.com/
January 19th, 2009 at 8:11 am
Decide how small you want your logo; that’ll give you the dimensions to fill next to it. Keep in mind that if you fill it with useful links and content repeated from below, it becomes just another navigation area that will then compete with, distract from, and be confused with the others. Quote of the day is good; it’s a good appetizer often intriguing enough to linger over but optional for the day’s information. I’ve been reading them more and more, it’s become a habit to nudge the screen over. No ideas on how to deal with the quote’s variable size now allowed by the side placement.
Strictly personal opinion– design to lowest common denominator, within reason. 1024 screen size (stop making me nudge the screen over to read the quote!), no unexpected mouseovers, flash only when necessary for enhancing content. Your blog appeals to me because it cuts through all the trendy financial chaff. Let your web design do the same. Clean, focused, thoughtful, nuanced but no-nonsense.
January 19th, 2009 at 8:25 am
In all seriousness, here’s and idea that would make you unique on the entire internet and look pretty good. It might even attract new eyes just to see what is different.
All sites I have ever seen have static art in the header. It is changed only occasionally, and maybe embellished for a holiday.
You, BR, can be an innovator. How about making the header, or large section of it, variable in content. It could be artwork, something topical, a game, or anything you desire. It can rotate randomly, daily, weekly, or whatever. While the content below the mast changes several times per day, the header cycle would follow a different rhythm.
Above the artwork would be fixed text that states the website name. Thus, the header becomes another form of editorial content, but using a different context and type of message. Header comments might even add another aspect of uniqueness, depending on the header of the moment.
A prolific,obsessive writer such as yourself could easily think of ideas for it.
Or, you could just put a collage of fine artwork from the above mentioned web site I linked to.
January 19th, 2009 at 11:01 am
BR,
Hello, from STL!
As a long-time reader of TBP and was one of the original critics of the header. I’m glad you’re considering a redesign. As a former graphic designer, and COO of several design studios in in 80’s & early 90’s, I’m a big believe in the “KISS” (keep it simple) school of design.
The key with good design is the ability to prioritize and subordinate. IMHO… TBP’s excellence is based primarily on it’s content…not flashy, cutting edge web design. I’d suggest simplifying the header, keeping the tabs, but avoiding the temptation for ‘visual clutter’. I’d also significantly reduce it’s depth.
If I still had my design studio, I’d have my creative team submit an alternative design. But unfortunately I sold my business in the early 90’s. There are a lot of good web design out there. I’d pick a format/style that you like and have your web designer modify it for use on TBP. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel.
PS: You might also consider switching to a san serif face on your site, such as ariel or helvetica. It’s simply easier to read.
January 19th, 2009 at 11:08 am
Function over form.
Look at the content on these high traffic blogs, all business no bullshit:
http://gizmodo.com/
http://blogmaverick.com/
http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/
http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/
Get rid of all that COMPLETLEY POINTLESS flash bullshit. Make the first post start no further than 300 pixels from the top.
And don’t pay some ad agency to customize your Wordpress blog. Put an ad in craigslist for a wordpress designer (there are thousands) and ask for links to samples – you will get higher talent for a fraction of the price.
This is your blog now:
http://images.truckinweb.com/brandpages/hummer/0508_03z+custom_pink_hummer_h2_sut+front_right_view.jpg
This is what it could be: http://f1.com/news/headlines/2009/1/8847.html
And Barry, if you decide to keep the high bandwidth and massive real estate header, could you please make another static page on your site with just an RSS feed and your ads for people who read you often, especially on an iphone? Thanks and good luck.
January 19th, 2009 at 11:37 am
- Study your Google Analytics stats (especially your Top Content) to find out what is getting read most and how to make it more findable. Then base your redesign on hard facts and
- Reduce your logo. Your brand is everything you produce and how you present it. It’s not in the logo.
- Loose the flash banner all together. It’s wasting space, annoying users, slowing load times and serves no quantitative purpose. Gain 100px.
- Simplify you main navigation tabs (Big Picture, BP Cafè, Book Club, Video, Digital Media, Job Listings). No icons, bigger / text only. But do add a :hover over effect.
- Ditch your secondary navigation (About, Contact … Disclosures) to a footer navigation bar. Gain 40 px. I’ll bet you all my belongings that unique views for those pages are a fraction of main content page hits.
- RSS and email subscription goes into the right col. Search bar goes next to the main nav tabs. Gain 40 pix.
- Get rid of the Quote of the day. It’s lame, distracting and in a valuable position of your site.
- Consider adding an image per article. Large version for Article views, thumbnail size for Section / Homepage veiws.
- Homepage:
Have one Featured article with a limited amount of intro/teaser text. Then subdivide the rest of the page into Section boxes that list the 5 – 10 most recent articles in each, by title and date only (no intro text). Your homepage shouldn’t be a default Wordpress / blog like list. It should provide an overview of your site’s content.
Seb
Freelance Web Design & Development
January 19th, 2009 at 11:43 am
Barry, consistent with The Big “Picture”, why not allocate that current flash space for 4-5 static photo images that poignantly convey the top news events of the day/week. Where applicable, you can link the images to blog entries below. Some images will simply speak for themselves. It will be an opportunity for you to visually convey the current mood in the market, country, world, etc., i.e. The “Big” Picture. It takes a whole bunch of words to convey what one visual image can…take advantage of that time-proven concept.
January 19th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
If you’re going to have flash art or something that takes up that much space, then make it useful. The red tongue, Monopoly Man, rollercoaster etc… does nothing but take up space, no info. Have real charts, data, or whatever that might catch the readers eye. Change it daily or weekly. It could be sector trend charts, daily bullish/bearish sediment, gold price, a weekly poll or two, a monthly contest, TBP chart of the week (like bank failures 1950 to date), anything but the 16 smaller pics that are displayed now. Maybe slpit it in half and have two seperate informative charts.
January 19th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
I interact with your site mainly through RSS, and occasionally visit when I want to bookmark or post. That’s how most of my readers seem to deal with me.
Your header and site design is less of a concern to me. But since your site redesign, there is a lot more flow from RSS. What I would like is a way to lose the video and third-party commentary. My time is limited, and I want to read you, but not get the rest of the flow.
January 19th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
I just took a look at your page, with change in mind and for the first time, looked at the art just below the tabs (never even paid attention to it before). I guess, to me personally then, it is of little use and could probably be used for more useful purposes if it has never drawn my attention. I get to your blog through RSS, so I go directly to articles and don’t really pay much attention to the rest of the page, as I keep up with all the current posts. I would think making the tabs more prominant would be my preference. I have noticed something strange (maybe there is an obvious explanation): I get to your blog by RSS, but also have your web page on my favorite places. I have noticed when I got to your blog by way of the favorite place, the articles listed on the RSS are not always there.
January 19th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
Think about the header from the tool/job perspective?
The question to ask yourself is “what’s the job I want to accomplish with the header?” The answer will tell your designer what tool to use. Hint: a super-jumbo flash sledge-hammer will not be that tool. Another hint: “all it can be” is not an acceptable answer.
If your goal is to present your logo and permit navigation, then I propose something simple like the following (I believe I sent this sometime back). A side bonus is that it will take your designer about 12 minutes to produce it!
http://www.z-dog.com/bp.jpg