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The Retiring of One Column

Friday December 2, 2005 / 19 Comments
Note:

Make sure to clear your cache. I reused a lot of the same image and style sheet names, so that could be causing some problems.

I quietly launched a redesign last week. There’s still a little bit of work and tweaking to do, but the main layout is finished, and I’ve got the major issues sorted out.

Unfortunately, in a move to create and host more free resources, one column just wasn’t cutting it. The site is now sporting two columns, but thanks to the magic of style sheets, you can switch back to one column if you prefer.

Resources

The driver behind everything was the addition of resources that I wanted to provide. Right now, all I’ve got is a series of Visio templates and stencils that I use to create wireframes, page description diagrams, and process flows, and Omnigraffle should be following in the near future.

Ultimately, I plan on offering lots of fun free stuff like progressive enhancement and gracefully degrading JavaScript bits for everyone to easily plug into their site as well as other fun stuff I’ve been wanting to build.

The First Resources

I’ve updated and enhanced the Visio templates I use day to day and should be following them up shortly with the addition of Omnigraffle versions. So, if you create wireframes, page description diagrams, process flows, or site maps, feel free to head on over to the resources section and download the templates and stencils.

Links

Sometimes you come across great resources that just don’t justify writing a whole post, but you want everyone to know about. With only one column, I was a bit strapped there, so now we have links and a corresponding links RSS feed.

Comment Previewing

Hands down my favorite new bit of functionality in Textpattern is the improved comment previewing. The new tags enable you to place your comment preview anywhere you want and mark it up differently than your other comments if you so choose. It deserves a whole post in itself, but that’s for later. For now, just make a comment here and check it out. Of course, if you just want to see it, it’s only a preview, you don’t have to submit the comment.

New Textpattern Tags & Functionality

Jon saved me from writing exhaustively about it, but suffice it to say “Textpattern has arrived”http://www.hicksdesign.co.uk/journal/textpattern-notes-new-tag-goodness. If you haven’t been paying attention, it’s evolved from basic and easy to use to extremely powerful and still easy to use.

Summary

I’ve added new features and content and updated the design to accomodate everything. Of course comments and criticism are always welcome. However, compliments are preferred. Actually, I’d really like to hear what you don’t like about it as well.

Featured Stuff - Resources: Wireframes & Page Description Diagrames

Omnigraffle and Visio versions of the wireframe templates and stencils I use on all of my projects. There’s even a few examples included for good measure. More about Wireframe & Page Description Diagram Stencils and Templates

not bad, but your header has a horizontal scrollbar, which covers up the bottom half of the header as well. I’m in FF 1.07. Email me if you need a screenshot or something.

Jeff

I gotta say, this comment box is obscenely large. Really, it fills almost my whole screen maximized. I’m not blind, I don’t need to read what I’m writing at 20pt. I know you think “bigger is better” but this is just ridiculous :)

sxates

I enjoyed your former one-column layout a lot, and always used it as the best example of a simple yet charming layout.

However, I think the new two columns are welcome, since it brings more enjoyable content along with it.

Congratulations. And keep the “bigger is better” thing.

PS: the header is really showing horizontal and vertical scrollbars in FF 1.0.7/Win. In IE6 it’s ok.

Bruno Torres

I’ve always felt your site is about the best design on the web. It is so simple it is both elegant and brillant. The two column is a welcome addition.

Tommy

Wow. The comment box is really big. The right side column looks nicely done, though.

Rob Sanheim

Dang Garrett, you’re making me want to redesign my site, and I’m not even sure how or why. Great redesign. Did you nix the sIFR? I agree, the new Textpattern comment form control is awesome, sure beats putting the preview above the articles. I implimented it this past week on my own site. Congrats on the SXSW panel, by the way. Can’t wait to hang out with y’all and the other 9rules folk.

Nathan Smith

Love what you’ve done with the site Garrett. Keep up the good work.

Yannick

You’ve lost a reader here, Garrett. Off my blogroll you go – poof!

I like the single column better, the comment box is too big and you use too much whitespace. In the next versioin I’d like to see zero columns, no comments and more crowding of elements ;)

geof

Geof Harries

I get an obnoxious scroll bar across your header, and also odd blue lines across the footer that vary in number depending on the number of things found there.

But apart from that, everything looks nice!

Ben

Pretty sure I’ve already mentioned that I like the new design. Just one comment: I think you should put a list of recent articles under the ‘Featured Stuff’ on the right. Currently, there’s just the latest article, so it’s a bit hard to tell if you’ve missed anything.

Benedict

Benedict – The problem with that is that I never know how long the home page will be. There is a list of recent articles at the bottom of most pages. However in the case of individual articles, it displays a list of related recent articles.

Garrett

When I saw the title of the article, I was bummed out, but upon seeing the site, I really like what you did. I’ll miss the old simple layout, but this is great. Congrats Garrett! Aside, one thing I did prefer was how your comments appeared in a grey box before. I will say one vast improvement is the extra content section at the bottom, I really agree with your previous post about giving the readers resources at the end of articles. Keep it up!

Gordo

Ooh, one more thing, sorry, but I really loved the underlines you had on commenters if they had a site. I realize most of your readers have a homepage, but I still often looked to that for visual confermation. Thanks!

Gordo

Nice site!

The size of this comment box is fine by me (i have 1600×1200 screen), and i love the formatting codes on the right side.

I also love about the footer, hmmm, i think i should have something like that as well on my site. :)

Mark John

Garrett, I love the new design. You’ve got great style. Makes me want to re-do the current redesign for my site that I’m working on. Doh!

Dustin

Beautiful work, Garrett. I didn’t think it possible to top the previous design, as it was one of my favorites, but this tops it. Nice work.

My onnly complaint is a minor one, I would be nice to see the recent articles listed on the main page, instead of only seeing them on the individual article pages.

Other than that, beautiful, amazing work. One of the best looking sites I’ve seen anywhere, period. Whoever did the graphics did an outstanding job.

Kyle

Kyle – Ask and ye shall receive. Thanks.

Garrett

Perfect. ;-)

Seriously.

Oh, and I like how you rearranged the comments

Kyle

I know this is a little late, but great redesign. It is well balanced and pleasing to the eye. It’s really all in the little details. For example, I love the featured area and the search dialog, which are in stark contrast to the rest of the site’s simplicity. Well done.

J David

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