Homepage

[Doug Kaye]

I've added "Our Curators Recommend" to the SpokenWord.org homepage.
Please take a look.

I'm still not happy with it for two reasons. Would love your feedback:

1. Within each "summary" I'm not sure the datar are presented in the
right order. The idea is to encourage visitors to the homepage to
visit your curations. That means they need to know what the curations
(and the shows) are about. At the moment the data are presented in
this sequence:
* program title (top-of-curation program)
* feed title (if the program came from an RSS feed)
* curation title
* curator's name

How would you re-order these data and why?

2. I'm experimenting with the CSS. As you can see, in the curation
summaries all the text is black and all the links are underlined.
Nothing is bold. But it looks cluttered, I think.

In the other areas of the homepage, nothing is bold, less-important
text is pale blue and links aren't underlined.

Design opinions?

Thanks again.

...doug

Doug Kaye, Executive Director
The Conversations Network
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit
do...@rds.com
v: 415.868.5461
twitter: dougkaye
facebook.com/doug.kaye

[LonelyBob]

Hi curating guys and gals,
Seems the list has been quite for a bit, so I'll share my thoughts to
stir the pot.
I was thinking, there are already Categories of Podcasts, what about
putting the Curated Podcast at the top or the bottom of the Category
boxes on the front page?

For example, my curated Video Game Podcasts would go in the Games &
Hobies Category; the curated Health Information podcasts would go in
the Health Category, etc.
Then give a Title of "Latest Podcasts added" or something similar to
the Category for the other 2 podcasts shown in the box.

This way people could see, a Curated Podcast and a couple of the
latest podcasts in the Category, and they would be more grouped in
similar categories.

What do you think?

Thanks,
Kevin (LonelyBob)
Twitter: @LonelyBob

> d...@rds.com

[Doug Kaye]

I think that's a good idea, Kevin.

It actually raises a bigger (for us) question: How valuable are the topics on the home page anyway?

As I mentioned in a previous message, our categories are based on iTunes for a variety of reasons. The order in which they appear on the homepage is somewhat arbitrary based on a wild guess of what our visitors might find most interesting. Still, a lot of categories are "below the fold" on the homepage.

I know there's a much better design for the homepage. I just don't know what it is.

I like your idea and will try to get to it shortly -- it's not too hard -- but I'd also like to solve the bigger homepage problem. Feedback from all appreciated.

    ...doug

Doug Kaye, Executive Director
The Conversations Network
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit

do...@rds.com

v: 415.868.5461
twitter: dougkaye
facebook.com/doug.kaye

[LonelyBob]

Hi again Curator crew,

I think the Categories are useful, since it's a good way to group the
Podcasts into similar topics. That allows for example, someone
interested in Tech to browse the Tech Category to find other shows
they might want to subscribe to.

But I agree the layout of the categories on the homepage is not
optimal, lots of scrolling is required, especially to see those 3 on
the bottom (Sports & Recreation, TV & Film, Religion & Spirituality).

Maybe some stats or site analytics can be used to put the Categories
in a better order?
For example, if the most people are subscribed to podcasts in the Tech
category, have Tech be the first Category shown on the top left. Then
the second most popular group put to the right of it on the top; the
third most popular group put below the first most popular group; the
4th most popular below the 2nd most popular. etc. I think you get the
picture.
If there's some concern that it'd be good to promote some of the
lesser subscribed Category groups, then occasionally the least
subscribed category could occasionally be 'featured' and be placed in
the 2nd most popular group location. Then shift the other Categories
down appropriately.
Just some ideas.. would like to hear some thoughts from others as
well.

As for the "From Our Content Partners" categories, I feel like they
belong in a separate area, since they aren't grouped in Categories but
rather in site groups.
To make the Categories/Content Partners easily switchable, What about
adding a tabs-based navigation to the top of the site?

Have Categories on the homepage by default, click on the Content
Partners tab to view content from the Content partner sites.
With the Curated Podcasts added to the Category boxes, and the Content
partners shifted to their own page that would allow the current
Categories to be more visible with less scrolling.

What do you guys think?

-- Kevin (LonelyBob)
Twitter: @LonelyBob

On Oct 26, 1:43 pm, Doug Kaye <d...@rds.com> wrote:
> I think that's a good idea, Kevin.
>
> It actually raises a bigger (for us) question: How valuable are the topics
> on the home page anyway?
>
> As I mentioned in a previous message, our categories are based on iTunes for
> a variety of reasons. The order in which they appear on the homepage is
> somewhat arbitrary based on a wild guess of what our visitors might find
> most interesting. Still, a lot of categories are "below the fold" on the
> homepage.
>
> I know there's a much better design for the homepage. I just don't know what
> it is.
>
> I like your idea and will try to get to it shortly -- it's not too hard --
> but I'd also like to solve the bigger homepage problem. Feedback from all
> appreciated.
>
>     ...doug
>
> Doug Kaye, Executive Director
> The Conversations Network
> A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit

> d...@rds.com
> v: 415.868.5461
> twitter: dougkaye
> facebook.com/doug.kaye
>

[Jeff - The Ausmerican]

Kevin,

I think you are on the right track.

The Content Partners section seems to clutter the page in my opinion,
it might be worth considering a smaller section, right hand column and
rotating highlighted recent content for one or two, and simple links
for the balance.

The Curators Recommend section would become redundant if the Curated
Content was placed at the top of the Category as Kevin suggests. That
in turn would allow more space for the categories..and reduce the
depth of the page.

I'm in two minds about shuffling categories based on stats
(automatically or manually). Bringing high readership to the top can
tend to promote what is already popular and disadvantage the lesser
subscribed content, thereby promoting the status quo. That said, the
Wisdom of Crowds allows the community to determine what's important. I
could argue this either way but my preference is to the latter.

Given the current three column layout, I think I'd like to see
something like this:

Right Hand Column = Search, Advert(s), Tag Cloud, Content Partners(per
above)...

Left and Center Columns:

Categories ordered by number of subscribers
1 2
3 4
5 6
7 8
9 10
11 12
13 14
15 16

Clicking on a Subject Category should take you to a Homepage 'like'
layout that shows the sub-categories of the taxonomy.

Jeff

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