[Lazarus] Reconstructing Lazarus Website 2: the content

[Joost van der Sluis]

On Thu, 2010-02-04 at 23:15 +0700, Klenongan wrote:
> > I don't like this design at all. Bee's design is much better.
> >
> ...
> >
> > What you expect on a home-page is links, links, links and a few lines
> > explaining things. Because every new-comer has a different reason to
> > come to that page. Some like screenshots, and decide what this product
> > is on those. They'll look at the page and search for the word
> > 'screenshots'. Some others just want to download and try it. They look
> > for 'download'. Some want to see a tutorial to see what it is, those
> > will look for 'tutorial'...
> >
> > What do I think when I look at the page with the cheetah. First I think:
> > Cheetah, maybe some site about animals? Then underneath I see, What is
> > Lazarus. Then I think, what does Lazarus have to do with animals? And
> > the text below it doesn't solve my problem.  I can read the FAQ, but
> > reading an FAQ just to see what the page is about... no...
> >
> > Then on the right, where I would expect an advertisement or something. I
> > can read what Lazarus is. 'Lazarus is an IDE blahblab pascal gpl blah
> > windows, mac, linux.' Too much text, telling me nothing.
> 
> Well that's interesting, you don't know what Lazarus because you do
> not want to read the text, which right next to a big picture. A text
> below the name 'Lazarus' made bigger than the rest of the page, well
> placed to be seen first, not only that I took it straight from the
> Lazarus' "About Lazarus" dialog box. Thank you for your critics, but
> I'm lost at words.
> 
> > This page is just a lot of text.
> 
> A text is rendered faster than image. Add to the fact that my ZIP file
> is only 70K~, that includes everything to image should tell you
> something about my preference to use bandwidth effectively.
> 
> > Further, search is not where you would expect it (on the top). The news
> > section is only boring text.
> >
>  ...
> >
> > Oh, and there is recent news. (Not important what the news is,
> > offcourse)
> >
> 
> Bee has recent news and I have 'Latest news'. I might be wrong, but I
> get the feeling you slated them both, is there any problem with you
> reading text?

Yes. Most people do. 

>  I know it sounds provocative, and I sounds like
> attacking you personally (which I am not) but really, what is it with
> you and a little bit reading?

Most people don't read text on websites. Only if they are really
interested in it. That's not the case for first-time users. And advanced
users are not interested in the text on the home-page, because they
already know.

> > Then the text below 'downloads'... It's happy/small talk. It does not
> > add anything usefull. I know what a download is. And the developers
> > area... same. There's one difference though. In this case it's important
> > to know if it's about developers of Lazarus/fpc, or developers in
> > general. Well, this is not told in the happy-talk text below it.
> 
> A placeholder mind you, I don't know what `technically-correct` to
> describe "a Lazarus download" `concept` and yes I admit the
> "Developers" can be interpreted into two things, my fault. I digress
> the overused 'Lorem Ipsum Dolor Sit Amet ..' text. Of course, if the
> actual web-admin would like to change it, then be it.

This shows the problem of designing a page without the content in mind.
Now the administrator of the webpage has to think up some text for those
text-boxes. But there is no meaningfull text. So get rid of it. No text.
Especially if it tells me nothing I don't already know. (for example:
what a download is)

> > Now imagine someone looking at the 'bee'-page. He'll think:
> >
> > This website is about lazarus, a cross platform software studio. Then:
> > Lazarus is an IDE, FreePascal a pascal compiler. They are really
> > cross-platform. (Without reading the text at all) There are releases and
> > I can download it or look at the features.
> 
> It would be much easier for me to learn if you post, at least, a
> mock-up. Not necessarily in HTML but a picture like bee's would be
> good. All you saying is something that should be good, but the details
> like placements, colors, overall design aren't there. Without reading
> the text would mean more icons, visual cue, which is the luxury we
> don't have because I assume there is no budget to order customized
> icons from a professional artist; other than that then we're stuck
> with the overused Tango icons.

I don't want to make any design. I only tell what imho the problem is
with yours. It has too much text, too little links.

This is just what usability and user tests on websites showed. People
come to a website with a certain goal. That can be anything: look for
screenshots, a tutorial, download... You have them provide what they are
looking for as quick as possible. 

Look for the book by Steve Krug 'Don't make me think' for all the
basics...

> I failed to imagine what exactly that you want, please elaborate.

Get rid off all text which doesn't add anything. And make no sentences
longer then about 15 words.

And add the links on the bottom just like in Bee's design.

Joost