OnlineBookClub.org

The website functions very well and the look of it gets the job done, but I think the website could be more eye-catching. The logo is great but is so small it takes the viewer a second to find it. I think books bring out everyone's imagination and a more vividly colored website would depict our enthusiasm as readers, writers, and reviewers. Everything on the website functions great. A new look would help bring it the attention it deserves!

I second you, but I don't want more colours on the website. I can't exatly say what's missing. Something makes the website look outdated and in need of renovation. Now I am comfortable with the layout, can't suggest to change it either.

I also feel like the page can be hard to navigate because there’s so many options. It has taken me quite a while to get familiarized with where everything is. I’m not sure on how this could be changed so sadly I’m not a lot of help in that but I just wanted to state that I agree.

I would agree with the suggestion. It functions fine but can be a bit clunky. I don't have any smart ideas. A little more colour wouldn't hurt. But I also think the navigation options could be streamlined

Oh yes, I totally agree with all of you. There's just something I can't put a finger on about the layout of this site. Like how the comments on the forum don't fit into the page perfectly, you could zoom it in to make it fit but that isn't exactly convenient. And the rest I think the whole website could get some redesigning, but keep some features that make online book club "online book club". You know this website has to have something unique about itself. Just preservethat; like the color pattern maybe.

YES YES YES!!!
I completely agree with you! A little more color, expand the size of the logo, and overall make the site a little more eye-catching. The site is really great. However, when I first joined it took me a minute to enjoy the site. I personally feel like it is a bit dull.
Also, I think new members should have a tutorial of where everything is located because I had, and still have, some trouble trying to fin what I am looking for. I know they have a FAQ section but it is kind of confusing when someone is first starting out.

Yes, I have been thinking this for a while. The website functions, but it took me a long while to figure it out. It seems that you have to go out of your way to access certain things. For example, when I get on the website, I have to first click some other page (forums or something) to see it I have any notifications because you can't be anywhere at all on the website to see that, you have to go to specific pages to find it. I also feel like there are too many options. It seems like it should be condensed. It does feel outdated, but it works well. An updated look would be nice.

Oh, I was also thinking it would be good if duplicate forum topics could be deleted because there are a lot of locked threads but they are just there. It seems it would be better to get rid of them after notifying the author of the thread that it is a duplicate and linking them to the original so that the forums are less cluttered. Just an idea
(That is, the people in charge of the website would be able to delete them, not just anyone)

Thea Frederick wrote: ↑12 Jan 2021, 11:39 Oh, I was also thinking it would be good if duplicate forum topics could be deleted because there are a lot of locked threads but they are just there. It seems it would be better to get rid of them after notifying the author of the thread that it is a duplicate and linking them to the original so that the forums are less cluttered. Just an idea
(That is, the people in charge of the website would be able to delete them, not just anyone)

You can report those topics and a mod will delete/move them.

gali wrote: ↑12 Jan 2021, 11:40

Thea Frederick wrote: ↑12 Jan 2021, 11:39 Oh, I was also thinking it would be good if duplicate forum topics could be deleted because there are a lot of locked threads but they are just there. It seems it would be better to get rid of them after notifying the author of the thread that it is a duplicate and linking them to the original so that the forums are less cluttered. Just an idea
(That is, the people in charge of the website would be able to delete them, not just anyone)

You can report those topics and a mod will delete/move them.

Oh, very nice, thank you!

I completely agree with you. The site is definitely in need of a revamp. Brighter colours would make users a bit more excited to be on the site. At the moment it looks rather outdated, or like one of those dark web sites where you type commands .

I agree. The home page could be improved and updated. What jumps out to me is that on my laptop, the ad at the top takes up nearly half the screen. I completely understand the need to have the ad to get the revenue and keep things profitable, but like others have said, the logo is SO small in comparison you don't really know what you are looking at initially if it's your first time on the site. It would be worth scrolling slightly to access the tabs when you aren't even logged in yet to have a more clear and welcoming front page for those new to the site.

I totally agree with you! This site looks outdated. It's like a forum I would see in the 90's. Would definitely appreciate a more modern touch, not necessarily more colors but a more updated look for be appreciated.

As someone who is a website designer/developer and user experience designer, I completely agree with you. Don't get me wrong, whoever built this website originally did a really great job as they managed to condense quite a complex system into a functional website while targeting two audiences (the authors and reviewers). That is no easy task. The reason why you can't put your finger on it is that it is quite subtle and is not limited to one thing. Your brain is picking up that there is something not quite right but you don't know what it is and that is why we're here hehe .

One of the biggest issues is the awkward use of white space (white space is the space between one object and another). Sometimes it is way too small and other times it is way too big. An example of too little white space is if we look at the top of the page, at the navigation menu, that horizontal line is nearly on top of the logo and buttons. Then the second navigation menu, one with our profile, is nearly on top of that. This makes that top navigation menu feel very squished and the top of the page feels very cluttered in general. An example of too much white space is the huge space underneath a post (due to the profile information) which not only doesn’t look great but it leads to a big user experience issue. You have to click and scroll forever to get where you need to go on this site. This is something we don’t need to do in a modern website, as they aim to get you where you need to be in under 3 clicks. I won’t go more into it but it definitely contributes to the older website feel.

Another issue is the lack of consistency. Let’s just look at the links/ buttons. Sometimes they are blue with rounded corners and white icons on the left, like in the navigation menu at the top. Then straight underneath it is another navigation (a problem in itself in terms of user-friendliness but that is a whole another monster) with dark or light blue text and orange icons. Then you scroll to the “Submit” and “Full Editor and Preview” button, where they have a gradient background with corners and a black outline. Then there is the reply button with red text, a grey icon on the right on gradient background with rounded corners and a grey outline. These are all completely different and things like this are why it feels so far from modern as the consistency was not as high a priority as it is now.

The gradient headers and buttons are why you saying specifically the 90s. They loved their gradients, especially as a background for something. The grey gradient button like the submit is the default style and back then it wasn’t very customisable compared to now.

No, you don’t need more colours, especially when you have the covers of all those books to play with. They could change the blue used as it is a default system blue e.g. Salesforce, which also gives the website that stale, older feel. They could keep to one colour or just stick to black, white and minimal to give those books the space they need to shine.

Hehe sorry I am really geeking out now, so I will leave it there or otherwise my post will turn into its own book .

I feel the reason they are probably hesitant to jump in and redo this website is that it is quite a complex website (think about what is happening in the background when you submit your book review or post on the forum) that I imagine is built with mostly PHP. It will take a large amount of time and money to redo, even if it is just the look and feel and not the user experience.

Even with that in mind, I still sit here looking at it saying "There is so much potential here! This could be so much better!". It such an amazing platform and it would be amazing if it could reflect that in its look and feel and user experience. As I have said before, it is really impressive that this website got where it is and I can appreciate the difficulty of the task. I of course mean no offence to anyone that took part in the creation of this website.

Over the years of my career, I have come to realize that there is no such thing as a perfect website. But that does not mean there is no room for improvement. One challenge I see for this particular site is the wide scope of information, topics and options. And to be honest, I have struggled to find the things I want. Or, once I find something, it seems I can't always find it again. If there was one thing, I think would help me, it would be a search engine that facilitates navigate more easily. But, then, search engines are another challenge. Overall, I really like this site and find it valuable and will continue recommending it to others.