Re: [Rhythmbox-devel] a new design mockup for the RB homepage

[Martin Jeppesen <d2xdt2 gmail com>]

> > Compiling Rhythmbox from CVS is not trivial.
>
> Ahm.. ubuntu breezy ---> cvs checkout ---> fix the dependencies with
> synaptics ( by adding the needed dev packages ) --> ./autogen.sh and
> your done :o).. thats not really that hard i think..

I doubt Ubumtu can resolve dependencies for Rhythmbox CVS. Have you tried it?

But most importantly. Can you prove that:

> About Download.. ahm.. nobody really downloads rb from the page..




> > I would say functionality is more important then design. After all the
> > purphase of application websites are to answer: what is this program,
> > what it looks like, what can it do, and where do I get it.
>
> You would be shocked to hear that design is as important as content...
> ( i know most programmers dont like that idea ).. but having a nice site
> can boost up your user usage because its just "cooler" to use that
> program... look at the iPod.. one of the most underfeatured.. most
> expensive.. most propritary mp3players on the market.. but everyone
> WANTS it badly... :o) ( and that is surely not because of its excellent
> qualities... nearly every cheap taiwanese player can do more for less )

You are right, that design is important for hardware and design is
important for software as well. But would people buy the iPod if you
removed the functionality?

I don't think degrading functionality is good for anyone.

Rhythmbox.org have 8 menus. You have now 5 in your ideas.

What is there were 4 to the left of the triangle and 4 to the right?

> But that discussion is useless if you think that way.. ( numbers and
> real world experience proof you to be wrong.. )

That's not how it works. First rule of marketing:

Who is the target group?
What are their needs?

You most have investigated these two as a minimum before proceeding.


> I am not talking about the changelog beeing on the front.. but more the
> NEWS.. ( there should be a little bit more info than just changelogs...
> like progress and stuff.. new features that are beeing talked about..
> etc.. not everyone reads the ML )

Phew. I thought you wanted the changelog (the NEWS file) on the front page =)

About or News as the front page... There is advantages and
disadvantages for both.

> If someone hits the site who is new.. he should be able to press
> "About" ( After he read the Headline GNOME Music Manager which is self
> describing of what he will find on this page ) if hes not.. hes not even
> beeing able to use a computer or linux at all. For everyone else.. who
> just wants to follow the project ( and those are many more than
> "newcomers" ) he needs to have an extra click for the needed information
> everytime he visits the page.

What if:

Front page shows About and the left side menu becomes:

News
Screenshots
Download

Right side menu becomes:
FAQ: Related tools is put in the FAQ.
Development: Translation is put in Development.
Feedback

The menu would then become:

News    Screenshots     Download    /\   FAQ    Development    Feedback

> Yeah thats probably the reason why they changed it now ..... take a look
> at most of apple.com's subpages ..... ( you have a combination of black,
> gradiant and others.. )

Yes, they change theme according to their product pages. That's
probably a good idea. But their front page and all their products are
probably not going to change =)