Luminous Landscape Forum
Site & Board Matters => About This Site => Topic started by: josh.reichmann on April 25, 2021, 11:55:02 am
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Dear Lula community, we have been planning and initiating a site redesign for the past two years. The pandemic, a business headquarter location move, and the sheer size of the task have meant several delays.
The wait is over. Late tonight (April 25), we will be launching the site redesign!
The redesign will in no way affect the forum. The site will now have a far more navigable and engaging UX. You’ll notice that there are categories and deeper ways to explore our thousands of articles. There is an ongoing project of re-tagging at work, and you’ll find that as the days and weeks go on, more articles will be categorized. Some pieces fall into two categories, and our categorization will not summarize all of our diverse topics with perfect precision.
As you’ll see, the site is far superior finally to the standard Lula deserves after its more than two decades of evolution.
We will be responding to queries you may have or any of your thoughtful suggestions the best we can.
I am indebted to Jason Pomerleau at ELEV8 WEB STUDIO for the premier level programming and design help. Irene and I have endeavored to make the site readable, graphically engaging with an approach that attempts to hybrid a news + art + curatorial learning space in a traditional but freshly coloured way.
Primarily we extend our ongoing thanks to Paul Azevedo, our webmaster extraordinaire, for his sleepless dedication to launching the site redesign while juggling the rest.
Enjoy and explore!
Josh Reichmann + Irene Cortes + The Lula team
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As you’ll see, the site is far superior finally to the standard Lula deserves after its more than two decades of evolution.
Josh Reichmann + Irene Cortes + The Lula team
Two decades of (what) evolution?
I'll check it out but unlikely drop $12 on it any longer.
I would gladly pay that yearly fee on a forum that solely concentrates on photography and imaging like it was when I first arrived in June 2004: long before the forums needed and received approximately 54% of the posts on LuLa last year to the Coffee Corner and advertising support.Not an evolution; thus no payment either way.
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Two decades of (what) evolution?
I'll check it out but unlikely drop $12 on it any longer.
I would gladly pay that yearly fee on a forum that solely concentrates on photography and imaging like it was when I first arrived in June 2004: long before the forums needed and received approximately 54% of the posts on LuLa last year to the Coffee Corner and advertising support.Not an evolution; thus no payment either way.
Thanks for sticking around Digital Dog!
Maybe you’ll support the site / forum and engage in the remaining percentage of photo related forum posts (of which there are thousands) ! Your voice is appreciated there most I bet.
J
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Thanks for sticking around Digital Dog!
Your welcome. I'll thank you when you answer my question but if not, I understand.
Maybe you’ll support the site / forum and engage in the remaining percentage of photo related forum posts (of which there are thousands) !
I told you how I'd support you financially. Until then, I will not. Nor the advertisers links. :'(
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There are no ads on the site or forum if you sign up and get a subscription.
That should solve it.
As for the coffee corner, there is a choice to engage in it. I agree it is a potential distraction - but that is an ongoing convo.
J
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There are no ads on the site or forum if you sign up and get a subscription.
That should solve it.
As for the coffee corner, there is a choice to engage in it. I agree it is a potential distraction - but that is an ongoing convo.
J
What we have here is a failure to communicate. I have no problem paying your subscription fee. Did so for year's and years AS WELL as providing free articles to your dad. Despite at the time being paid, by magazine to do the same. I have no problem with advertising or clicking on advertising links. As long as the site continues to go downhill in my humble opinion, based on the behaviors and posts/subjects (myself included*) in the coffee corner forums, I will not financially support this site.
Bottom line I am happy to financially support this site/forums when its direction returns to the subject of photography and imaging alone. *I am also going to do my very best, beginning now, to avoid entering the “coffee corner” forum/posting again to UP the hits your advertisers are getting there.
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Fair enough.
And feedback received.
J
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Late tonight (April 25), we will be launching the site redesign!
The redesign will in no way affect the forum. The site will now have a far more navigable and engaging UX. You’ll notice that there are categories and deeper ways to explore our thousands of articles.
So did anything happen Josh? I don't see any change in navigation or a way to see more "categories and deeper ways ...." etc
The only thing I did notice is that the HOME link at the top of the front page (to the left of ABOUT) returns a blank page now (have to use the main LuLa title now).
Chrome on Win 10.
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So did anything happen Josh? I don't see any change in navigation or a way to see more "categories and deeper ways ...." etc
The only thing I did notice is that the HOME link at the top of the front page (to the left of ABOUT) returns a blank page now (have to use the main LuLa title now).
Chrome on Win 10.
No, Paul our webmaster working out some issues into the night.
Will update soon.
J
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This will now commence around 1amEST April 26. (Tonight).
We encountered issues with launching and maintaining forum operation last night.
J
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The white on black is actually harder for me to read. Any way to switch the interface?
I’d rather time be spent improving the content, which is still lacking for me. Dan Wells’ articles are about the only ones spurring my interest, and even those could be improved by significantly cutting down the verbiage.
A big disappointment given all the hype following Kevin’s ousting, and not in the same universe as Michael’s site. We were led to believe that video content would be refreshed; I haven’t seen anything remotely approaching the archives, let alone articles written to Michael’s standards. Dressing up the site appearance? Waste of time IMO.
Jeff
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I looked at an old article and the formatting is now messed up. It looks like the site is trying to format the article for the screen size (in my case a 32" 4k monitor on Win10). As a result the images have been aligned side by side rather than per the original vertical layout (and this messes it up, ie it doesn't just make it just "different") and the bio is unreadable.
The front page now distorts the images that go with the articles. Again it appears that the site is stretching or compressing to fill the screen and this time images suffer.
Teething problems no doubt but I hope these and other things when found can be addressed.
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I looked at an old article and the formatting is now messed up. It looks like the site is trying to format the article for the screen size (in my case a 32" 4k monitor on Win10). As a result the images have been aligned side by side rather than per the original vertical layout (and this messes it up, ie it doesn't just make it just "different") and the bio is unreadable.
The front page now distorts the images that go with the articles. Again it appears that the site is stretching or compressing to fill the screen and this time images suffer.
Teething problems no doubt but I hope these and other things when found can be addressed.
Yes, the distortion will be remedied- though it will likely take a little time for Paul. For mobile it is more tricky but still being worked on.
Thanks
J
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Josh, are paid subscribers immune to popup ads?
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Josh, are paid subscribers immune to popup ads?
Absolutely. And if you’re seeing them please email - webmaster@luminous-landscape.com to sort out your account.
J
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Where is our account page now? Not for the forum, but for the site.
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Login is at the top left of that is what you mean (?)
J
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Hate, (hate, hate, hate) the new look.
Looks ridiculous on Mac 2160x1440 display in addition to butchering image aspect ratios to fill some blocks.
Sorry - definitely not an improvement.
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No I mean the section that used to be there where you could see your subscription etc.
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No I mean the section that used to be there where you could see your subscription etc.
The button linking to the user profile is being reinstated now.
J
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I find the new format of the main site very ugly. I can't stand images that suddenly expand as soon as they become visible. Still images should be just that: STILL (IMHO.)
Please don't try to "improve" the forum as well.
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Josh, no popups in forum or main site.
Thank You
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Josh, no popups in forum or main site.
Thank You
Good to hear.
Working out final kinks.
J
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Well, I like the new site.
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As do I. It is attractive and more useful.
Regards,
Dale
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Attractive and useful? I can’t even read the picture captions in the latest article, as the faint ‘white’ script is practically invisible on my iPhone screen. Dreadful user experience.
Jeff
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Attractive and useful? I can’t even read the picture captions in the latest article, as the faint ‘white’ script is practically invisible on my iPhone screen. Dreadful user experience.
Jeff
Not sure what you could be seeing. Can you screen grab and share? Sounds odd.
J
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Pick out any recent article, find a picture, and try to read any of the small captions just beneath. Barely visible on my phone or 13 inch MacBook. Very dim, light gray, on black. Even the white lettering on black background for the rest of the articles is hard on my eyes, but at least there's enough contrast to see.
Jeff
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It's not designed for dark mode on iOS, for sure. I think you're making good progress personally, but I'd recommend more testing outside of a small cohort. You actually need to hear the good and the bad ahead of launch, which didn't really (seem) to happen here. They did a good transformation over at GetDPI - not perfect, but good, and seemed to listen to feedback. And they still went forward with their vision too, so best of all worlds. Worth considering going forward.
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It's not designed for dark mode on iOS, for sure. I think you're making good progress personally, but I'd recommend more testing outside of a small cohort. You actually need to hear the good and the bad ahead of launch, which didn't really (seem) to happen here. They did a good transformation over at GetDPI - not perfect, but good, and seemed to listen to feedback. And they still went forward with their vision too, so best of all worlds. Worth considering going forward.
Definitely listening. Especially to constructive and clear feedback, no doubt.
The image warping never should have seen the light of day and is being fixed. The black background was a debated but ultimately important direction - though, that COULD change. I like it. It’s a nod to the original blog look Lula had in its start.
Still working on it.
J
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Since you have gotten rid of the image-warping, I'll go back and have another look.
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I can't stand images that suddenly expand as soon as they become visible. Still images should be just that: STILL (IMHO.)
No just your opinion, images jumping as they get moused over looks TERRIBLE and now quite amateur as it's on so many free site templates.
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I like the new home page. Always preferred a dark theme on any site.
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I think all the images in the articles are too big. They make the actual text content in the articles harder to read and focus on.
And this text wrapping isn't working at all. See image.
You may want to standardize on a maximum width for your articles and design around that instead of just using the entire width of the browser window. My $0.02.
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A site dedicated to photos and the photos are stretched; really bad. 10 days already
I would not have launched until that part was working.
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I am sure we will get used to it eventually. It certainly follows the modern vernacular of website design where layout follows a stream of consciousness rather than any logic.
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Looks good to me (on iPad). Cleaner, more readable, and more inviting to explore.
Some of the criticism seems to be rather ad hominem….
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I'm viewing these only on my PC's decent sized monitor.
I still find the format very ugly and the articles difficult to read, so I won't.
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Some of the criticism seems to be rather ad hominem….
Which post do you have in mind? I don't see any that fit that description.
S
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At least I can now read the picture captions, but the overall viewing experience is still poor. Regardless, time is much better spent IMO on site content, which is still significantly lacking.
Jeff
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At least I can now read the picture captions, but the overall viewing experience is still poor. Regardless, time is much better spent IMO on site content, which is still significantly lacking.
Jeff
Agreed on the last point. Compared to the past, content there is lame and uninteresting. Despite previously being a contributor and despite the low cost, I unsubbed for that reason.
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Agreed on the last point. Compared to the past, content there is lame and uninteresting. Despite previously being a contributor and despite the low cost, I unsubbed for that reason.
My subscription coincidentally was set to renew in a few days. I decided to keep the 12 bucks.
Jeff