Icy Phoenix

OK this is XS, but I'll be doing something similar for IP soon. The motivation is to create a more modern and less "bulky" layout, in particular avoid blocky table outlines and images as much as possible, and of course, fixed width pages are back en vogue.

http://www.icps2007.org/icps2007/index.php

Very interesting, is a design less "bulk" and very fast loaded :wink:

Nice work 8)

good work moreteavicar

sometimes less is more :)

Looks nice moreteavicar,

a love simple styles :mricy:

Thanks! Hopefully now that MG has stopped changing everything in IP, I can port/improve this for IP ;)

moreteavicar wrote: [View Post]

Thanks! Hopefully now that MG has stopped changing everything in IP, I can port/improve this for IP ;)

Yes I have stopped for now. :P

Mighty Gorgon wrote: [View Post]

moreteavicar wrote: [View Post]

Thanks! Hopefully now that MG has stopped changing everything in IP, I can port/improve this for IP ;)

Yes I have stopped for now. :P

No... I refuse to believe it... IP 1.2 seems to be working fine without any bugs... which means there simply aren't enough features in it yet...;)

moreteavicar wrote: [View Post]

No... I refuse to believe it... IP 1.2 seems to be working fine without any bugs... which means there simply aren't enough features in it yet...;)

You're right... that's why I have just released a patch... :wink:

moreteavicar wrote: [View Post]

OK this is XS, but I'll be doing something similar for IP soon. The motivation is to create a more modern and less "bulky" layout, in particular avoid blocky table outlines and images as much as possible, and of course, fixed width pages are back en vogue.

http://www.icps2007.org/icps2007/index.php

Kinda what I meant in the poll topic about styles. Nice work!

Nice Theme, Nice Idea! 8)

But I disagree with the "Fixed Width" because there is far too much white-space on either side at higher resolutions. :(

Lap-tops and the larger monitors are gonna hate ya! :P j/k

Why not set the width in the header to 85 or 90% etc? The rest of the theme should follow suit, if you haven't got hard-coded fixed-width's throughout the rest of the templates. ;)

Lopalong wrote: [View Post]

Nice Theme, Nice Idea! 8)

But I disagree with the "Fixed Width" because there is far too much white-space on either side at higher resolutions. :(

Lap-tops and the larger monitors are gonna hate ya! :P j/k

I think it's only a matter of choices and personal tastes. I have a 22'' monitor at 1650 so I can understand what you mean :P but as moreteavicar said, "it's back en vogue", and he's right: if you look at all those blogs out there, they are annoyingly tight, but people use it.

Anyway we have to consider that the 3 column portal page (that I think is the most used) maybe wouldn't fit good in a so small width.

Vortex wrote: [View Post]

I think it's only a matter of choices and personal tastes.

I disagree, it should be a flexible option that the Webmaster can alter for the width of the presentation. :twisted:

Vortex wrote: [View Post]

If you look at all those blogs out there, they are annoyingly tight, but people use it.

Yep! I would too, if I didn't have a choice. But then again, I may NOT use it for that very reason. :P

Vortex wrote: [View Post]

Kinda what I meant in the poll topic about styles. Nice work!

Thanks ;) (Didn't see the poll though!)

Lopalong wrote: [View Post]

I disagree, it should be a flexible option that the Webmaster can alter for the width of the presentation. :twisted:

True, people should have that option, so if you don't like the theme, you don't have to install it :P
Actually, I have already been thinking of including a page width variable if I ever get round to making the theme for Icy - but fixed width in itself looks more professional IMHO. 3 column layout also not so good as it over-clutters the display (again thats something which makes a page look less professional). This might be considered "personal preference", but its the personal preference of the majority of webmasters and their site visitors. I even ran polls for my members to help determine the direction to take in developing the theme. Its not perfect, I know that... But its a golden rule of everything - simplicity is beauty - so the less clutter on screen, the better. And not everybody really cares who the top posters are, or latest topics etc... on a home page... especially if your site is more than just a forum... which ultimately is the idea of IMportal / CMS feature. Therefore I want to create themes which make it look like a website, not just a modded forum. ;)

BTW I use a 21" (1600 x 1200 res) monitor, big enough, and I don't want my browser window to occupy too much space, principally because I do a lot of other work and just use a browser to look up refs. Knowing that a lot of people who work in front of a computer do similar things, especially the kind of people (physics students) who use/visit my site, I don't know why thats a problem. And yes I also use a laptop, and don't see why having fixed width is a problem if its width is sufficiently below the standard laptop resolution 1024x768. Indeed, I believe having such constraints forces web designers into designing less cluttered layouts that display better on laptops (indeed most of the people that use / create bloggers work mostly from... laptops!). But thanks for your comments though, I'll weigh up the options...