Split-Visionz

Im looking for more of what you guys would think of a site that was designed like this. This is a rough outline of what I was thinking of doing to my site, like having users explore through the sections just as if they were folders on a desktop. I just completed a custom backend for my site and I want to come up with something different for the front end now.

http://split-visionz.net/testsite/test.html

It is an interesting idea... I assume you will offer downloads and software? I wouldn't think it a good idea for a news site or something.. LOL

The background image is very crisp and striking and the draggable desktop does make it feel like a desktop -- albeit one that is much neater than my cluttered workspace.

I would be concerned about what Microsoft will say about the Vista-like interface you have created... They have so many copyrights you would surely be infringing on one.

It would also be a disaster from an accessibility point of view as well.. It may be a desktop from a cosmetic standpoint but has none of the accessible options as found in modern operating systems.

With such a small amount of hard-coded HTML, I would sereously recommend you correct the 7 errors that you have.

On the whole, I like it - it is very neat and clean (as it stands) with a novel concept but depending on your audience and offerings may fall short in quite a few areas.

Have you considered a more conventional alterative alongside this theme?

It's terrible. An absolute nightmare.

You are so busy with your own cleverness that you have forgotten to think about users. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do on your site.

I don't want an operating system within an operating system, thanks. One copy of Windows is bad enough. And once I open one of your pop-up boxes, I get windows within "Windows" within windows within Windows!

It is very clever. And it's pretty. You obviously have some ninja web skills. Congratulations.

But you have no idea about making usable websites. Here's a hint: stop thinking about yourself, and start thinking about users. What do they want?

Love the idea. But what is your site actually going to be about?

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Suppose I was to turn JavaScript off.

Your site might as well be a pretty looking screen shot that is linked to nowhere.
Loads of prettiness, or whatever you want to call it - but no functionality.


Ed

Its just my personal site, Im not offering any services. It just hosts mostly software and source code to things that I have made. Nothing really important just a place for me to mess around. The only tihng on my site that has any popularity is a library I wrote to use one library to load images into another one.


If I go this route for my site there would be a folder/window visible when you first reach the site explaining that you need javascript enabled to use the site. Just as sites making you have flash or any other plug-in in order to fully par take in the site.

btw if I do go this route I will fix the errors. In the last 7 days I have come up with 4 different designs that I keep throwing out afterwards. Im just trying to make up my mind about the actual look, feel and how to interact with it right now.

What do you mean as far as 'accessible options'? Right now its really just an Idea. I would be interested in anything that would improve apon it.(if I decide to finish it).

Having a more conventional alternative would be a decent Idea, and I have 2 more conventional layouts Ive created in recent days.

I run a site with 60,000+ members where hits number in the 10 million plus a month. A site like that is a site that requires constant updates to keep it accessable, user friendly and to cater to new needs of the users. This is my personal site where really it is 'All about ME' I could care less about anyone else. Im just trying think of a creative way to display my content.

Yeah calm down.

I like the site

Looks nice and cool. might be hard for Accessibility

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For beauty you have 5 and for speed 1. Idea is great it looks great to but you must remember that lot of people still use 56k modem. If it is your personal site I suppose its ok then.
If you have some freeware there you may submit it to my site. It will be a great pleaser for me to be the first site on the net that have your software listed.

Okay. Well, you've succeeded splendidly in that respect. It's really, really nifty.

I can't see this ever working as a "real" website, however. But you may one day be able to make use of the tricks you've developed.

Is it only Rakuli concerned with Vista infringements? split-visionz, it's almost identical.

No, I agree with him. But he made the point convincingly on his own.

The graphics should definitely be changed. Microsoft are a terrifying enemy. Don't mess with them.

I would change the logo

Mircosoft sued because some one had XboxOutlet.info

http://noloafing.co.uk/2007/12/16/ga...doctors-bills/

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Wow, this is really cool. Obviously it isn't accessible but that isn't the point of the site. I think it is clever and surprisingly advanced. I'd like to see where it goes after some more experimenting.

yeah, i love this. who cares about "accessible".... most people would know to click on the start button, and honestly, what percentage of people on the internet are blind or have to use text readers, 1-2%? in my mind, accessible is if the average user can understand what to do - not the very small minority.

Well, the majority of the site and interface is powered by javascript (with ajax I assume), and the actual idea is very interesting to me as I have also considered doing something like this (not a desktop as such but a mouse controlled drag and drop site).

My concerns regarding accessibility aren't just for those who use screen readers or text-only browsers it is for search engines and other non-javascript rendering devices that visit the site. I find a good solution is to have a hard-coded page that is then manipulated to my vision using javascript as the page loads.

For example, you will no doubt have numerous folders when the site grows, instead of writing the contents to the page when a user clicks the folder -- have the folder contained in the div when the page loads, then hide it and turn it into a folder view with javascript.

What this approach does is have all the content in a top-bottom logical fashion... broswers or devices that don't use javascript see everything without the pezzaz, broswers with javascript can then turn the HTML into the quite innovative interface you have developed.

Even just having one solitary link to some HTML pages with the content.. I prefer the first option though because all links point to the page that will disaply depending on the visitor's device.

As Lchad says above, what you have done is no mean feat.. this is a great display of your design and technical skills.

Hope that helps.