WB 2.7 Layout

[Bramus]

I was just reading the thread about the new 2.7 and i also have to say great job!

But as some other people i also dont like the new admin interface, just dont like the look of it. The old admin look was way better. So maybe we can post here our own modified version in this topic as addons to 2.7.

So if you have an other layout, post some screenshot here, and maybe you are willing to share it with other users as there are more people that dont like the new interface.

[doc]

Well,

it is fairly easy to adjust the WB backend according your needs.
If time allows, we will publish the backend styles of WB 2.6.x as additional backend style for WB 2.7 for all users which want to stick with the old layout. The new layout of course will be the default layout.

Smaller changes (e.g. color scheme) may find its way into the WB 2.7 final version. So feel free to post your suggestion here in this thread as proposed by Bramus. Be aware, we will not offer any backend templates via the official WB project site, which contain icon sets not released under GNU GPL or with an unknown license.

Two alternative backend layout for WB 2.6.7 can be found on the bottom of the following page: http://www2.escpro.de/pages/downloads/freetemplates.php (do not copy them over an existing WB 2.7 installation).

Regards Christian

[Bramus]

thx Doc

And the style made by macsmet is pretty nice, a clean nice style. I'm still busy editing the style and i hope i can finish it, or maybe i have to give up because my lack of knowledge about CSS and those things

My idea of this topic was, that if people made their own "layout" and they are made under the GNU license they maybe are willing to share the layout so we can have multiple layouts for the admin interface like there are multiple layouts for the website made by WB itself.

[macsmet]

Hi there,

Why not make the backend look like the WebsiteBaker site?
I like the colors of it and with some other icons you get an nice and clean backend.
Maybe I start doing it if more people are interested in my suggestion.


greetings,

MacSmet

[Waldschwein]

Hello!

Just adjust the admin layout so that you like it.   We just thought there should be a "sign of a kind of change" with the new, (we think more fresh) 2.7 layout.
We can of couse have a section somewhere at Addons, where admin layouts could be downloaded and installed, but this is not possible automatic but only via FTP. And 2.7 is feature frozen, so we can not built in a button where the user can change the admin layout... That would be something for future releases.

But I am keen on seeing many different admin layouts here.   Of course small changes (also to icons) of the existing 2.7 layout are welcome as doc said.

Regards Michael

[doc]

@macsmet: just do it and post the result in this thread - I am looking forward to see such a layout 

[Bramus]

Hello!

Just adjust the admin layout so that you like it.  We just thought there should be a "sign of a kind of change" with the new, (we think more fresh) 2.7 layout.
We can of couse have a section somewhere at Addons, where admin layouts could be downloaded and installed, but this is not possible automatic but only via FTP. And 2.7 is feature frozen, so we can not built in a button where the user can change the admin layout... That would be something for future releases.

But I am keen on seeing many different admin layouts here.  Of course small changes (also to icons) of the existing 2.7 layout are welcome as doc said.

Regards Michael

Just as an unsupported "template" like the addons, maybe a small readme with: "just overwrite the files and you are done!" or something like that

[doc]

Hello,

one shoudl keep in mind, that the current backend template is not fully driven by CSS.
One needs to change:
 - 3 CSS files
 - 5-7 HTML template files
 - 5-7 PHP files
 - replace all icons

to fully control the apperance of the backend layout. Therefore we would need to support a modified template version for each new WB version, which makes things nearly impossible to support. So I do not see how we can fix this until the backend is fully driven by backend CSS styles which would enable to alter only the CSS and the files.

Regards Christian

[Stefek]

thx Doc
My idea of this topic was, that if people made their own "layout" and they are made under the GNU license they maybe are willing to share the layout so we can have multiple layouts for the admin interface like there are multiple layouts for the website made by WB itself.

I think it's a good idea. But I also think that the standard interface shold be really characteristic for WB CMS and also - in order to have a good marketing impact - it should be clear and convenient.

So: why don't start a competition?
Everyone who wants to apply would generate a full set of files needed for the whole admin backend interface.
Then the community members decide which one will be intgrated in the final version.

I mean, we have some really creative people here on the forums.

What you think?

[doc]

Hello,

I do not think a backend competition is a good proposal for the following reasons:
- there is simply no accounting for taste (what group A likes, group B will dislike)
- it is simply to late for WB 2.7 to start a competion for backend (we will release WB 2.7 within the next couple of weeks)

However, we do have already now 10 posts in this thread but no single additional backend style. So feel free to post your proposals in this thread. The 2.7 development team will review the results and may take over this or that.

NOTE:
We will have design freeze for the backend by end of this week (1st of March 08) so we can make the next step on updating the documentation (screenshots, description ...).

Regards Christian

[macsmet]

Hi there,

Started last night with a different backend design (based upon WebsiteBaker site).
I don't know if I can make de design freeze of 1st of march 08 because I am very busy at the moment.
I added a screenshot of my work so far!

MacSmet


[gelöscht durch Administrator]

[doc]

Hello,

thanks for your contribution. Do not like the icons but like your color scheme.
But keep in mind: You can not accounting for taste. Means what I dislike others will like and vice versa 

Regards Christian

[doc]

Hello,

here another contribution to an alternative backend layout from the forum member Erik (eki).
Erik hope it is ok for you if I post your proposal here. If you want to test it, overwrite the existing files of your WB 2.7 RC1 installation with the files contained in the zip package added below.

Some comments from myself:
- the white bar at the top looks to me like there is something missing
- for mee too much grey too less blue
- like the new icons top / right
- WB version is white text on white background
- styles of the installation script not updated yet

Regards Christian

[gelöscht durch Administrator]

[Vincent]

Actually I do like Macsmets version, - unlike Christian - including the icons (if they they are GNU). We should get rid of the gradient background as far as I'm concerned, but the overall look&feel (although not finished) is OK. Eriks menu bar seems a little too busy to me (but the icons are all right).

Vincent

[Eki]

Hi all,

I made a minor change so the version text shows up again. The white space on top is meant to be, so it resembles the current WB website. The same reason I made the grey background.

I do agree with Vincent in that I like the version of MacSmet with regard to the menu bar.

regards,
Erik


[gelöscht durch Administrator]

[tiesy]

Ok,
I worked on the admin-interface this afternoon. I tried to make it near to the original WB27 but width cleaner background-gradients and I changed most of the icons. The icons are selfmade or from Opencliparts, so I think, it´s ok to use them.  It´s not really ready, but if you can test ore use it, if you like.

What I changed to is the ugly office 2003-interface of the fckeditor. I think "silver" look much better and cleaner.




[gelöscht durch Administrator]

[spida]

[quote author=doc link=topic=8809.msg52160#msg52160 date=1204151110]
Hello,

one shoudl keep in mind, that the current backend template is not fully driven by CSS.
One needs to change:
 - 3 CSS files
 - 5-7 HTML template files
 - 5-7 PHP files
 - replace all icons

[/quote]

If things have not dramatically changed with this version of WB, you can have a look at my detailed description on how to customize the backend at http://www.rot65.de/dokuwiki/doku.php/cms/WebsiteBaker/debug#einfaches_backend-customizing
(in German language only, sorry)

Regards,
Ayshe

[spida]

Hi again,

macsmet's screendesign is damn close to what I feel it needs to have. The current official one looks way too clustered and, let me be very open without taking any offence, halfhearted. Neccessary changes would be:
- less graphical cluster including less different backgrounds (usability and branding)
- more comprehensible and bigger icons (usability)
- clear position of the WB icon on top left (branding)

All this comes with macsmet's contribution. I only would like to have the log-out button changed. I also like it most because it comes with less glassy look - don't you know, fellows, that the glassy look is about to disappear again and clean structures revive?

Eki's contrib is quite alright, but not consequently developed. And tiesy's screendesign still looks too clustered (too many backgrounds). But I like your set of icons for the tasks overview and the Add-ons overview, they look very comprehensible to me. The icons on the right top are too dark and somewhat unclear, compared to their counterparts in macsemt's design.

By the way, it not just a matter of taste. It's a matter of comprehensiveness, usability and branding.

Best regards,
Ayshe

[macsmet]

Hi all,

See this is a very 'hot' topic!
I want to show you all what my backend looks for WB 2.6: very clean, with very few images.
I hope I find more time to finish my new backend design for WB 2.7.

greetings,

MacSmet

[gelöscht durch Administrator]

[erikp01]

Macsmet,

could your zip your images and place them here on the forum?

thnx

erik

[Lonesome Walker]

i like the last one up my post 
straight, clean, easy to navigate, no gambling with colors and images.

As straight, as WebsiteBaker is.
No bling bling, just a good working cms.

I already told the "designer" (escpro), that this style is out of date, but well... 

[Bramus]

i think it is just the person who likes it and who doesnt just like doc told us already. I like the styles that are posted so far, hope to see some more coming

Nice job guys!

[spida]

i think it is just the person who likes it and who doesnt just like doc told us already.

No, it's not soleley a matter of individual taste. As I said in my earlier post,  it's a matter of comprehensiveness, usability and branding. And these aspects matter a lot for a quite new and - let's be honest - quite unknown CMS.

 If I want to present WB to customers, I want to present a CMS that does look straight forward, with a clean interface. And WB seriously needs a better branding, which is supported by a clean interface and a dominating logo too.
Believe me, I'm doing this marketing stuff since many years...

[Stefek]

...  it's not soleley a matter of individual taste. As I said in my earlier post,  it's a matter of comprehensiveness, usability and branding. And these aspects matter a lot for a quite new and - let's be honest - quite unknown CMS.

 If I want to present WB to customers, I want to present a CMS that does look straight forward, with a clean interface. And WB seriously needs a better branding, which is supported by a clean interface and a dominating logo too.
Believe me, I'm doing this marketing stuff since many years...

What Spida says is the same thing what I meant before.
Maybe a Creation Contest is not the best idea to achieve a better interface and branding. But in my opinion WB CMS is the only one CMS I can setup a project with easy and put it in the hands of the individuals who will create the conten and where I CAN COUNT whith a result by those individuals.
I'm sometimes amazed how less the most people know about the computer basics, software and stuff.
Therefor I think WBCMS is worthy enogh to try to make it more popular. So more people can have this simple Solution instead of a mass of confusion.
And here is some more attempt needed.

At the other hand everyone who is setting a project up, has his own freedom to be creative on the user interface. One can even adjust the look of the backend to the corporate design of the corporation one is creating the project for (as I have done several times, here example: www.stolzenbach.de/admin ).

But what I really think is, that some fresh new attempts could (and should) be done in the marketing, to conform to the benefits of WB.

Regards,
Stefek

[Vincent]

I agree with spida. It's good to see that the issue of design, usability and branding is addressed, although I think for now we should not discuss too long. In my opinion Macsmets proposal is both an improvement to the current design, and doesn't drift away too much from the original GUI. I understand we don't have much time to discuss this matter since version 2.7 is released in few weeks time, which obviously should not be delayed.

But for WB 3.0 it'd be good to have a brand new design to both the Admin section and the default template. Because indeed the way newcomers conceive a CMS (or any product)  is very much defined by its look and feel. I'm willing to contribute to it, maybe some of us could form a small project team and come with a proposal for 3.0 that visualizes the ease of WB... if this is the way WB teams work of course.

Vincent