website development blog

[eFestivals]

I'm currently in the middle of developing a new website for eFestivals so I thought I'd start a dedicated topic about it - so that I can say what's happening, and so people can feed me back any comments and suggestions (so please do!).

The story so far...

With smartphones becoming common, it became clear that a data-light mobile version of efestivals was needed, and so a year or two ago I knocked one together quickly, without me knowing much about what mobile websites are about. I concentrated on what I knew, how to make the site require not much data, and to keep it fast.

Via a few different development stages, what has resulted is the somewhat basic mobile website which can (currently, it might ultimately move) be accessed here:-

http;:/m.efestivals.co.uk

Having got this far, I realised that if I'd put more thought into the development done so far I could expand that mobile site so that it was also the basis for a new full website - which I was also already in the middle of developing, but with a different background framework. So the decision was taken to abandon the development work from one, and combine the two so that they used the same framework in the background. So I decided to dump the new full website and use the mobile site as the platform for a full website.

But here's where my lack of thought got doubley-costly - because while I was happy with the look and feel of the mobile website, it hadn't been built with expansion in mind.

So right now I'm re-writing the background framework for the mobile site, which is quite a big task, and which for you, the user, will achieve absolutely nothing ... but it's worth doing because of the future benefits. Pleasingly I'm about half way though already and with a bit of luck this part will be completed before the end of March. Then I'll start on the full website, which I hope will take about a further month. Then it will be back to the mobile website, to add more features.

Please feel free to leave any suggestions you might have for the new full website - website features or new ways of presenting the content we already have (rather than anything to do with the content itself).

[kaosmark2]

The current dropdown menus don't interact well with tabbed browsing. You can't select any option in a way that you can open in a new tab which'd be really nice to do.

I'm not sure if it's possible to have middle-click/right-click functions operating on any dropdown menu, but if you're restructuring the site it'd be great to have ways to open other sections in new tabs.

[LondonTom]

Cool

Since your doing it up, one thing about the content and I am always impressed with when you post links to it, is some of the really helpful glasto guides (I explored a bit today and saw you had them for other festivals to?!). Surely they should have at least a link on the event page? They just feel abit hidden under that Information drop down bar.

[eFestivals]

The current dropdown menus don't interact well with tabbed browsing. You can't select any option in a way that you can open in a new tab which'd be really nice to do.

I'm not sure if it's possible to have middle-click/right-click functions operating on any dropdown menu, but if you're restructuring the site it'd be great to have ways to open other sections in new tabs.

Thanks for the comments, but are you talking about the menus on the full website or the mobile website?

[kaosmark2]

Thanks for the comments, but are you talking about the menus on the full website or the mobile website?

[eFestivals]

Cool

Since your doing it up, one thing about the content and I am always impressed with when you post links to it, is some of the really helpful glasto guides (I explored a bit today and saw you had them for other festivals to?!). Surely they should have at least a link on the event page? They just feel abit hidden under that Information drop down bar.

Good call! :-)

I'm at a very convenient place in the development stage to work that into things without any difficulty, so I'll do just that.

It should appear as a new feature on the mobile site when I upload the new framework (within a month), and on the new full website.

Thanks.

[eFestivals]

Full website.

Ta.

I'll do my very best to get things sorted with that asap (it's something that doesn't need the new website for me to change).

[kaosmark2]

Oh cool, cheers Neil

[eFestivals]

I spoke too soon, it's difficult to do before the new website is live - but i'll ensure that right-clicking on the menus is included then.

[Rock_and/or_Roll]

Since yesterday afternoon I haven't been able to see any of the menus on the site. I've tried on various platforms/browsers.

Just wondered if you know about this problem?

[eFestivals]

Since yesterday afternoon I haven't been able to see any of the menus on the site. I've tried on various platforms/browsers.

Just wondered if you know about this problem?

I did (caused by trying to quickly sort the menu issue mentioned above), but I thought i'd fixed it - tho I stupidly didn't actually check if I had. Doh!

I'll sort it very shortly....

[Rock_and/or_Roll]

I did (caused by trying to quickly sort the menu issue mentioned above), but I thought i'd fixed it - tho I stupidly didn't actually check if I had. Doh!

I'll sort it very shortly....

[eFestivals]

now sorted. Thanks for making me aware of the issue.

(If you're not seeing the menus, force a full refresh with Ctrl-F5).

[eFestivals]

After saying that what I'm working thru currently wouldn't contain any feature updates, there are a few more minor ones such as some added search options on some pages, and a more major one is that there'll be a funky new photo galleries layout and slideshow.

-

[eFestivals]

question / feedback wanted!

If using a touchscreen gallery feature on a mobile phone, would you want to be given the full-size images to view (generally 500pixels wide), or would you prefer to view smaller images and so save on the data you have to download?

And if you'd rather have the smaller images, would you want the option to click and view the fullsize image?

I can set up the gallery in a variety of ways, but I'd like to know what people would prefer.

(the updated site will go live later today, providing the last few bits and pieces go smoothly )

[kaosmark2]

My smartphone's currently for repair so I won't use it for a few weeks, but I'd definitely prefer to view smaller images and have the option to click and view the fullsize if possible please

[eFestivals]

My smartphone's currently for repair so I won't use it for a few weeks, but I'd definitely prefer to view smaller images and have the option to click and view the fullsize if possible please

I've gone with the smaller images for the moment. I still have to add in the option to get a higher-res version if you click on it.

-----

The updated mobile website (that looks much the same but is very different in the background) is now live, with that new galleries feature all in place.

Check it all out and feed me back your thoughts and comments.

http://m.efestivals.co.uk

[eFestivals]

new features

Having built the basic framework for the new website and got it (still) doing all the same things as it did before, I've now started to add-in a variety of minor device-dependent features, where the content a person gets is dependent on their device type (of phone, tablet, or desktop computer).

At the moment these are limited to just some richer image content. For example, with the photo galleries, a phone user gets presented with smaller (in both image and file size) photos than does a tablet or computer user, to keep their data-downloads smaller and faster. There's many other minor differences throughout the site too.

And because the user of every device won't necessarily want to stick with the default device-set options, a user can over-ride that default setting and keep that setting applied to any particular device - so a phone will be able to load the desktop computer version, and a desktop computer will be able to load the phone version, etc.

Things are progressing very well at the moment, so I'm currently hopeful that all of the new site will finished before the end of May.

Edited March 13, 2013 by eFestivals

[eFestivals]

The new line-ups page style is now in place (with a few bits and pieces still to get finished), plus a 'quick-jump' to a festival's line-up page added to the website front page.

http://m.efestivals.co.uk/

Unfortunately, due to Easter and staff holidays, the planned launch-date of 1st May for this new (tho expanded) design to be the full website has probably slipped a little, but I remain hopeful that it will be in place by mid-May at latest.

[Paul ™]

Love the new line up layout so much easier to check at quick glance who is tbc sr etc :-)

Edited April 21, 2013 by Paul ™

[eFestivals]

Love the new line up layout so much easier to check at quick glance who is tbc sr etc :-)

I'm pleased you you like it.

Unfortunately, I made a bit of a technical cock-up when I did it because I didn't think things thru properly, so I'm going to have to re-do it - tho it should still look the same to website users afterwards.

[Paul ™]

Only thing id say is the colour difference for 'new/updated in last day | new/updated in last 5 days' is very similar when looking at it especially on smaller mobile devices.

[eFestivals]

Only thing id say is the colour difference for 'new/updated in last day | new/updated in last 5 days' is very similar when looking at it especially on smaller mobile devices.

really? Red and purple look very different on my old crap android phone with a tiny screen. I can't believe newer phones are displaying colours worse than my old phone.

[Paul ™]

Sorry still half asleep lol

Yeah on the bottom of the page it does and also in the listings. I do wear glasses and never had them on when I first posted so it's a bit clearer now.

But when skimming down the A-Z lists for instance for Glasto, I reckon there isn't much difference between the purple and black, yes the red stands out clearly but the purple doesn't from the black.

[eFestivals]

Sorry still half asleep lol

Yeah on the bottom of the page it does and also in the listings. I do wear glasses and never had them on when I first posted so it's a bit clearer now.

But when skimming down the A-Z lists for instance for Glasto, I reckon there isn't much difference between the purple and black, yes the red stands out clearly but the purple doesn't from the black.

OK, thanks - when I rework the page in the next week or three I'll bear that in mind and perhaps pick a better colour.