Improvements to SmugMug's default theme

[Baldy]

Hi Everyone,

We made some improvements to our default theme that we've been testing for a few weeks. You'd see the changes on your homepage and gallery pages if you don't use some other theme, or if you have no customization.

They were driven by customer feedback and I get the feeling they will please most people and not be noticed by the rest. But if we're inadvertently causing some of you to curl in the fetal position, we'd love to know so we can do something about it.

Here's what the default current home page looks like:



And here's what the new default would look like:



You can see them both side-by-side here:

http://cmac.smugmug.com/gallery/4742...80944474_x2Jms

[Baldy]

Here's what galleries would look like:






Side-by-side.

[Baldy]

Here's what it looks like on a live site:

http://andytest1.smugmug.com

and

http://andytest1.smugmug.com/gallery...72409799_GMko5

Caveat: SmugMug style only on that site.

[Baldy]

The main changes are:

1. More readable & sexy fonts.

2. Background not jet black.

3. Less green.

4. Caps where there were once lower-case words. That will affect you even if you customize. We know some people love lower case but our user tests showed it was a readability thing.

5. If you customize, and have done so via your CSS box, or via a custom theme, you'll see no changes to your customizing.

6. If you have customized, using say a black banner, and you've done it with HTML in your header box, and you have no CSS in your CSS box, you'll get the new background color (it's not pure black).. and so if you had a black background in your header, it wouldn't blend in:



There are a number of ways to address this, and we'll be happy to assist. Anything from a few clicks to change your default theme, or, helping you to make a new banner that matches if you like.


Your thoughts.

[cRAsH]

I don't think I would have been able to tell the difference if you hadn't pointed them out.

[hotmama]

Dig it. I was sort of getting tired of the green text. Nice change.

-Liz

[Allen]

This latest change might have induced a width problem with #albumNav_top.

I've checked 10 random sites and the page nav and photo nav line wraps
to two lines. Using Firefox. The photo nav ends up under the page nav. A
slight browser width change and it unwraps.

Happens on every color theme here except gray and white.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by Allen

This latest change might have induced a width problem with #albumNav_top.

I've checked 10 random sites and the page nav and photo nav line wraps
to two lines. Using Firefox. The photo nav ends up under the page nav. A
slight browser width change and it unwraps.

Happens on every color theme here except gray and white.

Al, that's a separate bug, this stuff's not live
We've fixed that bug internally and will have it out on the live site as soon as we can.

[Shoganai]

Hello, I'm Gwen

I miss the green.

To me it was 'Smugmug Green' like '3M Blue' or 'KTM Orange'.

The color alone was enough to make me think 'Smugmug'. Like team colors, how many of you might see orange and purple next to each other and think "Clemson Tigers"?

Frankly, I think it's a mistake to drop the 'Smugmug Green'

[Loadedagain]

looks good to me... deathe to green! gawd i hate caps... but i can live with them if someone else types them.

[Mike Lane]

Originally Posted by Loadedagain

gawd i hate caps... but i can live with them if someone else types them.

I'm your man. power or pro smuggers can easily go back to lowercase by putting in text-transform:lowercase; into their CSS (need a selector of course). Eg.

body {text-transform:lowercase;}

That works better than us putting text-transform:capitalize; since that makes all the words capitalized (of, the, a, etc.) which looks dumb.

[NWMtnGuy]

When will the change go live?

Dale

[Andy]

Originally Posted by NWMtnGuy

When will the change go live?

Dale

Soon, we hope

We never give exact dates, and rarely pre-announce, but in this case wanted feedback - what's yours

[Allen]

Originally Posted by Andy

Soon, we hope

We never give exact dates, and rarely pre-announce, but in this case wanted feedback - what's yours

If I could compare the examples posted might do that. But they are super
sized for really large monitors and very difficult to compare.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by Allen

If I could compare the examples posted might do that. But they are super
sized for really large monitors and very difficult to compare.

go look on andytest1.smugmug.com

[Mike Lane]

Allen, or try here: http://cmac.smugmug.com/gallery/4742...474_x2Jms-A-LB

[Allen]

Originally Posted by Mike Lane

Allen, or try here: http://cmac.smugmug.com/gallery/4742...474_x2Jms-A-LB

Thanks, makes it real easy to see the differences.
But but but that big face is still green.

[DrDavid]

I really love the Smugmug Gradient theme--as is. I guess I can use the Grey Gradient, but, please.. Leave the Smugmug Gradient (as is) at LEAST as an option to choose the original green smugmug text, etc..

Yes, I can make my own theme with it, but, this it's a lot easier for you to change the default (if you must) and keep the SM Gradient theme (as it is now) as an option to select. Please?

David

[DrDavid]

Originally Posted by DrDavid

I really love the Smugmug Gradient theme--as is. I guess I can use the Grey Gradient, but, please.. Leave the Smugmug Gradient (as is) at LEAST as an option to choose the original green smugmug text, etc..

Yes, I can make my own theme with it, but, this it's a lot easier for you to change the default (if you must) and keep the SM Gradient theme (as it is now) as an option to select. Please?

David

Am I being an idiot? Is "Default" not Smugmug Gradient?

David

[NWMtnGuy]

Originally Posted by Andy

Soon, we hope

We never give exact dates, and rarely pre-announce, but in this case wanted feedback - what's yours

Overall I like the new "default" look. The lack of green is easier on the eyes, though I realize some users probably like it. Will you leave the current default theme available as a selectable option?

I guess one thing that's always bothered me about SmugMug themes is that they all include a box/frame that surrounds each section (sometimes gradient, sometimes not, but there always seems to be a box). My personal feeling is that many pages would look a lot neater if sections of the page - i.e. galleries, bio, etc. - weren't all surrounded by frames/boxes and instead just floated over the background. Hope that makes sense.

Dale