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[Phill Moderator PhillJoin date: February 2014Posts: 7013Downloads:40Uploads:77 Thanks: 917 Thanked: 2206 times in 1818 posts]

#139134

Many templates out there can instantly be recognised as joomla. It is down to the modular grid layout in many ways but with a little clever thought I think this could be avoided.

For example, take a look at the Alton Towers website.

http://www.altontowers.com/pages/theme-park

Yes, it is a CMS based website but the layout avoids the CMS look in many ways. Look at the way the modules are joined by a graphic, the round images and the readmore integrated into the bottom of the content modules.

I’m not suggesting this is a good or bad design but just looking for ways to get away from the typical joomla feel.

Having said that even the BBC (who IMO have some of the best sites out there) have begun to look more modular.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/

But just check out that slideshow, especially the mouseover effects.

Clever use of typography here too, which it something that is beginning look neglected by many template clubs. This is another area that makes sites look joomlaesque. Spending more time working on the bodies typography, founts and styles may make a big difference.

I’m just looking for ideas here, things to avoid looking like just another joomla site.

[cgc0202 Friend cgc0202Join date: August 2007Posts: 2244Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanks: 206 Thanked: 262 times in 1 posts]

#296018

<em>@phill luckhurst 117753 wrote:</em><blockquote>Many templates out there can instantly be recognised as joomla. It is down to the modular grid layout in many ways but with a little clever thought I think this could be avoided.

For example, take a look at the Alton Towers website.

http://www.altontowers.com/pages/theme-park

Yes, it is a CMS based website but the layout avoids the CMS look in many ways. Look at the way the modules are joined by a graphic, the round images and the readmore integrated into the bottom of the content modules.

I’m not suggesting this is a good or bad design but just looking for ways to get away from the typical joomla feel.

Having said that even the BBC (who IMO have some of the best sites out there) have begun to look more modular.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/

But just check out that slideshow, especially the mouseover effects.

Clever use of typography here too, which it something that is beginning look neglected by many template clubs. This is another area that makes sites look joomlaesque. Spending more time working on the bodies typography, founts and styles may make a big difference.

I’m just looking for ideas here, things to avoid looking like just another joomla site.</blockquote>

phill luckhurst,

Are you suggesting that Joomlart and other Joomla template companies do this? Or, the individual users?

Am I correct to assume that the sites you cited above are not Joomla based?

What you proposed actually was done by a Greek travelog site, using Joomla and a few plugins or modules. A peacock feather “eye” that was was elongated at one end, was used effectively to house a random image — based from the Coppermine/CPMFetch module, with stylized graphics to integrate the header with the left column. What makes it unique is that it was a unique webdesign — not one of the generic templates.

Other than that, like the Alton Towers link, it is apparent that in the case of .altontowers.com, to a trained webdesigner with scripting skills, the site is still modular — header, body and footer with the body divided into very symmetric left and right coumns that sandwiched the much larger content column.

In fact, in the case of altontowers.com, the above basic skeletal structure is even rigid, not collapsible.

Yes, like everyone else, I wish to have a more stylish page. And, I would be more than happy if I can collaborate with a graphic designer and one who has great scripting experience to help implement a layout vision I have in mind.

If anyone would like to collaborate, this is an invitation. Most of the sites I wanted to create are more non-profit internet initiatives. So, if any interested webdesigner and programmer must be willing to collaborate on pro-bono basis.

In the meantime, I try my best to make my site less like the Teline II (my template of choice) demo page. Also, that visitors would be there mainly for the content, rather than just the aesthetic appearance.

Cornelio

[scotty Friend scottyJoin date: March 2008Posts: 2339Downloads:0Uploads:13 Thanks: 76 Thanked: 827 times in 595 posts]

#296027

It’s very difficult to make a module based site not look modular.

[jwellman Friend jwellmanJoin date: April 2008Posts: 543Downloads:0Uploads:6 Thanks: 115 Thanked: 59 times in 21 posts]

#296030

<em>@scotty 117808 wrote:</em><blockquote>It’s very difficult to make a module based site not look modular.</blockquote>
So true and the more you work with CMS the more you see sites just like your own, especially when you get the templates from a club. CMS is the latest craze. In a few years it will be something else.

As far as looking different, that’s one of the reasons I like to customize our sites. It’s a whole lot more effort but I think it’s worth it. Just adding the template would be so much easier, but I like our sites to look different than the rest.

Becca is currently working with the Zeolite for a client. She did a few minor changes to the menus and logo but that’s about all we are going to do with this one. We’ve got way too many irons in the fire at the moment.

[wooohanetworks Friend wooohanetworksJoin date: September 2008Posts: 1239Downloads:0Uploads:2 Thanks: 148 Thanked: 138 times in 41 posts]

#296036

I loved the old Disneyland Site, it was full flash all over, now they only kept some parts in flash and most is a typical (Joomla looking) CMS. Looks cheap and like some typical tourist booking site when it comes to the theme park hotels and how they are presented.

Some 2 to 3 years ago, they still had a super nice fast loading full flash site where one could go through all the theme hotels on one site without needing to switch from CMS to CMS made single site, music played, and it was a ride through nice fun and interesting content, how Disney created those theme hotels on already existing locations etc.. This new site evens loads slower than any of the old and better looking full flash sites.

Today they still start with nice full flash…

http://home.disney.go.com/parks/

But as soon hitting one of the subsites one is on some rocky, cheap looking CMS, I can’t really stand any CMS as long it is not customized to not look like a CMS looks, repeating headers of modules and regions with normal font styles instead of nice module header free modules and no mass ware approach like today…

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/

Just there it was already a messy bottom area with lazy made module parts but the expedia.com style horror experience begins here…

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/discover/

You can see where some of the styles and design of Rockettheme get some inspiration from or somehow look alike those. RT introduced their new top menu drop down styles recently, looking same as you find such here.

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/

Sad to see, as once it was allover looking so good like with the startup page, except the direct booking engines for sure, but also those can be implemented into flash and not such CMS look, bad approach of Disney to take this road from excellence to CMS. It is a definite step backwards.

The old site was more like this one, but still much better and not so small sized, it was really a perfect website while this one also looks cheap made although it is flash:

http://hotels.disneylandparis.co.uk/index.xhtml

But the point is that most people will not know or remember the old site, so only some who remember can really compare and as most of the internet becomes to look that way, it only matches the current trend, until some day, it will all be changed again.

[wooohanetworks Friend wooohanetworksJoin date: September 2008Posts: 1239Downloads:0Uploads:2 Thanks: 148 Thanked: 138 times in 41 posts]

#296038

Also a Joomla Look but still matching and with some improvements like not using boring fonts:

http://www.nasa.gov

So it is always about how to use CMS and their look for what purpose. It matches on such sites like the NASA Homepages but I think it does not look good on sites that should be something special and not following the tech look trends.

[jwellman Friend jwellmanJoin date: April 2008Posts: 543Downloads:0Uploads:6 Thanks: 115 Thanked: 59 times in 21 posts]

#296063

That’s because Disney learned (like the rest of us) that many people cannot see flash nor is it search engine friendly. I like their new site.

[scotty Friend scottyJoin date: March 2008Posts: 2339Downloads:0Uploads:13 Thanks: 76 Thanked: 827 times in 595 posts]

#296067

When flash is done well it is simply awesome.

http://www.debaur.de

But it completely depends on the nature of the site whether flash should be used or not.

[jwellman Friend jwellmanJoin date: April 2008Posts: 543Downloads:0Uploads:6 Thanks: 115 Thanked: 59 times in 21 posts]

#296070

I take that was intended for me? 😀 Does quick reply do something different?

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