Potential SermonIndex Site Re-design and development?

Love you and only say do as He leads.

I love the current layout. Colors and fonts? Not that vital to me.

I was -- still am but it is an inactive board -- a member on a site called Jude2.com. Brother who runs it is a sweet and wise and smart pastor friend in Hawaii, originally from Alabama. I still love J2 for its design. They did an overhaul a couple of years ago. Looks great. But the forum is VERY slow, more or less abandoned for Facebook by the users. Anyway if you are looking for a good redesign I suggest Jude2 at least for the forum layout.

And if you could put all the preachers and teachers on here in true alphabetical order by last name. ;)

Greg,

I quite like it the way it is, straightforward and easy to navigate, and with an old fashioned look that takes you back to "better" days :)
I am not against "snazzing" it up a bit as long as the navigation and ease of contributing remains a priority.

God bless,

Design:
- I would make the design bigger (width) and bigger lettertypes.
- The colors are fine, althought I could think that you desire a new logo to be created.

Functionality:
- The forum could be extended
--- buttons "reply" on top (next to new topic)
--- more easier to read
- Make the website responsive so that it is easy to use this website on a mobile

I think it would be got for some design changes, for usability.

Just a few ideas Ive thought of that would be better for users I believe.

If it could be done in a non distracting way to have each of the Forum main Topic subjects colour coded. So Miracles That Follow The Plough and Devotional Thoughts could both be diffrent colours for example. Maybe a pale coloured thin strip somewhere?. Nothing too overwhelming and bright in colour. Maybe even a small logo.
Ive tried to find a topic a few days later and having a colour coded forum would make things more memorable for anyone with a poor memory.

It would be nice to have the page numbers of a forum topic at the bottom of the page as well as at the top. Making navigation a bit easier.
And lastly, when I want to comment on something on the forum I obviously get asked to sign in. But that signing in process takes me away from the topic and to the websites Home page. So we then have to locate the Topic again.

I like the way it looks now, its plain design is just appropriate for the Godly purpose it advocates. It kindles a sort of nostalgia or homesickness that keeps me coming here
amidst busy and difficult days.

I come here for the message, not the design, it's simple to navigate. I feel SI is doing the Lords work very well as is, I have seen many things lost, and many issues during changes in some forums I'm a member of. I know the SI layout has been the same for a long time, and I haven't seen many/any complaints, that personally tells me it's doing a might fine job as is. The Word of God has never changed, and it's been working forever, I feel the world is always looking for change, but we are not of this world. Praise Jesus!

I count myself among those who like it as is, even in light of having made suggestions. It is just so simple to navigate.

Well, I am thankful for the website as it is now. I know there is much prayer and work behind it. I just thought it will be good, if we can enhance the search engine. There are mainly two things that I would like to be possible.

1. Choosing search directory - for example only audio sermons, only text sermons, or only in Discussion forum etc.

2. Searching specific sermon titles from certain preacher: for example, I go to the page of Tozer and want to find out what sermons are out there that have something to do with prayer. My keyword could be "pray", "prayer", "praying" etc. (and the search result would then get also other sermons whose title does not begin with "P"). Now as far as I know the sermons are ordered alphabetically.

As a Web Designer and Graphic Artist on the side I'll refrain from all my thoughts, lol!

I personally love the simplicity and the color schematic currently employed here on SI, I'd leave those signature elements as is (if I was being consulted for a rebrand), but a new icon might also be useful for the Kingdom... which is really what matters. I do think the Lord can anoint elements of modern symbology and quicken talents to produce them. I was always impacted by the Lord anointing the artisans for the Tabernacle. You never know who might be drawn to this sight to the saving of his/her soul.. I see this site personally as one which stands in the gap online.

A few things I miss here that I have seen developed elsewhere are more forum related tools such as PM capabilities, Quoting tools, emoji's, personalizing various aspects of forum appearance (font sizes, Avatars, etc.), the ability to save various posts, users, threads, as well as the ability to upload auto-scaled photos. I think my most missed feature is the ability to be notified via email of a reply to any particular thread.

Recoding the site to HTLM 5 would also make it more mobile friendly. If planning to move onto a Wordpress platform, you might consider Buddypress or bbpress.

I'll begin praying the Lord directs clearly concerning this Bro. Greg.

If you are interested at all my last site was the first I placed on SquareSpace as the church did not have any dedicated person who could maintain it. I love it when the Lord leads! This was gratis work and my former company is not active currently, in other words I'm not attempting to advertise in any way here, this church simply needed some encouragement. The new logo was one of the neatest ideas the Lord has given me graphically. www.freedombaptistsbc.com

I personally enjoy full width websites, but if you code to HTML5 you won't have some of the limitation this one currently has in that regard.

~C

Brother Greg,

I love this site and have been here since it started, the only change may be to include a way to share sermons on social media, but do as the Lord leads.

Greg and members: I've not been active in the forums for a while although I come here often and peruse the topics being discussed.

As far as the design, my vote would be to 'please' leave it as is. I just cannot see change for change sake. However, if it is is really needed, that is, of course, warranted. I don't understand the reasons for wanting/needing the design change but I sure like the looks and simplicity as it stands now.

My only suggestion would be to put the page links back at the bottom as well as the top of each page on the forum topics.

I am so grateful when I started coming here in about 2006 and later joining. I love you all and pray God's blessings on you. Wayne

Evidently, Greg, the Lord is speaking to you on this. Things change. Love you and trust Jesus to speak to you.

Hi Greg,

I will certainly be praying for God's guidance with any changes (if there are any). I am very happy with the design and the layout of the website as it is.

There are just two things that I would like prayerfully considered (that are echoed by what other people suggested):

1.) FONT SIZE: I introduced SermonIndex to a few individuals who said that they had trouble reading the menus. I showed them how to change the font size on their computers (Press and hold CTRL and then the + or - signs). This really helped them, but it is something that many people might not be aware of.

I checked the equivalent font and size of SermonIndex in various browsers (by copying and pasting it into a Word 2016 document). Here are the results:

- Chrome: Verdana size 8.5 font (Sermon Recommendations size 7 font)

- Microsoft Edge: (Same as Chrome)

- Firefox: Calibri (Body) size 11 font (Sermon Recommendations size 10 font)

- Safari (on iPad Air 2): (Same as Chrome)

- Chrome (on Android tablet): (Same as Chrome). The tablet defaults to the full version of the website rather than the mobile version.

- Chrome (on Android smartphone): I am not certain about the font or size, but the mobile version seems more readable.

I think that any sort of redesign could simply be enlarging the current site for better readability. This would allow for the default font size to be slightly larger.

2.) SERMON SHARING (on social media/text/email): Sometimes, I like to share a sermon with friends or family members via social media or group apps (like GroupMe). Currently, I copy and paste the link. However, this is a bit more difficult to accomplish via the smartphone. If there was a SHARE button with each listed audio or text sermon (that would share an auto-link), it would be very helpful.

Personally, I wouldn't change much of anything else. I think that SermonIndex has worked well because it is familiar and simple.

cool

Yeah, the smallness of fonts is a 'problem'. The size of the screen also (766px is really small). That the website isn't responsive is another isue. Searching for files/video's is a thing. Maybe the list when you are are in the page of a preacher could be more in a 'overview-list' instead of big blocks? The forum could use a update on usability.

To summ it up: usability is (I think) the biggest issue. I am a webprogrammer (is my job) and work with a lot of websites, and usability is the biggest issue for us, not the colors or things like that.

Not to pick on J2, J2 uses phpBB just like all the other discussion forums out there.

SI's discussion forum is unique, very easy to use and to navigate. Even in the forum's the main menu is on the side.

My two cents, brother. God bless you and all the time you've put into this site!
Lysa

PS: Who was it that said you needed to change SI? :)