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  1. #1
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    Dec 2001
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    Control Panel Design Suggestions

    Please if anyone would give me suggestions on how to improve the following control panel design i would greatly appreciate it.. I need better icons and layout, but im not quite the designer. Any suggestions would be appreciated, the icons are not linked to any modules at this point, the ones that are linked are linked to an even uglier sub-page with a nasty color scheme that i changed.. though it still needs much work so im looking for suggestions...

    Found here:

    !__EDIT BY RH4U__!
    Links removed because the old design has been deleted!
    !__END EDIT__!
    Last edited by RH4U; 10-21-2002 at 01:05 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
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    135
    I think if you go about it as if it's a web site and not a control panel you might come up with some ideas.

    Try and design it so that the account info is seperated from the main panel area, sort of how menu's are seperate from content on a web site.

    I think it would look good if you could find real imagery instead of the gif/icons. It reminds me of way "back in the day" (early 90s) the way it is now.

  3. #3
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    lol, yeah i hate the icons too.. thanks for the input, anymore??
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  4. #4
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    Okay, ive tossed the icons completely at this point because i dont want to rip off somone else and they are just slow loading anyway.

    Ive redone the design and would like opinions on the new design, keep in mind no modules are in place at this poin and only two pages have the updated design below:

    http://live.master.ru/CPMatrix/index.htm
    http://live.master.ru/CPMatrix/Auto-Responders.htm


    Modules are complete but have not been linked to the UI yet that the above links point to. After we tweak the Admin, Reseller, Sub-Reseller, End User, and Controller interfaces a bit i will link modules and post a complete demo for review, but for now just the template...

    Thanks in advance for you constructive opinions!
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  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Montreal, Quebec
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    I like it...

    It's clean and straightforward. I like it. Might I however suggest increasing the cell padding in the blue buttons on http://live.master.ru/CPMatrix/index.htm and perhaps making the text in the buttons bold? What would also be cool is to make the entire <TD> light up when your mouse passes over it, not just the text. Also, those <TD> tags have a dark blue background image. Why? The little design in this graphic are barely visible. Just go with a background color instead - the page ends up weighing less with no aesthetic difference. Why do you have a border color that is almost the same color as your graphic? Kill that too. Your code will look like this for example:

    -- original code ---

    <table width="80%" cellspacing="5" cellpadding="2" bordercolor="#334078">
    <tr>

    <td height="20" background="images/fon/fon4.gif"><a href="Mail_Manager.htm"><nobr>Mail Manager</nobr></a></td>

    -- end original code --



    -- replace with this code --

    <table width="80%" cellspacing="5" cellpadding="4">
    <tr>

    <td height="20" bgcolor="#000066" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#0000CC';" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#000066';"><a href="Mail_Manager.htm"><nobr>Mail Manager</nobr></a></td>

    -- apply these changes to all relevant tags --

    Let me know what you think.

    Dave

  6. #6
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    Dec 2001
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    Hmm,,
    Does need to be spaced out more.

    I was thinking of closing the sections off with a border around the entire sections, for example mail manager would be completely closed in with a border and maybe a shaded background? What do you think?

    Lighting up the entire TD i dont know about, but im no designer.. anyone else agree this would be better?

    The border, i honestly have no clue why we put that in there, lol i never noticed it honestly till you said something, good eyes.

    Something we where considering was to put the account information in a table border to kinda close it off, what do you think about that or should we just leave it floating out there?

    Any more suggestions would be appreciated,d00m2k thanks for the good feedback we are looking into it.
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  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Montreal, Quebec
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    Originally posted by RH4U
    Hmm,,
    Does need to be spaced out more.
    Just a bit... that's why I increased the cell padding from 2 pixels to 4.

    I was thinking of closing the sections off with a border around the entire sections, for example mail manager would be completely closed in with a border and maybe a shaded background? What do you think?
    Sounds good. I would suggest keeping it very light, so 1 pixel border should be like #BBBBBB and background #DDDDDD.

    Lighting up the entire TD i dont know about, but im no designer.. anyone else agree this would be better?
    That was just me being a bit whimsical. It's not totally essential but the effect is kinda cool and it only requires this itty bitty line of code. In the past you could only do this with graphics and big javascripts...

    Something we where considering was to put the account information in a table border to kinda close it off, what do you think about that or should we just leave it floating out there?
    Just keep it light. I like the light airy feel of the panel. It's all about functionality with a control panel. Yours is functional and straightforward.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
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    Alright, well the modules should be in place within a few weeks and completely operational.

    I will post the design for other levels for review in time.
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  9. #9
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    Dec 2001
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    Oh, and what about the sub-page link:
    http://live.master.ru/CPMatrix/Auto-Responders.htm


    ?
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  10. #10
    Personally I think the pattern under Mail manager etc is two much. IMO it would be better with Icons or something. I think it would look better if the blue pattern is used for the header and footer only like in the autoresponder page.
    Adam Heavens
    Server Centre Limited (www.servercentre.net)
    Exchange 2007 Hosting, Windows/Linux Hosting

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Montreal, Quebec
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    For what it's worth, I agree.

    Originally posted by isolsdotnet
    Personally I think the pattern under Mail manager etc is two much. IMO it would be better with Icons or something. I think it would look better if the blue pattern is used for the header and footer only like in the autoresponder page.

  12. #12
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    Dec 2001
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    We did it that way to limit the number of clicks taken to accomplish things.

    Keep in mind this IS just the basic skin that will come with the panel at first.. we have a more advanced looking icon skin underway, but with this one we where trying to appeal to more than one type of perso, etc...

    I will consider, thanks.
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  13. #13
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    Dec 2001
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    isolsdotnet - what do you mean by pattern?

    Also, there are now more acting sub-pages connected to the panel that can be viewed if you would like to drop any suggestions on them and like i said keep in mind this is just the default design.. more will come, but we have to have at least one finished before releasing it

    Also due to everyone seeming to be sooooo in love with icons we are in the making to add icons, but it will be two templates.. one will be icon based and one like you see now.. but same color, sub-pages, etc...

    Next we have plans for a designer to do a more graphical interface starting soon.

    Give me any feedback and thanks in advance!
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  14. #14
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    Dec 2001
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    Alright,, hows this....

    Without Icons/with categories:
    http://live.master.ru/CPMatrix/index.htm

    With Icons/with categories:
    http://www.wwwzone.net/demo_clients/...icons-rh4u.jpg


    OR should it be only icons that are show with any text links to sub-pages.

    Opinions on the design, which would be best, and the icons would be appreciated! Thanks in advance!
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