Website stuff for Kearstin

[Sparrow of WPA]

New thread time, everyone party!

My suggestions:

• Schedule clearly marked, with an HTML guide instead of a PDF (I figured out why I didn't see it, I just didn't read the text directly below the image and scrolled down to look for it! Durp).
  
• Listing of vendors, links to their websites, a little on who they are. Sort of like this. Yes, I know it's furry, but it's a good convention site.
  
• Map of the con online if possible, even if it's just the rooms we have highlighted without saying what is where until that is more firmly decided upon.
  
• FAQ!!! I might start a new thread to compile some of these for you if you like.
  
• Ability to buy vendor booths completely online/a log in system to track your purchased stuff. I bet there's software available out there that is secure and will work for it. I'm not sure if all of this was available since I sent my payment in via mail.
  
• Do not need to list each genre separately, just put all the "steampunk" "Star Wars" etc descriptions on the panels as tags and then they can become searchable. This may be a bit over complex for now, but later on it will be super handy for looking things up.
  
• Link to the forums
  
• Add the twitter feed (see our page with it here).
  
• Take the ads off the sidebar, arrange them at the bottom (a little less clutter), remove the show logos at the bottom. It's good to say what Cyphan is all about, but let a good front page introduction blurb say it.
  
• Never bash other cons on the website, even if they aren't as fun. People who have been might agree, but people who are die hard fans of other cons may take offense and never come to experience the goodness.
  
• If you have a label for your navigation bar it should be the link back to the home page.
  
• "Buy Tickets" relabeled "Register"
  

There! I tried to be as nit picky as I possibly could, so that might help to pick out some issues. I also noticed the Dealer's Hall also says "Artist Alley." At most cons an Artists Alley is some free table spaces that are given out by lottery each day, but I didn't see that going on. Am I just misinformed?

Good convention site: GenCon Indy, simple design up front but their back end is a wealth of information. Their entire catalog of panels, events, and places is browse-able by tags, times, etc. And yes, catalog, if you have never been to GenCon they hand you the equivalent of an old school JC Penneys catalog to use as a conbook because the con runs 24 hours a day in like five different hotels. It is insane and not nearly as personable as Cyphan, but still a blast like any other con.

[kearstin]

"FAQ!!! I might start a new thread to compile some of these for you if you like."

Please do!

Also, Cyphan.com has been made using iWeb, same with my website (www.kearstin.com).
Let me know if you guys see anything that you'd like.
This also means, no crazy javascript (as altho I know how to do it, it's just a hassle in iWeb).
There are lots of ways around iWeb to do things (like mouse over images), just requires extra steps, but I'm all about simplicity, so, whatever isn't TRULY needed haha

PICTURES!
We need a picture thread. lol

[skyjammer]

I'd also add a mobile version of the website to go up near the time of the actual con itself. This would have clean versions of the schedule, con maps, Rosemont info (directions, local restaurants), stuff like that. Make it easy for the people at the con to quick pull up the info that is most important.

[kearstin]

I would love if Bollow could get his hands on a iOS developer and get him an SDK and make an APP! but that's wishful thinking. iWeb doesn't have a "publish as mobile" feature, so unless he wanted to branch off again into real web hosting and stuff, then for now we have just iweb

[Sparrow of WPA]

cyphan.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=7

[skyjammer]

Aug 17, 2011 16:24:40 GMT -5 kearstin said:

I would love if Bollow could get his hands on a iOS developer and get him an SDK and make an APP! but that's wishful thinking. iWeb doesn't have a "publish as mobile" feature, so unless he wanted to branch off again into real web hosting and stuff, then for now we have just iweb

I might be able to hook you up with someone who has done some iOS programming, actually. I think Google just got rid of (or is about to) the quick-and-easy Android-App creator, sadly.

[Dustin Riley]

Aug 17, 2011 16:24:40 GMT -5 kearstin said:

I would love if Bollow could get his hands on a iOS developer and get him an SDK and make an APP! but that's wishful thinking. iWeb doesn't have a "publish as mobile" feature, so unless he wanted to branch off again into real web hosting and stuff, then for now we have just iweb

I'm an iOS developer

[Sparrow of WPA]

If he springs for hosting try BlueHost. We are currently switching to them and it's a pretty nice service for not too much money.

www.bluehost.com/

$5.95 a month right now, free domain name. The catch is you have to pay for a number of months up front (24 to get the $5.95 a month deal, and that comes out to be $142.80 you don't need to pay again for two years), but after that you are golden.

Another good convention website: ConFoo

And an additional suggestion: Register a Gmail address to replace the AOL address.

[iam8114]

Also I'd say for the schedule, do HTML & PDF versions so if someone wants to print it out they can, easily.

I can help you if you need it, my background is in web & interface design.

[Michael Bollow]

I'll do whatever you guys say I need to do. We can also go outside and have the company that did www.teslacon.com create a site for us. It would be around $500.

[kearstin]

That is one sexy website lol
Although I hate "CLICK TO ENTER" pages. Just my opinion.

[RFlatstone]

Aug 17, 2011 16:06:02 GMT -5 Sparrow of WPA said:

• Listing of vendors, links to their websites, a little on who they are. Sort of like this. Yes, I know it's furry, but it's a good convention site.
  
• Map of the con online if possible, even if it's just the rooms we have highlighted without saying what is where until that is more firmly decided upon.
  ...
  
  
• Do not need to list each genre separately, just put all the "steampunk" "Star Wars" etc descriptions on the panels as tags and then they can become searchable. This may be a bit over complex for now, but later on it will be super handy for looking things up.
  

One thing that GenCon does that I like is they map out the Dealer's Room. So, I could say, "Hey, you gotta see what they have at the Gaming Goat table. it's right ... there!" Instead of, "You know where the celebs are? Well you go there and turn right, then go down a little bit until you see a Dalek..."

Regarding the separate genres ... I understand the whole "path" idea, but unless you are going to d a "path" for EVER genre, it's best to not separate. After all, if it's "Science-Fiction and Fantasy UNITED...?"

[Sparrow of WPA]

Yeah, splash pages are best used for pages that act as a hub of several different sites. Other than that...Yeah. Damn, that's sexy webdesign right there.

Vandal, my other half, also does web design for about that cost. However, at this time he has two other websites already in progress and likely will be super busy with those and other projects until mid-November. So, there's that.

Troy: I agree on that, that was a huge help to me when I went. The dealer's hall has a pretty well standard set up, right? Some tables in the center, some on the walls? If you know approximately how many there were in each location you can probably make a map pretty quickly.

[kearstin]

Also, speaking of the banners and such, I can make a "SHARE US" section including all of those icons to download (Bollow, there's a 'downloadable' option for files in a page type for iWeb, I use it for mine for people to download icons and wallpapers haha)

[RFlatstone]

I know it's WAY outside the realm of possibility, but shooting for the moon, just brainstorming...
You know what would be really, REALLY cool? If we could film a the scene in the bridge (with Captain Bollow, of course) where sensors pick up the time storm and evasive action is ordered. Of course, it's too late and the ship is pulled in. If we could film that, coupled with good CGI external shots of the ship pulled into the storm, wouldn't that make a great teaser hook on the home page of the website??? Something very similar to this scene from Titanic:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8CadIi00U4