Index Page

[M-Jam]

Hello again...
I'm on vacation this week, and that's why I've been able to catch up on so many things, that I'd been intending to take care of, all
along... Of course, that meant spending some "quality time" with NWR, which I think is going quite well...
Now, I know you're busy as all getout on NWR, and the work woth our EP is very much appreciated. No "buts" to that. It is.
Since I have been at NWR a lot lately, though, I did want to discuss with you, the layout of the NWR index page... As of now, it's
plenty functional, but I have to say it's also EXTREMELY boring! Since the index is most folks' first impression of a site, I'd like to
offer a few suggestions, that I feel could make NWR a real draw to the public, as well as being easily implemented. Hope you don't
mind.
The header's fine. But site functionality news, right underneath, is really of no interest to anyone in the public, except for members
who have had problems. A simple link on the menu bar, off to the far right, labellled "Site News", might be more effective.
Also a link off that same menu bar, to the forums, and NWR Media! How many folks even know they exist, unless they dig deeper
into the site itself?
Now... the "Meat & Potatoes" of the presentation: Supporting the artists! What I'd like to suggest, right under the menu bar, is two
horizontal tables. The first would feature, left to right, the five latest NWR CD releases. I'm talking five CD covers in a row, with
"preview" and "purchase" hyperlink icons under each, as well as a short blurb, perhaps written by the artist.
That alone, would add an exciting graphic element to the index page, but on top of that, the second horizontal table, underneath the
CD's, would be for the "Five Latest Artists" to have joined up! Same as with the CD section, the artist graphic would serve as an
exciting graphic (it'd be the same graphic they uploaded for their webpage; rerouted to the index).
Under that, there could still be a "Featured Artist", "New Songs Uploaded", etc... exactly as they are now. Maybe a graphic
accompaning the "Featured Artist", is all I'd add...
I hope you understand, that I'm not writing this, to be a pain in the ass to you... I'm doing this, 'cause, more and more, it does
appear NWR is coming closer to getting to be a major player on the net, and this is borne out of a genuine desire, to help make it
the best it can be! Being a longtime graphic artist myself, I don't think I'm just being a whiny indie... I believe I've got a little more
qualification, than that. With more and more "indie" music sites going down the tubes lately, I'm invested in making sure we all still
have a decent home on the web... I think we both believe in that!
Anyhoo... nothing good is ever easy, I know... I've been redoing my own sites & stuff, and have had the aspirin handy since Friday
night... and believe me, I wouldn't say anything, if I didn't think it'd pay off in a big way, in the long run! I sure hope this helps
some... that's the spirit in which it's intended, anyway.
KTF, M.
PS... I wanted to send this as an email, instead of posting here, but my server's been knocked out by a thunderstorm... you can delete this after reading, if you want, Waldo...
M.

[TheRealWaldo]

No need, valid suggestions.

NWR5 is pretty much the revision in which I start getting into the aesthetic developments, as everything up to this point has been the back-end development.

NWR5 is probably a few months away, as there is a few features and applications that need to be completed, that will ensure NWR stays running (mostly income generators, to pay the bills).  Some are new technologies I can't discuss, but all are aimed at helping the Indie movement.

I've never claimed to make anything 'look good', just functional  I might bring in one or two of the designers I've used in the past to help out.

[mani]

I've grown use to Nowhere and I like the simplicity of the design of the site and like everything once you get used to navigating and such it's no problem. Like M-Jam says maybe more images to brighten the place up a bit but more importantly I'd like to see NoWhere blowing it's own trumpet a bit more from the index page.

If more emphasis was put on the services and benefits nowhere can offer the indie artist it would seem more appealing. Somewhere you need images promoting the cd programmes, the forums, Nowhere Media (why aren't the headline topics showing someplace) and all the other goodies. The problem being the assetts of the site are now frimly in place but to find them the artist has to go looking, which you wouldn't think was a bad thing problem being most indie artists won't go looking, they want to be told.

[TheRealWaldo]

Assets aren't all there yet Mani, close though, still several more programs and services to complete before I can get to making stuff look good.

W.