The new look of Pop Critics is finally here. I know, it took me long enough to put it together, but I wanted to make sure we had a clean site that focused on our content.
Content is what it’s all about, right?
You’ll notice that the reading area is much larger than before to give every article posted here a little more breathing room.
I don’t want you straining your eyes reading, so I focused a lot on the typography to make it as easy to read as possible.
What this site is built on
This site is running on the wonderful WordPress blogging platform.
Some of you know that I run a WordPress themes website, so I built the new design right on top of the Hybrid theme, which made it easy to customize the new look.
Some noteworthy changes
We’re still looking to bring on new writers. If you’re interested in writing about TV, movies, music, games, books, or anything else that might fall under the realm of pop culture, then head to the writing page.
There’s a new advertising system now that won’t get so much in the way of the content but will work for advertisers as well. If you’re interested in advertising, just go to the advertising page and check out our rates.
What do you think?
I know it’s a major change, and some of you may not like it at all.
There’ll probably be tweaks here and there to the design as the site grows and I get used to running things around here. After seeing how people interact and use the site, I’ll have a better idea about the direction the design should go in.
So, voice your opinions.
A big thumbs up on the new design. This site is perfect for your Hybrid theme.
Thanks, Cary. Once we get you to start writing for us, I’ll be able to add your name to the Writers list in the sidebar. That way, I can add another category and even it out.
Very, very nice!
Adam, thanks. Overall, I feel very comfortable with this design.
Hi Justin
It’s beautifull, but there’s a couple of things I don’t understand:
1. Why don’t you have a email subscription option?
2. Why don’t you put some adwords into some of the adspace, just intill someone?
3. Why don’t you use a magazine approach or tabbox’es in the sidebar, to show more content in the first fold (I’ll bet you a fantastic cop of coffee, that at leat 75 % of your clicks is located here)?
4. Why don’t you use a related post plugin, to guide your readers further?
5. Why don’t you throw the contact into the footer, for a even more clean header navigation?
6. Why don’t you make a sidebar more dynamic, so that when I click on comics, I get most read, highest rated, lowest rated within the last 30 days or so (Hint: Lester chan plugins)
Hmm I think that was it for now. But don’t get me wrong, it’s a major improvement, but I think it could be even better, with more community-building features.
I forgot:
7. Why don’t you have a posibility to edit comments in a given timeframe
8. Why don’t you have a number of comments on the top of a post. This will tell readers that the content is interessting (if there’s a lot of comments).
Thanks for the feedback, Thomas.
1. I’ll be implementing this at some point.
2. I’d rather have a clean design with no money than an ugly design caused by adwords with money. So, I’m comfortable leaving placeholders. If we go too long without advertisers, then I’ll consider another approach.
3. A magazine approach will come when the amount of content warrants it. I hate tabs though.
4. Related posts might be a future possibility.
5. I’ll probably be adding some footer navigation and content in the near future.
6. A more dynamic sidebar will be coming. I hate ratings plugins as well, unless the site completely needs it.
7. It forces you to make a new comment, so we’ll have more comments.
8. The content should be able to hold its own. Some great content has few comments. Some mediocre content has many comments.
Delightful with simplistic splendor! By the way, are you using a WordPress 2.7 beta?
It seems you got stuck in the spam queue for a while there, and I missed your comment.
We’re running the latest from WordPress trunk though.
Did you check out a WC from the trunk or upgrade from a normal beta? Because I know the beta releases upgrade to HEAD revisions.
I don’t use the normal beta. I just update from trunk on a regular basis.
Very nice use of Hybrid, good colour scheme, very clean style and easy to read. Well done! I will have to ease myself away from Structure and really take a good look at what’s under the bonnet of Hybrid.
Thanks, John. A “clean style” that is “easy to read” is exactly the look I’m going for.
I saw your post and received your feed this morning and took a peek before running out. But all day I said need to comment on the new design. Awesome I like it and it is really cool to see what can be done with your new framework and this site needed a refresh for sure. Handy being a theme developer I suppose
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What can I say I have delved into Hybrid a bit and even made a child theme, I love the new drop cap, and pull quotes etc I modified (stole from you?) it and put it into a Thematic design I am working on ,even put in get-the-image plugin by you. It is a theme like no other…
I use drop cap quite a bit. Actually I was a typesetter for the New York Times and RedBook a million years ago, well the early 80’s. So typography and the way it is represented. is nice to see again so well represented. It is nice to see the young folk having an appreciation for a semi lost art, after having gone through the last 10 years where everyone needs a flash banner ugh. I am going to base my blog on it (formally Options), but I have been moving more minimal in what I like design wise.
So love the new site and nice to see Hybrid in action – that was quick and it’s pretty slick. And I love the content. My wife started reading it and we (well the wife) follows most of the TV and Books you write about. So do not even think about sitting in a cube for some doinkhead and getting a job. Keep going I have a feeling things will work out well. Otherwise I will throw you some work:). Don’t know what I would advertise but send me a quote never know and I would be happy to send a coin to help the site go.
GL JT
Yeah, I suppose it does help being a theme developer.
I actually have a bit of a background in newspaper/magazine design as well. As an English major in college, we had to have a certain amount of credits in another field, so I took up journalism. By that time, I was already getting into Web design. Naturally, I took a few news design classes.
The Web is great, but you still can’t do things with it like you can Quark and InDesign.
I’ll try my best to avoid the doinkheads.
Hey Justin,
The new design looks great! I’m glad you were able to do a refresh and put your own signature on the site right away. I especially like the typeface. The whole site is just really easy to read. Nice job.
Thanks, Jason. I always thought you guys had great content here, but it was kind of hidden by the design a bit. So, I wanted to focus on making sure people could see the content in all its glory.
looks really good
loved it ..
Thanks. I’m happy that the design has went over so well thus far with everyone.
I really like the new look! Its classy and easy on the eyes. Thanks for all the work you put in to make this site come to life again.
Thank you. Mostly, I’m just trying to keep the site afloat. It’s a bit tough to keep up with what Mike and Jason have done in the past.
The only thing that I miss is Disqus. It was easier, faster, and more encouraging to leave comments and opinions with Disqus enabled on a website.
It’s sad that it has to go.
More power!
It was also ugly and made the site load much slower than it does now. It was the first thing I decided to remove.
It can be skinned via CSS.
Anyway… I suggest IntenseDebate then, they were bought by Automattic and now have a very good integration with Wordpress – seamless ID and WP-comment sync’ing.
Or if still not ID, how about SezWho? :p
(Yes, I am bias towards those three, because I use them for comment-login and for comment/Discussion tracking across different blogs. ^_^)
I don’t like any third-party comment integration and will continue using the built-in WordPress commenting system forever.
It’s a beautiful, crisp, clean design. Very jealous.
I really like this design.!looks compact, and simple!!
It’s look great.