TeeGopher

I put TeeGopher up for review on vB.org, and everyone hated my original design, so I created the one on there now.

I'm still not done coding (I'm replacing the links directory with my own code and I'll be adding a banking system, too.), and I know, I have WAY too many forums for a new site. I'll be taking care of some of those tonite.

Forum URL: TeeGopher

Forum Name: TeeGopher

Launch Date: Sometime last year (I'm horrible with dates)

Posts/Threads/Members: Not many...I've kinda let it sit.

Forum Software: vBulletin 3.8.x

Description: The forum itself is pretty general, but I'm trying to focus it toward the tee shirt culture that James Dean basically started. Y'know, the whole Rebel-Witout-a-Cause type of thing. But overall I want it to be a way for potential customers and vendors to connect with each other.

Other Info/Points of Interest: This site will also feature coupons and sales from the various vendors on TeeGopher and will have a vendor listing and individual tee listing that will be presented in order of customer rating at first, with other select sorting methods to come.

I'll also be adding more "TeeGopher" images that will be shown at random in the header...just something to make it interesting.

I may also completely re-theme TeeGopher based on people's reactions.

 

This is not meant to be a bump, but I just thought about one thing that might be preventing people from joining and participating on TeeGopher.

I don't allow religion or politics to be discussed there.

Um...a VAST number of t-shirts available today are 100% about politics or religion!

Do you think that maybe I should allow hot-button topics?

 

Hey, I tried to go on your site and I got

 

Huh.

It's working for me.

It may have been a temp issue with my host. Can you try again?

 

Now I can view it, I'll review shortly.

 

First Impression: I love the logo but some of the link colors are hard to read.

Forum Content​

Quantity of Forums: Seems okay, I almost didn’t notice the last forum, I would also suggest the Style forum where the TeeGopher Lounge is and move the TeeGopher lounge to where the Style forum is. You should make the “T-shirt style” the first thing users see.

Content: I really couldn’t see much, but also not much is posted. Maybe post more crazy designs that are out there for t-shirts?

http://www.monster-munch.com/images/HelloMaybeTshirts.jpg
http://homepage.mac.com/brockdavis/shreddedanews.png

Etc, even include your own and where the inspiration came from etc. Something to get the members interested in the topic. Shirts are eye candy, pretty much; make your site be eye candy too. Especially when teens are some of the many who use tees, specially graphical ones or ones that have obscenities and even today’s internet trends such as Awesome face and Pedobear[although I highly doubt you’d want topic like those floating around your forum].

Forum Design​

Favicon: Looks freaking rad, I love the vector, you made it[and the logo]?

On, Off, Lock icons: One thing that took me by surprise was the ‘link’ button, it flashes and I didn’t pay attention till I noticed something different; they look good and tie the forum together.

Design: I’m not much of a fan of the design of the forum. Don’t get me wrong, the design looks decent, but the patter can get a bit too much. I like the scheme, I give you that, but in some parts the color of the links can’t be read [see picture 1. below].

​

Also, I like the forum category vendor sale, the style is really nice, I prefer the gradient over the pattern, so it would be nice if you could try to replicate the style to the other categories, not with the same colors, maybe the other forum categories you can keep using that forrest green and brownish.

You also have some of the default vB icons, they don’t look that bad, but it would be nice to see a whole customized skin.

Overall Impression: I am 50% 50% on the skin because it looks somewhat outdated and overwhelmed with the pattern, but then again it doesn’t look bad. Try to boost the traffic by trying to sell/bring people who are t-shirt fanatics, specially the overly graphic ones and the ones that have witty sayings. T-shirts now-a-days are very graphical and fun, express that with your site! I know you’re a fun person, so that wouldn’t be hard. Also, I had a bit of a hard time finding the tabs since the forum width is so big on my computer, not necessary to change anyways.

I hope this helped! and good luck.

 

Thank you, FMB.

I'll take everything you said into consideration and ponder what I'll do next.

I was thinking of re-skinning TeeGopher anyway, so I don't have a problem with you not liking the current skin all that much.

And yes, I created the TeeGopher.

I sketched him in Painter and vectorized him in CorelDRAW X3.

 

Haha, that is BRILLIANT.