PLEASE read here (I want the discussion)

[Christian Hjortshøj [busy]]

Listen. We need a complete makeover of this forum. The reason why I post this here and not in the staff board, is that this is supposed to be a forum for the members and like an old man once said (or was it a woman?): "The people knows best". If we want to attract members and activity, we need more feedback from the users. And we need to LISTEN to their feedback. A succesful board is not powered by the staff, doing everything they like. It's by the members. Which also is why I would like to post it here - we can always move it once we come to a tipping point.

This is when I realized that the UBBC buttons disappeared. Why were they removed? Who did this? I love this forum, I love being here and the people. But as I once mentioned in the staff board - I, as the co-adminm would like to know what's going on and what's going to be changed - and it would be best if it happened before.

What I meant to write in bold:

Even though it's not nice to say, then Shadow Designs had an identity crisis which leads to unhappyness among the members - and the staff.

What happened to the theme that Webmaren put so much effort in? It was shredded over night. What happened to a lot of stuff, why doesn't the owner of this forum answer the posts, why do we not accept that we ave a crisis, why is a portal developed without all of the staff members voting on it (however, the following process has been democratic enough) - but I don't see how a portal can help anymore.

I study marketing, I live by selling UI design and marketing. Key rule: YOU ONLY HAVE TWO SECONDS before the user is out. If we want to attract members, we need to streamline. Why do have so many boards alike - like "chat about webdesign" and "show off webdesign" - why don't we make them ONE board? Why do we have a thousand subboards when it would be more fun if movies were discussed under Ramblings too?

You see? We have problem and I want everyone to join in. Recently Poet has been writing about the radical changes just happening - you can't just do things like that and I agree with her. "Where do you have the knowledge to give you the authority to say this" you may ask us? As I said - and I know Poet does the same - we do this for a living.

We need to start all over. Really. It's like a firm - and I know a damn lot about running a business as it is what I study in school and have experience with.

We need another image than it has become. Why pink? I liked the blue version of this, even more the design Sam made. I even stumbled upon a lot of my friends taking a look and saying "It's nice, but the pink and black makes us think of emo girls hating themselves". We need another image. We need to differentiate, think CONTENT before Global Domination or what it was called. We want loyal members to run this forum too even though they're not staff. We want our staff to be democratic and only do little changes to what worked. It worked for a short time. The board merge gave us much but it also scattered both their and our image because the members joined for two seperate boards. We need to find a common way out of this.

I am sorry to call crisis, but this is urgent. I want SD to live as long as possible, but I sense a decline. The normal indicators are already here. Come on, please.

For Shadow Designs. The popularity comes SLOWLY. You can't get a good and popular forum in only months - it takes years and with the downtime we had, it'll take some years again.

For SD. *toast*

[Poet]

I would like to refer to following of my own replies, if one could be interested in my opinion on some of the topics mentioned in this thread: Suggestions for changes, SOTW, What do we have to offer?.

I agree with everything CH has to say.

I know that two sites have merged and I know that different people have to meet in the middle in order for this to work. HOWEVER I don't feel like meeting in the middle right now. This is _not_ SD anymore. The only thing SD-ish about this site now, is some of the old members still lurking about. NOTHING ELSE. We haven't met on the middle - SD has been taken over! The site went from looking like a professional forum to some kind of emo-pink forum. I am sorry, but that's what it looks like. It would be great if you wanted teenage girls to join, but you will not get any programmers or designers in here. Sorry. I wanted to write a longer post, but people are calling for me so I gotta go.

[≈April]

Honestly, I tend to agree with both of you. The pink sort of makes the design seem unprofessional and it worked better with the blue because it seemed a bit less.. blunt and in-your-face. And that's one reason that I leaned towards the gray when creating the smilies (even though they turned out more purple-ish ).

But the atmosphere of the forum isn't very "friendly" at times. If you know what I mean. I know I wasn't part of the original sD either and the merge might have added a little bit of tension. But it also seems like the activity dwindled after the merge as well, at least from JD's side.

I think a fresh start would really help, design-wise. Obviously, the pink isn't working (I'm not a huge fan of pink myself, I prefer cooler colors like blues and greens and purples, but I didn't feel it was my place to interject or anything). And honestly, I didn't see what was wrong with the design that was on here previously, when Amanda first mentioned the merge and I looked at the site. We didn't get a discussion about the merge over at JD though, it was just all of a sudden, I'm being told "we're merging with this other design community." But that seems to be how things were handled after the merge as well, and it probably would have been better to open things up for discussion first. Just a thought.

And Poet, I can totally understand how you're feeling that this isn't meeting in the middle, and truthfully, it's not because the skin is JD's skin exactly, only with different colors. So I don't even blame you for feeling that way. I agree with your suggestions in the other thread as well.

[BossAlien]

I would like to start off by putting my hand up for the colour of this skin. I choose the pink with the black/grey when Amanda made the template - simply because I wanted to go with something different. We get hundreds of forums that have the the same colours (blues, greens & reds), when have you last seen a GFX forum using pink?? Not frequent hench why I went with something different.

I'd like to point out that I have ran Shadow Designs for over 7 years, I've delt with inactivity, sorting out problems, dealing with content. Trust me I know how to run a forum, even though I closed sD down 3 years ago. Its obviously going to be rusty and hard to start off with. The reason why I asked Amanda to change the template was because to me it wasn't working, we wasn't going anywhere and it just felt too plain. By the way we still have that template codes and images saved (well Amanda does).

One thing I noticed, you guys give great feedback and that's awesome it really does help up to heard your voices and opinions. But seriously like the ideas for templates and choices of skins we need some ideas, why not help us create something? Why not design and help make a new template? I know Amanda has been busy with the birth of her new baby and everyone knows I can not design anymore. It would really help us out more if we could throw in some ideas, designs, examples. Because that's the main thing everyone is complaining about at the moment. I did ask Amanda to perhaps make more coloured versions (green, blue, red, yellow and orange) of this template but I haven't spoken to her in like over 2 weeks. So whether she has or not is beyond me. I am really busy and full up to my eyes with Work, I am getting married in September and trying to earn enough money to pay for it which is also keeping me busy. That's why I hired Christian and Amanda as my Co-Admins (who are doing both amazing jobs).

Poet about your complaint about the boards/sub-boards, We did have alot of separate boards but when I brought back sD back last December time, the staff (Webmaren & Christian) both felt we needed to cut down the amount of boards which we did not need (hence why we have some as sub-boards). But I will be re-vamping the boards giving more freedom to post around and will be looking to add a few extra nice boars you mentioned too.

If I could code or design I would make a special code, a special layout, a special system but like I mentioned above, I cant code or design. That's why we have designers, we do have a coder maybe we could all contribute or help out as a team to come up with something that will make sD Stand out and give members something to offer?

I appreciate all your ideas, your suggestions, your complaints and I apologize to anyone who I may have not responded to took action for as the main Admin. If I can get in touch will all the current active staff and get round to start designing and revamp hopefully we can work from there?

[SD]

just got here
so not gonna give any advice because im sure you will all be able to think of great things yourself right

good luck , would be nice again to have a popular proboards around concerning graphics

lately people tend to get invisionfree when it comes to graphics
or jcinx or something

[Mac Daddy Cool]

Ive been around proboards for over 7 years. I was very active at the legendary graphic proboards while they were open. I made many friends they are known as PBs legends over those years and I learned a great deal. ZD(Zamanto Designs) I was there till it closed. G101 I was VERY active and a great member there til it closed. and to name a few more: SSD, PV, XDD, SZ,RI. And countless others. Ive been a member at TONS of forums.

These forums were at the top of proboards back when having a PB was cool and graphic forums were hot. Now most of the coding and designing greats are long gone and the forums with them. Now you guys are walking into uncharted territory, Were trying to make a great graphics forum when there no longer in style. But what did those I listed above have that others didnt? Innovation. Those forums wernt scared to be different and try new things and it made them popular. Forums like Zamanto were know for teaching others, SSD's skins were innovative back in the day. we need to do things never seen before and try things no one would think of! And in a age where everyone networks we needa use social media to our advantage!

I might not be a great designer or a great coder, but I have a ton of experience. Ive been staff at great design/coding proboards, and I ran a proboard that was innovative at its time. I've been around the proboards greats for years and seen how they do things and how they thought. Im offering to help, or to at least spark ideas but the staf here need to wake up and act if they want anything done.

[Christian Hjortshøj [busy]]

Precisely!

ScottCool, that's what we're talking about. I know that Intensity has experience with this forum, but we need to go now. As you say, it's uncharted and we have to do something.

[BossAlien]

Apr 13, 2012 15:59:28 GMT Mac Daddy Cool said:

Ive been around proboards for over 7 years. I was very active at the legendary graphic proboards while they were open. I made many friends they are known as PBs legends over those years and I learned a great deal. ZD(Zamanto Designs) I was there till it closed. G101 I was VERY active and a great member there til it closed. and to name a few more: SSD, PV, XDD, SZ,RI. And countless others. Ive been a member at TONS of forums.

These forums were at the top of proboards back when having a PB was cool and graphic forums were hot. Now most of the coding and designing greats are long gone and the forums with them. Now you guys are walking into uncharted territory, Were trying to make a great graphics forum when there no longer in style. But what did those I listed above have that others didnt? Innovation. Those forums wernt scared to be different and try new things and it made them popular. Forums like Zamanto were know for teaching others, SSD's skins were innovative back in the day. we need to do things never seen before and try things no one would think of! And in a age where everyone networks we needa use social media to our advantage!

I might not be a great designer or a great coder, but I have a ton of experience. Ive been staff at great design/coding proboards, and I ran a proboard that was innovative at its time. I've been around the proboards greats for years and seen how they do things and how they thought. Im offering to help, or to at least spark ideas but the staf here need to wake up and act if they want anything done.

I for one is always ready to listen to ideas. For one thing, our staff team is messed up. Webmaren is no longer active, Christian and myself are partly busy for one and Amanda seems to have dissapeared off the face of the earth.

We need all the help we can get and I wont be turning away any ideas. I commented above that we need ideas for templates (like you all say something different) so we can at least get the look right?

Then we can work on the actual product. Its all good saying it but we need to put the plan in action right?

What social networks should we have then? You mean intrigrated Logo's for Twitter, Youtube and Facebook?

[Mac Daddy Cool]

We need a team. First get the staff right. Who you want and then those people can make the ideas. But you cant try and improve the forum without a good, no great foundation. Build a staff team and go from there. in fact build a list of our problems.

I could also help with that last idea
"What social networks should we have then? You mean intrigrated Logo's for Twitter, Youtube and Facebook? "

[Christian Hjortshøj [busy]]

Apr 14, 2012 3:16:02 GMT Mac Daddy Cool said:

We need a team. First get the staff right. Who you want and then those people can make the ideas. But you cant try and improve the forum without a good, no great foundation. Build a staff team and go from there. in fact build a list of our problems.

I could also help with that last idea
"What social networks should we have then? You mean intrigrated Logo's for Twitter, Youtube and Facebook? "

Yup. We need a staff - but we also need trust that they can do things right. I have a major experience with forums too - and I don't just change things so seeing as I have very limited permissions on this board is just .. sad. I would love to do more, but I can't.

We should have some logos, definitely. I would personally like to see you on the staff - and we really do need to review who's gonna be on it because we have too many now, I think. We need to streamline.

Edit:
Oh, and btw. Intensity, this is no mutany at all. I would vote for you right now as the owner if an election was required, but we need to talk about everything and build a new base, as ScottCool says.

Just so you know, SD has always been a great place to be.

[BossAlien]

Apr 14, 2012 8:56:20 GMT Christian Hjortshøj [busy] said:

Apr 14, 2012 3:16:02 GMT Mac Daddy Cool said:

We need a team. First get the staff right. Who you want and then those people can make the ideas. But you cant try and improve the forum without a good, no great foundation. Build a staff team and go from there. in fact build a list of our problems.

I could also help with that last idea
"What social networks should we have then? You mean integrated Logo's for Twitter, Youtube and Facebook? "

Yup. We need a staff - but we also need trust that they can do things right. I have a major experience with forums too - and I don't just change things so seeing as I have very limited permissions on this board is just .. sad. I would love to do more, but I can't.

We should have some logos, definitely. I would personally like to see you on the staff - and we really do need to review who's gonna be on it because we have too many now, I think. We need to streamline.

Edit:
Oh, and btw. Intensity, this is no mutany at all. I would vote for you right now as the owner if an election was required, but we need to talk about everything and build a new base, as ScottCool says.

Just so you know, SD has always been a great place to be.

Ok I will sort out the staff but the only 3 staff members will be

Me - Owner/Founder
Christian - Admin
Amanda - Admin
ScottCool - Manager

We don't really need any other staff apart from them, Amanda has been inactive so I don't know where she will stand in all of this as the only reason she is admin was due to the merge that happened.

Also Christian You and Amanda have the same powers, you should be able to do pretty much the same as Amanda which is basically everything that an Admin can do. And I left the powers like that because I can solely trust you and Amanda only.
So far Amanda has done things to earn her trust (templates, codes and posting around) and Christian has also earned my trust (designer, great ideas, active and also created sD's website at one point) and with ScottCool I think he will be a great edition to the sD staff team with his experience and knowledge.

I think we can really turn this place around 180 degrees into a beauty machine that can grow to the moon and back. Make sD into something different, unique and original that will give fresh flavor or even something never before seen or done.??

I think now that we have expressed our different opinions etc
We need to place all our ideas into the staff board and continue our new philosophy there.

And finally, Christian I did not understand what you meant in your last comment? One thing you know how I feel is starting on a different server/host etc and besides if we move to a new home what would make you think we would be better off then where we are currently are now? I think we would have the same problem as getting activity etc. I think we have a good starting point on here Proboards, we have the home base already set up, we just need to improvise on getting it starting in a certain way that it will attract members all over!

NOW THAT IS WHAT I CALL A GREAT PLAN

[Christian Hjortshøj [busy]]

Apr 15, 2012 12:58:36 GMT BossAlien said:

Apr 14, 2012 8:56:20 GMT Christian Hjortshøj [busy] said:

Yup. We need a staff - but we also need trust that they can do things right. I have a major experience with forums too - and I don't just change things so seeing as I have very limited permissions on this board is just .. sad. I would love to do more, but I can't.

We should have some logos, definitely. I would personally like to see you on the staff - and we really do need to review who's gonna be on it because we have too many now, I think. We need to streamline.

Edit:
Oh, and btw. Intensity, this is no mutany at all. I would vote for you right now as the owner if an election was required, but we need to talk about everything and build a new base, as ScottCool says.

Just so you know, SD has always been a great place to be.

Ok I will sort out the staff but the only 3 staff members will be

Me - Owner/Founder
Christian - Admin
Amanda - Admin
ScottCool - Manager

We don't really need any other staff apart from them, Amanda has been inactive so I don't know where she will stand in all of this as the only reason she is admin was due to the merge that happened.

Also Christian You and Amanda have the same powers, you should be able to do pretty much the same as Amanda which is basically everything that an Admin can do. And I left the powers like that because I can solely trust you and Amanda only.
So far Amanda has done things to earn her trust (templates, codes and posting around) and Christian has also earned my trust (designer, great ideas, active and also created sD's website at one point) and with ScottCool I think he will be a great edition to the sD staff team with his experience and knowledge.

I think we can really turn this place around 180 degrees into a beauty machine that can grow to the moon and back. Make sD into something different, unique and original that will give fresh flavor or even something never before seen or done.??

I think now that we have expressed our different opinions etc
We need to place all our ideas into the staff board and continue our new philosophy there.

And finally, Christian I did not understand what you meant in your last comment? One thing you know how I feel is starting on a different server/host etc and besides if we move to a new home what would make you think we would be better off then where we are currently are now? I think we would have the same problem as getting activity etc. I think we have a good starting point on here Proboards, we have the home base already set up, we just need to improvise on getting it starting in a certain way that it will attract members all over!

NOW THAT IS WHAT I CALL A GREAT PLAN

I can do with this. We have to move SD and move it 180 degrees, yes. We need to what marketing (sorry for talking about it all the time) theory call differentiating!

[BossAlien]

Yes Christian

Lets turn it around into a graphic Palace!

It is safe to say we can lock this thread after we have all agreed to the discussion and take this into the official Staff Board

[Mac Daddy Cool]

The marketing and all I have an idea, Ive kinda been working on a new design too

[Christian Hjortshøj [busy]]

Apr 16, 2012 3:01:46 GMT Mac Daddy Cool said:

The marketing and all I have an idea, Ive kinda been working on a new design too

That sounds great! Let's discuss it - I can add something of value, I hope

[Poet]

... I feel like I don't get all the credit I deserve.

I'd hardly been at SD for a week, before two admins asked me if I wanted to help out on the site and become a co-admin, just because I was active and innovative. Now, when I try to help you guys out with ideas and suggestions, I'm hardly noticed. :l

-Poet finds this is a rather strange turn of events-


I am actually not amused or pleased with this. I don't want an "admin job", I would just like some acknowledgement, because HEY, I was the one starting this riot-thing!

[Mac Daddy Cool]

Apr 16, 2012 11:27:05 GMT Poet said:

... I feel like I don't get all the credit I deserve.

I'd hardly been at SD for a week, before two admins asked me if I wanted to help out on the site and become a co-admin, just because I was active and innovative. Now, when I try to help you guys out with ideas and suggestions, I'm hardly noticed. :l

-Poet finds this is a rather strange turn of events-


I am actually not amused or pleased with this. I don't want an "admin job", I would just like some acknowledgement, because HEY, I was the one starting this riot-thing!

Another thing to add to our list of things to fix

[SD]

just saying only a good staff team and advertisement might not get you far

these days its hard to get a forum popular
or up running with at least several active people



you need more than just that^
i suggest you guys come up with original ideas to add to this place perhaps

so that will attrack people to come over and take a look

just a suggestion though

[BossAlien]

Poet!!!! Of course we have to give credit to everyone And thank you for your ideas and suggestions they have all helped alot! As has everyone else. I am hoping now that the staff teams (Myself, ScottCool, Christian & Amanda) can work on these suggestions/ideas/comments over the next week or so. I think the business side is covered by Christian. The idea and coding side is covered by ScottCool, the board layout is covered by myself and the skin and designing side is covered by Amanda.
And most importantly, the active side is covered by YOU (everyone on sD)

I am really hoping Amanda returns back to us by Sunday, if not I would take it she has left us??? As she hasnt appeared in almost 3 weeks

[Poet]

LOL.
This is ridiculous.