Redesign

[rafinskipg]

We are offering ourselves to do a redesign of the web page. (Free, of course) If you want. This is one proposal, we can talk if you want something different

[searls]

So thank you for several things, not least of which showing the initiative to improve the design of the lineman docs, but also to follow-through on it.

I suppose my only concerns are:

1. Do folks prefer this design? (I think I do) (cc'ing way too many cooks into this kitchen: @toddkaufman @DerekBriggs @jasonlong @bkeepers @theotherzach @jasonkarns @bostonaholic @andrewvida @itg)
2. Whatever changes you make ought to be compatible with the structure of the testdouble/lineman-docs such that the content doesn't need to be reworked. I just redesigned the docs page once, so I can vouch for this being possible. Of course, it's important that it continue to be responsive and usable from mobile with code blocks.
3. I wonder whether this poses as any branding problems for @testdouble. I should probably have feedback from @chrisbasecraft before you invest a bunch of time. Since Lineman is a "testdouble-sponsored" project and not only contributed-to by us, using our website's exact design layout smelled a bit off at the time, anyway.

[rafinskipg]

Ok,

1. We'll wait till you decide, also maybe my buddy (the guy who has made the design) want to propose new things, i will notify him that there's an open issue so he can contribute.
2. Yes , we have this in mind. We are just going to change some html/css.
3. Ok, we'll wait. We know that this is just a proposal and you have to consider all the things. Maybe we can come to a solution in which the @testdouble site has a new visual as well.

As mentioned, I'll go to communicate your thoughts to my friend, @rafael_dsgn (twitter)

[searls]

Sounds good. If we see folks 👍'ing this design for the lineman site, then I'd propose you guys start work on a long-running pull request that we can watch and contribute to.

[fivetanley]

👍 although you may want to dull the vibrancy of the td logo in the corner, sticks out in a wierd way imo

[searls]

@fivetanley agreed on the logo, I'm 99% sure that it'll violate td's brand book guidelines, which indicate the logo should only ever be white or black. (we have a brand book! We're all grown up!)

[jasonlong]

I think the idea has some potential, but if I'm being picky I've gotta say I'm not feeling the colors. Then again, the neon green on the current site isn't my fav either. I do dig the circular mascot badge though. 👍

I just happened to be derping around on Kuler this morning and this palette grabbed my eye.

Just for kicks, I tried these colors out and I kinda like it (note: the type is mostly what's live right now). I have no idea how horribly this violates td's branding guidelines and such, so definitely feel free to ignore me.

[searls]

Yeah, in fact love-it-or-hate-it, the intensity and specificity of "test double green" is pretty intentional, so I'm a bit worried about muddying that up with arbitrary other green colors. If we're not going to use that green I'd want blessing from our branding folks.

[jasonlong]

Yep, makes sense.

I'm not sure how you feel about dark backgrounds, but that might be another option that would allow you to use your bright green in a different way. I think that could be pretty slick, but I don't want to further the muddy the waters here.

[searls]

I agree. I don't love dark backgrounds because I don't read them well and I tend to perceive them as overly intimidating and masculine, which coincidentally is a shortcoming of lots of developer/build tools in the first place. It's why I went with a cotton candy color scheme for my lineman talk

[rggGit]

Hi everyone!
First of all, thanks for the feedback :) I'm glad to help this team.

Has i told to @rafinskipg and @searls through Twitter, this screen is an quick and small test. If you have and brand book, i'll be glad to follow the rules in it, just let me know these rules :)

I love the @jasonlong color scheme, but i don't know if it violates your brand book's rules. Also, I have seen the @searls talk about Lineman and, if you want, i could use this color scheme too, but would be nice to know something about your brand book :)

[searls]

Hey @rggGit & @rafinskipg -- could you send me an email at justin@testdouble.com? I'd like to send you the brand book and discuss some ideas.

[chrisbasecraft]

If Lineman is intended to be hand-in-hand with Test Double, it would be crazy to abandon the new TD brand we just rolled out. I'm all for improved UX, but the feel of the brand is very important.

[searls]

Hey @chrisbasecraft -- I completely agree. I think that what this discussion has caused is a realization that—for my part—I never really asked myself whether Lineman and Test Double's branding should be so tightly linked. I wanted some tieback, but because of the nature of open source (that anyone outside Test Double can and should contribute, that we don't provide any warranty, etc.) it seems just as wise to let Lineman be its own thing that Test Double sponsors and supports.

And if that's the direction that we do go down, then its branding shouldn't mimic/approximate what we've done for test double so far, but instead be its own thing. I just gave the same advice by e-mail to the two folks suggesting a design for the docs site.

[theotherzach]

I think it has already been said, but if the Lineman site doesn't use the Test Double branding then it should very clearly not use the Test Double branding. I love that people like the tool enough to tweak the design of the page and I have no desire to squelch that.

I also don't think there is anything wrong with using our brand for Lineman's site since Lineman really does reflect Test Double's workflows and values.

I think we've got a multiple choice with no wrong answers.

[searls]

Yep, agreed. I think most people are amenable to those being the two appropriate paths and I'm also open to either of them.

:hug: