Styles and Design Development Poll

[foxfirefey]

A while ago, denise posted a poll to dw_dev to try and improve the process of development. Although there is some overlap between development and styles or design, there's a lot of differences, too, and I think we should have a poll that caters to helping the community around styles and design grow and flourish. You can fill out this poll if you're interested in styles or design on Dreamwidth, where you've done anything with them or not. We know there's a lot that we can work on and improve--this poll will try to give us a baseline to compare against later!

If you've got any further feedback you'd like to provide about styles or design, or if you want to clarify your answers in any way, you can comment here, or privately message me or afuna.

A little note on terminology: Dreamwidth doesn't have S1, which is LiveJournal's old style system where editing was done on HTML with variables. It does, however, have two versions of S2. Core1 is close to the version of S2 found on LiveJournal. Core2 is the revamped version of S2, developed for consistent CSS classes across styles and built in modules.

There are some scale questions in this poll; 1 means you strongly disagree with the statement given, and 5 means you strongly agree. 0 means it doesn't apply. You can also just skip over any questions you don't feel are relevant to you!

Poll #858 Styles and Design Development Poll

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 138

View Respondents

Your design-related history with Dreamwidth so far (check all that apply):

View Answers

I've contributed a style to be included on the site, whether it's up yet or not.
5 (8.3%)

I've contributed a site scheme, whether it's available as a choice on Dreamwidth or not.
3 (5.0%)

I've converted a style into S2 Core2.
8 (13.3%)

I've answered styles related Support requests.
5 (8.3%)

I've assisted someone with their style outside support.
31 (51.7%)

I've shared a style with a design community for others to use.
6 (10.0%)

I've contributed a mood theme to be included on the site.
0 (0.0%)

I've done development on styles related code, such as core2.s2 or S2.pm.
10 (16.7%)

I've made my own custom style for my journal.
40 (66.7%)

I've worked on styles related documentation.
8 (13.3%)

I am interested in doing the following (check all that apply):

View Answers

Designing official styles.
28 (38.9%)

Converting submitted styles into full fledged S2 themes.
11 (15.3%)

Creating alternative color schemes.
44 (61.1%)

Designing graphics for styles.
28 (38.9%)

Creating official mood themes.
13 (18.1%)

Styles development--coding new modules and S2 capabilities.
9 (12.5%)

Assisting others with their styles, in Support or communities like style_system.
25 (34.7%)

Mentoring other styles volunteers.
6 (8.3%)

Working on styles documentation.
18 (25.0%)

What is your familiarity with the S2 system?

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I don't know anything or almost nothing about it.
57 (42.2%)

I know a little--enough to set variables, copy paste instructions, and manage styles and layers in the advanced customizaton area.
58 (43.0%)

I'm comfortable enough to write my own override functions.
15 (11.1%)

I'm very familiar with the S2 language.
5 (3.7%)

How experienced are you with CSS?

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Extremely familiar with CSS (can make layouts from scratch, use advanced techniques)
23 (16.8%)

Moderately familiar with CSS (can make layout tweaks and rearrangements)
54 (39.4%)

Vaguely familiar with CSS (can do simple changes, ie link and font colors, borders)
33 (24.1%)

Not very familiar with CSS (have never done anything)
27 (19.7%)

How experienced are you with graphic design?

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Not at all -- I can only use images I find.
7 (5.1%)

A little -- I can crop/resize images, add text
17 (12.4%)

Moderately -- I can do some image tweaking, color effects
57 (41.6%)

Very -- I can dramatically change existing images, do simple designs of my own
45 (32.8%)

Extremely -- I can do advanced digital art from scratch
11 (8.0%)

What is your current experience with web design? (check all that apply)

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I've made designs for LJ styles (S2 Core1).
40 (45.5%)

I've made designs for LJ styles (S1).
33 (37.5%)

I've made designs for DW styles.
22 (25.0%)

I've made designs for other blogging systems.
31 (35.2%)

I've made designs for non-blogging websites.
75 (85.2%)

Which of the following would help you most to contribute DW system styles?

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Better documentation of the submission requirements and process.
3 (2.7%)

Better documentation of Dreamwidth's style CSS.
28 (25.0%)

Better documentation of Dreamwidth's S2.
21 (18.8%)

Better tools for developing styles, like the_style_kit
24 (21.4%)

Communities geared for discussion and assistance
36 (32.1%)

I feel like the process and requirements for contributing styles is well-documented, where 5 is strongly agree, 1 is strongly disagree, and 0 is N/A.

View Answers
Mean: 1.49 Median: 0 Std. Dev 1.69

0		61 (51.7%)
1		3 (2.5%)
2		11 (9.3%)
3		26 (22.0%)
4		12 (10.2%)
5		5 (4.2%)

I feel like designing for Dreamwidth is a rewarding use of my time, where 5 is strongly agree, 1 is strongly disagree, and 0 is N/A.

View Answers
Mean: 2.45 Median: 3 Std. Dev 1.89

0		39 (32.2%)
1		3 (2.5%)
2		7 (5.8%)
3		24 (19.8%)
4		32 (26.4%)
5		16 (13.2%)

I feel like the Styles department in Support answers my Styles questions in a satisfactory way, where 5 is strongly agree, 1 is strongly disagree, and 0 is N/A.

View Answers
Mean: 0.64 Median: 0 Std. Dev 1.45

0		97 (82.2%)
1		0 (0.0%)
2		5 (4.2%)
3		5 (4.2%)
4		5 (4.2%)
5		6 (5.1%)

If I have styles questions, I know where I can go for assistance, where 5 is strongly agree, 1 is strongly disagree, and 0 is N/A.

View Answers
Mean: 2.66 Median: 3 Std. Dev 1.57

0		15 (12.3%)
1		17 (13.9%)
2		20 (16.4%)
3		30 (24.6%)
4		23 (18.9%)
5		17 (13.9%)

I have a good understanding of the changes in the style system compared to LiveJournal, where 5 is strongly agree, 1 is strongly disagree, and 0 is N/A.

View Answers
Mean: 1.78 Median: 2 Std. Dev 1.46

0		30 (23.6%)
1		31 (24.4%)
2		27 (21.3%)
3		22 (17.3%)
4		10 (7.9%)
5		7 (5.5%)

Comments

[yati]

I just wanted to say that I'm really interested in helping converting layouts to S2 -- I'm not so good when it comes to design, but I think I'm pretty OK with S2. :) Should I go volunteer somewhere or should I just wait until something comes up in dreamscapes?

[yvi]

I've done development on styles related code, such as core2.s2 or S2.pm.

And it is the devil!

Sorry, S2 is just... interesting.

[weofodthignen]

Umm, sorry, but I really didn't even understand the terminology in the first few questions :-( I just picked the look that struck me as best for my LJ, and can never remember whether it's S1 or S2 - all I know is that one of them, all my friends' comment pages have teeeeny tinnnny font and thank the gods, that doesn't happen on DW, but I suspect it indicates they are on the other kind of style??? It was a bit of a jolt that you only had 3 styles at the start, and none of them looked good, but I picked the least horrible and a friend patiently told me how to change the color and I stopped before I changed the color of the sidebar too because it was overwhelming. So that probably counts as "minus 1" but you did ask for everybody's feedback! And since almost all the journals I read on DW have teh same orange and green scheme, I suspect there are a lot of us who haven't the foggiest notion how to customize.

embarrassedly . . .

[kaigou]

A lot of this, like the issue of styles themselves, are limited in that we can really only work with whatever you're willing to grant (of course). But there are larger issues underneath, mostly related to accessibility and usability, that we can't address as the folks rearranging the deck chairs.

Which is to say, I'm still baffled as to which comm would be the place for questions not of "how do I get my journal to be centered" but instead "here are specific accessibility and translation issues that I think should be addressed".

[emperor]

TBPH, I could never get my S1 LJ style (one of the site defaults) to look Just So in S2, and have been out of vogue ever since. I'd quite like to get that look for my DW account, but have largely given up on that as Just Too Difficult.

[t_quibbler]

While I'm exceedingly comfortable in Photoshop and have extensively modified many a Bloggish layout to incorporate graphics I've made, I'm simply not yet capable of completely writing my own style sheets. If there is anyone who is proficient with the CSS/style coding aspect, who can look at art and say "I could code that!" yet doesn't feel particularly artistically inclined or doesn't have access to/knowledge of design programs, I would surely be up for a collaboration of sorts.

I'm reachable via this username on DW, as well as IJ and LJ. I've posted five layouts that I modified (with permission and credit, of course!) at Minty Apple on LJ, as well as several (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) RPG journals. I've done the graphics in each, some from images and also some vector art from scratch.

[lapistablet]

I used to be a technical writer, and though my CSS knowledge is waaaay out of date and was never that deep to start with, I'm very good at making technical documentation clear and readable. I'd be delighted to help edit up content written by more technically-focused folks.

Hopefully I might also learn enough in the process that I can design the style for my own journal that I have in my head...

[ninetydegrees]

I feel like designing for Dreamwidth is a rewarding use of my time, where 5 is strongly agree, 1 is strongly disagree, and 0 is N/A.

I said 2 not because I don't feel it's not a rewarding use of my time theoretically but practically as my current layout doesn't follow your guidelines. I felt it was pointless working on making it shareable because the design doesn't work with modules in a footer or a header and that's what you wanted.

[thewickedquill]

Just wanted to say that while some of my answers are N/A, it's not because I don't care, but because I'm just not involved and haven't had a chance (or really even thought about it, really) to check it out.

Best of luck to you guys and if I have more time on my hands in the next few months, maybe I'll pick up some documentation and tips and see if I can't do something :)

[alittlebirdy]

As someone else mentioned, I am still a bit confused as to where you go for what in terms of styles if you want to help (or need it).

edit: I went on a hunt and made a reference page:
http://alittlebirdy.dreamwidth.org/15781.html

But in terms of helping out, I have moderate CSS experience (I can code a simple wepage using it - but can't do the really advanced stuff like overlays, pseudo elements, flyouts, gradients etc), I have moderate-advanced PS experience, but I have extremely limited S2 experience.

On LJ I could make my own css layout that I would use in the custom css box for different styles (or in layers, before they had the custom boxes), and I could change the s2 code by using the layers if I was pointed in the right direction or followed a tutorial. But couldn't have made a style that used S2 from scratch on my own.

I feel like I could make styles using the style kit but I need some documentation on the css classes - like a list of them all and what each one does. (I'm sure this info is around somewhere, I just don't know where.) And I would love to learn how to make the layouts from scratch with S2, but need documention/tutorials/training for that.

tl;dr - I want to help, but aren't sure where/how or if I can.

Oh, for a bit more spare time...

[naturedance]

I'm interested in helping out, and I haven't had much time yet to poke around and read what documentation is already in place to help get style-interested folks started, but I will. I'm really looking forward to helping.

If I can wrangle a couple grumpy Wordpress plugins into playing nice with each other by banging my forehead against learning PHP for a weekend or two, I can surely figure out this S2 thing, right? :-)

[jana]

I'm also interested in helping out with style-related things. I don't know much about S2, but it doesn't look too difficult and I'm always interested in learning new stuff. I chose "Extremely familiar with css", but I think still have a foot in "Moderately familiar"... ;)

I also have some thoughts on the customization area (usability related things), hopefully I find some time next week to write them down. Do you know who'd be interested in hearing (reading) them?

Learning to crawl... again

[frith]

I tweaked the values of the colors and the text strings in one of the basic layouts in LJ a few years ago, mostly by modifying code I found somewhere... If I'm to do that here I think I will first have to find the Command dialog box for Dreamwidth and figure out which style sheet I'm using in LJ (it's something simple in which each entry gets its own field and thus oversized images in one entry doesn't stretch the field for all the other entries on the same page). I don't change the decor too often, or at least not often enough to remember how I did it last time. 8-)

[thezonefic]

I'd love to learn how to make a very personalized style for my journal, but know nothing about even starting the process. So a community/FAQ that went through the process step by step would be nice.