New network design: Do you like?

[Nor Cal Social Media]

Hi!

I've been off Ning Creators for a few months since being awarded the Ning Superstar upgrade package (special thanks to Eric and the Ning Team!). While I can't say everything is perfect to my high standards, I can say I feel good enough to show what I've done so far. Take a look and let me know if you like it!

www.norcal.ning.com

 

Nor Cal's Open House Program For Ning Creators

Some of what I've done can only be experienced by signing up. So to accomodate those interested, I am holding a no-obligation Open House. That means you are welcome to sign in, check it out for a while, and then leave without any awkwardness. If you want to stick around to see how the project evolves then great! Anyone that comes in just to be themselves and network with my community is welcome. If you want to promote your own Ning community to a Northern California target market, this might be a terrific way to help you get the word out, but I do have some very specific conditions for business use- namely that we work together closely on it and any such use is under my direct consultation. I just posted details in my Ning Creator group for those interested in learning more- http://creators.ning.com/group/a-social-media-dojo/forum/topics/ope....

 

You Are Welcome To Critique My Ning Network Here

I have taken some risks, so I am surely open to some constructive criticism. However, I am pretty confident I know what I am doing, and what I'm mainly hoping for here is that other Ning Creators are impressed! Some positive feedback from you all, and I'll get a huge boost of confidence to move forward with the project. So please feel free to join the conversation and see where it takes us. Thanks in advance!

Best, Anthony

 

[Nor Cal Social Media]

Not much response! I was hoping you guys would check it out because I could not have done much of it without all the design and coding tips the community has contributed to Ning Creators.

I can at least show you a couple things with screenshot that I am proud of. Note what I've done with my empty space on the right. You can see I took out the Sign Up box/ member settings, and I don't feed my third column from the main page. Check out what I've done with my chat (expanded view from chat bar). It fits almost perfectly into that space, so my members can enjoy most content on the site while chatting concurrently.

Most of what I've done is in the details. Rather than add all kinds of bells and whistles, my aim was to create a cleaner look and feel- a smoother online experience. There are maybe a few things I figured out by myself by way of View Source study, but it was always with the benefit of similar subjects covered by other Ning Creators.

Too many to thank. I had to move fast to find everything I needed, so no time to even post acknowledgements. However, i especially appreciated Jen Social for the way she provides tips. The were all very well laid out and made it easy for me to both find and use.

One of my favorites was Add Simple Text Box To Profile. I wanted to show you what I did with that, because I think it helped me completely redefine the user experience. Instead of posting content, I created a member utility control panel. See the links right at the header of my profile here. They include Messages, Connection Requests, Network Settings, Report An Issue, and Feedback.

[Click to enlarge]

THANKS EVERYONE! Way to be there when I needed you!!

Best, Anthony

[Jen]

Hi Anthony,

Thank you for the mentions, very thoughtful. I love the Profile Page screen shot, especially the Military pics, very regal.

Best to you,

Jen

[Nor Cal Social Media]

Thank you Jen! You deserve it!

I also want to thank you for what you do to appreciate military and veterans. I've caught some of your posts specifically for this purpose, and it means alot.

Best, Anthony

[Jen]

No thanks needed on my respect for our Military. Thank you!

[lorianne]

Hey Anthony - I joined and will wander around later and let you know what i think when i have some time.  Looks nice so far...very clean design.

L

[Nor Cal Social Media]

Awesome lorianne, thank you! -A

[Lisa B]

Will join now and take a look!

[Nor Cal Social Media]

Terrific Lisa, much appreciated! -A

[Josh Hall]

Too much ning branding for me!

[Nor Cal Social Media]

Great feedback Josh. I totally understand where you are coming from with that. I know most here will agree with you.

It works for me for a number of reasons. Here are just some for the benefit of those interested:

• Brand Differentiation: My theme is in the public domain, and thousands of businesses incorporate it. Some even try to claim it, but commercial exploitation is often frowned upon. I just positioned mine to be the premier Nor Cal "Ning".

• Brand Recognition: Where I do promote the site, the ning.com domain helps people remember the address.

• Indirect Association: While I make it clear I'm not directly affiliated, I also make it known that I voluntarily include the branding- in no small part to take advantage of what I've been able to accomplish with Ning Creators.

• Mutual Benefit: I want Ning to succeed. The more business they get the better. Platforms come and go all the time. I want Ning to stick around for the long-term, and I don't want them to drop major changes on me that affect my site or cost me more as a result of restructuring to stay viable.

• It's Not My Fault: I like being able to point the finger at Ning when glitches come up or people complain about limitations (I won't say which one, lol).

• A Convenient Truth: I may be willing to work with other Ning Creators to promote their sites on my network, but it would be a unique exception to my paid business use policies. Since we're a bit of a community, it's would be a useful excuse in the event other businesses might wonder "How come they get special treatment?". 

• Hot "Ice Breaker": As you all know I can talk all day about Ning even if just the sake of conversation, lol! People wonder "What is Ning?" and right there is an appropriate subject to kick off a great networking relationship. I like the opportunity to define their experience outside the scope of Facebook, or anything else they are used to. It also helps me talk about my consulting services for prospective business clients, i.e. not a web designer, SEO type, and I don't market directly on behalf. I do help businesses get online better, chose this platform for my proprietary solution, and consequently offer a lot of help for people that want to create their own for free.

Best, Anthony

[Rowald]

These are some pretty good points. 

[JFarrow]

Sweet and minimal!  nice job!