[poll]GDU: Sidebar vs Topbar

[Marked 197]

Following the discussions in this topic I have decided to start up a poll.

 

To preview which you prefer, please visit and login to GDU (NOTE: you can only login using the sidebar link): http://www.gdunlimited.net/

 

If you see the following...

...then an older version of the CSS is cached in your browser and must refresh so you see it properly:

 

I need to have established one or the other because GDU uses a fixed width structure, meaning to change from a sidebar to no sidebar would be a considerable amount of work in the future.

[Bigace360 38]

I like the top bar, it looks cooler and I don't have to scroll to the top to click any of those options.

[Jon Bon 43]

Since we write left to right in English, I say top bar, it will be easier to work with.

[Bob423 52]

i say side bar. top bar just feels annoying to me.

[kellessdee 48]

WHOa, this got buried and I forgot about it.

 

As you know, I say top bar.

 

All I ask for, if you do top bar, is add a "home" button, or at least a "scroll to top" button. Scrolling up is so much harder than scrolling down for me...and I'm not even joking. It really bugs me for some reason.

 

Often, if I'm too far down on the page I'll just refresh or hit back or something weird to try to get back to the top. I think a persistent home/to top button would streamline this process for me

[Jon Bon 43]

Standard definition is the way of old, the horizontal of the screen will always be bigger. Top bar makes more sense to me because it allows for more space for more functions and can leave the overall site display more clean.

 

Bars on the side tend to be wider if you need to put words, or force you to use symbol because of the limited space. Side bars have always seemed more clunky to me. They also take up valuable real estate for the site, where as a top bar sits nicely into an empty space when at the top, and moves along with you as you scroll up and down, for all intents the top bar doesn't really take any space, where the side bar could be a different content area unique to each page rather then a big static bar.

Then again I have yet to see a side bar done well, maybe if we had one it would be cool, but I think top is more functional and logical, and unless I hear any points for a side bar I can't see why to consider it.

Need reasons for a side bar, not against a top bar. We have reasons for and against a top bar, and reason against a side bar, but no reason why it would be better. That's how you weigh a choice.

[Jon Bon 43]

All votes for the side bar should be dismissed, no one has said any reason why it would be BETTER then a top bar, we are comparing two things, we need a pros and cons list going here. If there are no pros for the side bar that are a con for the top bar, why even consider it?

We should use the one that is the most efficient, both can be made to look pretty. I believe top bar is the most efficient for the many reasons listed above. Someone give me some reasons for the side bar being better over the top bar please, like the 3 who voted for it.

[shakey2 0]

I've not seen what the side bar looks like but I've never been a fan of side bars, I feel the top bar gives it a more clean feeling.

[Marked 197]

If you look above at my first post then you'll find the link to see a live demo of both.

 

I think this topic has served its purpose. While the decision is close, I think we'll go with the top bar, with the possibility of being able to switch (but that would be a very low priority feature).

 

It looks a lot more bare now without it, and I've started preparing the site to go live. Some work to go yet though. I must admit, there is some sentimental feeling about removing it :P It's been part of the original plan which I drew up on paper at the end of 2010.

[ShinGamix 1]

If the 2nd (bottom pic) is the topbar, I like it the best. I am not a fan of the stacking of words as in the first pic.

[Marked 197]

Haha, read the first post :P