Last possible UFN concept to consider: False Feature

As most are aware, I jumped in and decided to build Ute Hub in response to the outcry of UFN users who wanted an alternative.  I’ve worked long and hard to build the site, make it clean, mobile friendly, and unique.  But I’ve also listened to the requests of many and tried to implement ideas which users liked from UFN, like the threaded content.  I must say the threaded look and feel here is (okay I’m biased) far superior.

I spent some time on UFN in the last week as a user, looking closely at the design and considering what other ideas or inspiration I might glom from it. I studied the functions, layouts, flow, designs, concepts, very closely. Here are some of my thoughts and findings below and things I considered for Ute Hub:

I considered using 432 different font styles, sizes, allignments, and colors.  All those variances look professional and really make the site look cleaner and easier to read.  

I considered using pixelated icons from 1998.  

Thought about using the “random stuff everywhere” design concepts: you know, profile links on the upper left, not in the menu or the “5 navbar approach” (two on the top and three on the bottom).

I thought a lot about putting some things [inside of brackets] but some others (inside of parenthesis). Incredible. I found one page with 84 sets of brackets and 45 sets of parenthesis.

I strongly considered the windows 3.0 navigation dropdowns look and feel. Love the offset gray square look.

I was intrigued and thought I might consider the “different widths for different content” design concepts.  I loved how the home page was about 1500 pixels wide but other pages were 800 pixels wide. Good for continuity.

There were so many incredible design and layout features going on that I never really analyzed before that I decided I couldn’t pull them off.

False Feature Coming Soon

There is one last UFN “feature” which blew my mind in its brilliance, the “false” thingamabob.  See below.

Every post has this “false” thing by it.  Absolutely tremendous.  I’m not sure why I didn’t think of that before.  I’m building a web development team from India to work on this feature because I know it is probably out of the realm of my skill level.  Stay tuned for the “false” update.

Conclusion

Other than the pending implementation of the new “false” feature, I think it’s time to let Ute Hub’s design and feature path completely separate from UFN.  There’s no way UH could ever match the incrediblly creative complexity and features of UFN.  I realize it is a waste of time to try and replicate the brilliance that is the UFN experience.  I’ll have to proceed with the UH design and simply “do the best I can within my abilitiy” to make the site as good as my limited skills and time allow, knowing that this site will never be able to match or even come close to the product which is UFN, when it works.