A few quesitons

[Techie]

LowISO is launching a new section for tutorials soon, and I'd like to get some feedback on it before the launch. This section will be an area for beginners to learn more about photography and graphic design. We want to keep it simple and uncluttered so it can be highly educational. We anticipate the target audience for this section of the site to be users who find individual tutorials through organic Google searches (who have never seen LowISO before), and the main goal is to educate these individuals, with the secondary goal being introducing them to the LowISO community.

I'm curious for your thoughts about our setup at http://lowiso.com/tutorials/

1) What design elements can be changed to create a better user experience? What would you change if you were given complete control of the design?
2) Aside from adding more content, how can this new section of the site become more reputable? (When you see the site, how reputable do you think it is, and how could we improve that?)
3) What other recommendations would you make on improving this new section before its launch? (Aside from adding more content, which is already underway.)

 

[cyimking]

1) What design elements can be changed to create a better user experience? What would you change if you were given complete control of the design?

- Make the tutorial section match the forum design or make the forum match the tutorial design.

2) Aside from adding more content, how can this new section of the site become more reputable? (When you see the site, how reputable do you think it is, and how could we improve that?)

- Add quality / important tutorials.

 

[Techie]

Make the tutorial section match the forum design or make the forum match the tutorial design.

I put a lot of thought into this and I feel that this is the route that seems most obvious but I feel that if that were done it would take away from the experience of either the tutorials or the forum.

There are certain elements which are necessary for a forum which I don't think fit well in an educational tutorial setting. I don't think that a discussion forum style is inherently seen as educational and reputable so I decided to make this new area distinct.

I think the new area can indeed by styled with the full-image background and a similar header and so, but I feel that adding this will take away from the pleasant experience that comes with simplicity. Remember, the great majority of members who see these tutorial articles will be coming to the site for the first time through organic search or relevant referrals.

Where would you draw the line between simplicity and complete integration?