Design or Content

[ChatBox]

Which do you care about more? Design such as the theme or content such as the forums?

 

[Fergal]

When considering whether or not to join and participate at a forum, quality content is much more important to me than the forum design.

 

[.Xstinct]

It depends if it is a Graphics forum,I always look at their design what usually makes me laugh are boards claiming to be Graphics based,but don't even have their own custom theme.Or don't even know about basic design skills ergo have no quality content at all.

Just my opinion,so don't bite my head off.

 

[[BL] Briggers810]

If its a gaming forum, I'm more interested in the community on that site (and in turn posting) rather than how a site looks.

 

[posey]

When you've just came on the forum and looking around, I think the design is a very important factor in whether or not to sign up and/or look further.

Once you've joined you want quality content and something to discuss and others to discuss with. However, when you're a long time member the design starts to increase in importance again as it's very important for you to browse around and spend your time on and you do not want to do this on an ugly looking forum.

 

[Ascent]

Design.

Sure, a site can have quality content, but if it looks downright terrible with tons of pop-ups and flashy ads, then I'll be leaving immediately, whether or not it has quality content.

 

[ChatBox]

I don't mind default themes as long as the forum itself has good quality on it.

 

[AnAccount]

When considering whether or not to join and participate at a forum, quality content is much more important to me than the forum design.

Same as Fergal, personally.

 

[ChatBox]

What would you do if the theme was ugly and it's width and height was messed up? That's still part of the design.

 

[AnAccount]

What would you do if the theme was ugly and it's width and height was messed up? That's still part of the design.

I don't understand anything about that, and I guess I didn't think along the lines of forum naviagation. But what I meant was, a forum could be using a plain subsilver or prosilver theme and I wouldn't exactly be phased. Just as long as the community gets along well, and that there's good content to go by, and all that, then there's no problem.

 

[ChatBox]

If the right was too far on your browser and you couldn't even see it. 😛

 

[Impulse]

A good forum design is always more important when you're starting out. Content is important too, but who wants to stick around in a huge forum with a generic design and nothing unique.

 

[PurpleCrow]

When I first go on the forum, its design. I cant stay on a forum whee the design hurts my eyes.

If I do stay on, I'll have a look around and see what I think about the content/members etc and if I like the place I will sign uo and start posting 🙂

 

[golfbunny]

While I value content over design, I will not join a forum that is not pleasing to the eyes.

 

[Nebulous]

Content is more important than fancy graphics. You can have the nicest looking forum in the world but without any substance it wont keep anyone's interest for long.

 

[Justin]

Owning anything on the internet needs 100% of both. Great content with good keywords and excellent grammar to be higher on searches. The fancy graphics and theme to keep the visitors coming back.

 

[Nebulous]

The content keeps your visitors coming back.
Ive seen several forums with plain layout or even the forum default that were highly active with hundreds of return visitors on a daily basis.

 

[Jay]

The first thing a member sees when he/she visits a website or forum is the looks of it. They look at the content afterwards. If a website does not look welcoming, members don't feel the urge to come back.

So, I would say that the Design is the most important as content can be added afterwards.

 

[Nebulous]

The first thing a member sees when he/she visits a website or forum is the looks of it. They look at the content afterwards.

How do you know? Are you every person on the internet? 😛
I look at the content 1st then I may check out the design in detail afterwords. However it is not important to me. Most people are the same way. Substance overpowers appearance. Thats why some of the largest forums on the internet are basic looking without any effort put into that aspect of it. Its simply not that important.

 

[Black Angel]

I think it is a crapshoot. It can go either way. I have seen many forums using either a bad skin, or a default one with TONS of posts and activity.

And I have seen forums with a very nice skins, many of them custom made, and with next to no activity.

It really all depends on the members there..