First Impressions:
My first impression of the forums is that it looks very generic. Unfortunately there is very little to encourage me to look deeper than the index page. I think at the bare minimum you should include at least some basic branding. The reason I say this is because there are billions of forums made by amateurs lacking the skill or funding to give them some customisation. Most people will quickly click away unless something is there to snag them and pull them in to take a closer look. I do like the splash of colour across the page but I'm not convinced it is enough.
Average
Site Structure:
The horizontal forum structure is brave. I personally prefer a standard view of forums, I think it's easier to see what is going on. Having said that, I think this layout could work if you perhaps increased the font size, some of the text groups look a little crowded.
The standard forum view is good, easy to navigate and see exactly what I want to see when browsing a forum. Again though I have to mention that it's still all a little to generic. I do like the colour co-ordination with the sections.
Good
Originality:
Except for the horizontal forum view there isn't a lot that jumps out to separate your blog from any other. originality is tough to achieve, especially for a forum. Having said that, there are some relatively simple things you can do: Create a logo/branding, something that is relevant to the content and that is recognisable to your community. You could change the icons or create more contrast between sections.
Poor
The thing I liked the best: I really like the splashes of colour and the simplicity along with the bold horizontal display.
The thing I liked the least: The use of small fonts.
Overall Mark:
Simplicity, when done right can work very well for some sites, however, when it comes to forums over simplicity can stop your community from standing out from the thousands of other forums out there. Grab peoples attention, give them a reason to come back and don't be afraid to take bolder actions!
I want to point out that I know this review sounds rather negative, but I think today this is a minimum standard for a community forum starting off. I am available if you need any assistance or advice, just ask 🙂 I wish you all the best of luck with the community Joshua.
