UCP Area

[Jaggi]

I have for a long time thought that the ucp is one of the most confusing parts of ipb. It hasn't received any real updates in a long time, its not particularly simple to navigate and finding stuff can still be difficult. Even when i visit it now i have to pause for a moment to remember where things are. Most of the issue is down to de cluttering it and recategorising things so its simpler to find and understand. I also think the 100yr old nav box and content box doesn't work any more either specially since i'm on a huge res here and still have to scroll down to see all the options.

Idea is to maybe change it to using a tabbed interface maybe even with a smaller nav area (with just main names, like the acp works ). Of course this should all be 100% pluggable for the components and modding bits too.

[Millar]

I think it does really need an overhaul. I also have no doubt in my mind that it is already planned by IPS.

I agree about the navigation and I think the splah page of the UCP is rather useless. I don't think I have ever (on any IPB installation anywhere). Refered to the information displayed there. Okay, well maybe I used the notepad once, and that fits fine. However, a lot of the details there seem to have no purpose in my mind - recent attachments for example.

[blackfalcon]

Ya I agree. They should make the cpanel more like the the admin cp. With tabs

And if IPB wanted to be really cool, they could even let users switch between simple and advanced cpanel.
Simple would have things like
Change password
Friends
PMs
Sig and profile
Change email
Email options
avatar and profile
And some other things.
Advanced would have
all that and
Thread subscriptions
Paid subscriptions
Board options
Attachments
message tracker
and other things that are not required for day to day life

[Morrigan]

I think part of it would help if the PM system wasn't with the UCP as they are two different things and both have their own links in the member nav bar.

[blackfalcon]

well ya, you get my point.

[W13]

A lot of UCP can be integrated into the profile.
i.e. to change the avatar, a user just CLICKS their avatar in their profile and then a small menu pops up (just like when you click 'Location' or 'Gender') and asks you if you want to upload an avatar or punch in a URL or whatever.

It should be intuitive. Think about WHAT the user will be thinking when they want to take such an action. i.e. if they want to change their email address, they'll think, "ok, my profile... and... my email address.. and, i want to change it" ... so, allow them to change their email address by clicking on it in their own profile.


The whole "Welcome to your Control Panel" with such <sarcasm> intriguing information like my "Recent Attachments" and "Recently Read Topics" </sarcasm>, is just useless - I'd rather see my Inbox there.

But yeah, contract the menu somehow (tabs is a good idea, moving 80% of the stuff to the profile is a good idea).