Updating the IO Website: The Ongoing Story

From now on, the changelog is kept here.

These are my notes for the IO website "redesign".

1.25.02:

Todd and I have been working on the Improv Olympic website, not the surface, but the guts. Fuzzy, the previous webmaster, did a great job of making the website easy to use, and look good. Todd and I have big shoes to fill. Our first goal is to change the way the site is updated, so we don't have to change the site by hand. To that end, I've been researching different update methods. I've decided that I'll use one of my home systems (Solaris Unix based) to create the static pages, then upload them to the server.

I don't like this solution, because it means that updates are dependent on my internet connection being up, and on me being one of the webmasters, but because of the limited resources provided by the hosting service, I'm locked in for now. The biggest sticking point has been, "how do I create an HTML based calendar, that's easy to update with Perl?" It's really been bugging me. Modules save the day again...HTML::CalendarMonthSimple I love Perl.

1.30.02:

I installed Moveable Type yesterday.  Here's the current to do (in order):

1. Layout Page Structure
2. Photoshop Page Mockups
3. Test environment w/ Moveable Type

2.04.02:

I have a working MT test environment, @ http://www.improvolympic.com/test

Some clarification on the to do from Jan 30th:

1. Layout Page Structure - mostly complete.   See picture below.
2. Photoshop Mockup- we need to establish a style sheet and color chart.  Then we can start laying out the individual pages.
3. Test environment w/ Moveable Type - complete
4. Work on MT security / backup. 
5. NEW: work on move from current host, to new hosting service.

About the new hosting service, it seems like everything I'm looking for.  PHP, mySQL, Unix host, Perl w/ 2000+ modules.  I'm (assuming) it has some kind of cgi-wrappers functionality, which will help out with the MT security issues.

Click on the picture to the right to see the proposed Site Layout.

I think there's stuff to add, but it's a good start.

2.05.02:

Something to add to the to do list:

1. Create presentation for IO staff.

2.06.02

Todd created the first mock-up of the new site (to the right).

Todd's notes:

1)I couldn't find a picture of the exterior of IO, so I used a
Chicago skyline. This pictures probably will need to be black and white to
save file size.
2)I'm not in love with the black background. I think the IO red and the blue
look nice, but I still need to tweak the backgrounds.
3)I love gradients and rounded edges! We can still make html tables, then
use a well-place gif for the corners to keep it round.
4)I like the address info and phone near the top, as most people probably
need that info. There must be a font for the IO logo, and I'd like to have
the address info in the same font as the logo.
5)So on the main page we have the news section (which is a better way to
phrase it than "Site Updates") and that weeks shows. There would be a more
in depth show page.
6)I think a button for more info about the theatre, explaining what improv
is, Del, Chara, and a mapquest thing and cta directions would be
good, all of it linked from an "theatre info" button. I
don't know where to place the button at the moment.
7)Rollovers. Those buttons are sweet, huh? They're Mac OS X rip-offs. I can
do the cool shadow when we rollover. I'm not married to the fishlens filter
on the button type.

I think it looks great.  I'd like to see a UCBTheater style show highlights section, maybe in the "This Week's Shows" section.  I mentioned it to Todd, he suggested a rolling banner, something like that.