Should a forum design be the same as a host's website design?

[BlackStorm]

Do you think a forum design for a host should be the same as the design of the host's website?
I have always tried to do this in the past, sometimes it is very hard but it depends on the design of the site.

If you have a forum, do you have the same design on your forum as the site or is it different?

[GordyMac]

I used to make mine look as close to my site, if I couldn't get the design I would put colors the same or something, just so it looked like the company website.

[Anjay]

Firstly: Merry Christmas to all. :celeb:


<< Do you think a forum design for a host should be the same as the design of the host's website? I have always tried to do this in the past, sometimes it is very hard but it depends on the design of the site. If you have a forum, do you have the same design on your forum as the site or is it different? >>

Yes. Personally, I think the company design should look either identical, or as close as possible, to the forum design. My oppinion, is that the both should look the most possible alike, for example, I should be able to look at the site, look at the forum - and see that 99% looks the same. This is what I think, and this is what I advise to all my clients - consultant clients, design clients and so on. This shows a real business image, and people think of it more like a company - I don't know about you, but when I go to a website about drugs, drink, etc. (not that I am an addict ), I expect to go to the forum and see a design similar at least and not a gaming design with characters from Final Fantasy, Harvest Moon, Animal Crossing, Lufia, Otogi, Mario and so on just to name a few games. No matter what site I go to, whether it be my clients, a partner company, or so on, I expect the design and forum to look exactly the same - and that is one of the things I advise all my clients from step 1, everything must look a like.

Yes, I agree with you, it is very very hard sometimes to make it look identical, or even similar - but it does give clients a better feeling about the company, from what I've seen. Sometimes it may be easier to make a brilliant forum design, and then base the website design around that - which is actually a lot easier, but don't get carried away to the extent where it no longer looks similar.

[kinkamono]

A forum on a site is part of that site. Therefore it should have the same look and feel. Your customers shouldn't feel like they've been taken "offsite" to a forum.

And with templating it's pretty easy to do these days.

[turnkey]

I don;t have a forum but honestly I think the forum should somewhat match the main site.

I am still working on getting "off topic" modernbill to match my site... One day.

[Vovex Technology]

Originally posted by Anjay

I expect to go to the forum and see a design similar at least and not a gaming design with characters from Final Fantasy, Harvest Moon, Animal Crossing, Lufia, Otogi, Mario and so on just to name a few games.

Damn you know your gaming eh??? I never would of been able to list all that.



As for the forum.... it depends.. I dont really care how a forum looks as long as it has the information on it I need and is easy to view/navigate.

It does look a bit more professional and cleaner thoguh when it replicates the design used on the main page. I try to use the same color theme/fonts/etc.

[Francisco]

Well, I have a Plain forum, the one that comes with Invission it looks good and white

http://forums.mtxis.net

[BVSDaryl]

Yes, we have the same invision board and we are looking for someone to help us customize it. Lets see how this goes

[BlackStorm]

I think if you just change the header of the forum and the footer to fit in with your site a bit then it should be ok.
I havent checked your site though, you might be better getting a style that uses the same colours as your site and doing that with the header and footer or else just change the colour of the tables yourself.
If you dont know how, just create a new thread asking for help and I or someone else can tell you how its done
Doesnt take too much work, pretty simple really

[BVSDaryl]

Thanks for your generous support John, I guess I will open up a new thread and lets see how it goes.

[Anjay]

<< A forum on a site is part of that site. Therefore it should have the same look and feel. Your customers shouldn't feel like they've been taken "offsite" to a forum. And with templating it's pretty easy to do these days. >>

Exactly. Yes, templating is very easy these days - phpBB is extremely easy to template, same as many various other forum boards. In actual fact, the only forum board I ever found very hard to template was wBB - due to their templating system.


<< Damn you know your gaming eh??? I never would of been able to list all that. >>

hehe, I may own my own company and work about 350 days a year, but you always need time for fun and games.


<< As for the forum.... it depends.. I dont really care how a forum looks as long as it has the information on it I need and is easy to view/navigate. It does look a bit more professional and cleaner thoguh when it replicates the design used on the main page. I try to use the same color theme/fonts/etc. >>

Fonts and colours are actually very easy now a days to change on a forum board. The only "hard" bit, if you can call it that, is when you try to put side menus in the forum board that match your website and so on. It's also true, the forum does need to be clean, accurate and very easy to get information from.


<< Well, I have a Plain forum, the one that comes with Invission it looks good and white >>

heh - I checked your site, and think you really need to change it to seem more like your layout.


<< I think if you just change the header of the forum and the footer to fit in with your site a bit then it should be ok. >>

heh, It could do, however if your website is red and orange yet the forum out of the box is blue, I think you need to change a bit more than just the header and footer.