Clicking "giffgaff" does not go to the giffgaff home/landing page

endorphin

On most sites which have their company name or logo in the top left of a page clicking on that name or logo takes you to the home or landing page for that site. This works if you are on the giffgaff.com pages.

However clicking on giffgaff when you're on the community pages:

takes you to the community landing page instead. It could be argued that the community is a microsite and so this behaviour is reasonable but it's unituitive especially as "community" is also displayed next to "giffgaff" but graphically separated by use of a different font and a vertical divider.

So I respectfully suggest either:

graphically combining "giffgaff" and "community" into an obviously single clickable link
leave the graphical elements as is but clicking on giffgaff takes you to www.giffgaff.com; this would make the adjoining "giffgaff home" link redundant and provide a more intuitive nav bar.

harrrrrry

endorphin

I agree, the gifgaff logo should go to giffgaff.com -- especailly as there is also a prominent community word alongside it, which can continue to go to the community home page.

That would also avoid the need for an extra (but currently too small for its importance) link to giffgaff home.

benjamin567

dtuxcomp I completely agree with you.

If the vertical bar was removed then there would be no confusion, it would be clear that the logo takes you to the community home.

The community website is almost completely separate to the giffgaff website and I think it should stay that way.

The giffgaff home button is very clear if people want to get to the main website.

endorphin I know that lots of other websites (e.g O2 Community) just have their main logo instead of a community logo but I like it how it is, personally.

mrjeeves

I completely disagree.

The logo is "giffgaff community". Do you also suggest that the logo on giffgaff.com should change? The "giffgaff" part should go to the main site and the "the mobile network run by you" should go to the run-by-you awards?

I feel like this is just being pedantic, even more so than I usually am. The image clearly shows "giffgaff community". And "giffgaff home" is positioned literally next to it.

Furthermore this would be an absolute bloody pain to do as the logo is one SVG file, and you can't really put two links on an image.

Side note: I do usually HATE websites where you can go to then from their main site, but there's no link to go back to the main site. This isn't one of those cases as there's literally "giffgaff home" in the header/under the logo on mobile.

dtuxcomp

We mentioned this in preview, it's confusing that it looks like two different buttons when actually it's either a single one or two side by side both pointing to the same page. The vertical line between the two clearly looks like it's meant to be two different buttons.

mrjeeves As it's a single image why not just tweak it then so it no longer implies there's two buttons, lose the vertical bar and bring the two words closer to each other, it's fairly universal to use the vertical bar or pipe to denote the boundary between buttons.

Granted it's not a top priority fix but this was raised a long time ago as something that is visually confusing.

harrrrrry

mrjeeves The logo is "giffgaff community"

Because of the vertical line, it actually looks like two logos. Which is of course precisely why members expect the two halves to go to separate places.

mrjeeves his would be an absolute bloody pain to do

Split it into the two logos that it appears to be 😮

Then it would work exactly as the two logos that it already appears to be -- and will do exactly what most people already expect it to do, and be totally simple to implement.

mrjeeves Do you also suggest that the logo on giffgaff.com should change?

Possibly not. The mention of Run By You is in such small print that its much less likely anybody would click on it.

mrjeeves

dtuxcomp

What about the main site where it talk about the network run by you?

This would require a full branding redesign...

dtuxcomp

mrjeeves I was just talking about this issue, I've not even thought about the other one 🙂

mrjeeves

harrrrrry Split it into the two logos that it appears to be

That's the part which would be the bloody pain!

Flarum accepts a single logo file. The URL to this one file is stored in Flarum's database.

You can't give it two files!

A massive overhaul to Flarum's core database structure would be required, which is not worth it for something most members don't even think about or notice.

I personally see that line as a colon. It's the community part of giffgaff. It separates the fact that it's a giffgaff site and what site it is. Without it, different teams in giffgaff could start using the logo at different sizes resulting in even more styling discrepancies than there already are!

mrjeeves

dtuxcomp But consistency is key 😛

dtuxcomp

mrjeeves My brain can't handle everything at once mate 😉 🙂 One thing at a time, at best 😉 🙂

endorphin

mrjeeves But consistency is key

Quite! Let's have a look at Labs, another microsite:

if the logo design principle were being adhered, shouldn't that also say "Labs" rather than RBY? Also when you click there you get taken back to giffgaff.com and not to the Labs landing page. So at the moment Community is the odd one out.

What about the main site where it talk about the network run by you?
This would require a full branding redesign...

I think "run by you" is generally regarded as giffgaff's strapline and as such can be considered part of the giffgaff logo. I don't suspect anyone would click on it expecting to be directed to the RBY awards.

A massive overhaul to Flarum's core database structure would be required,

Technical restrictions shouldn't get in the way of good, consistent design! 😛

A compromise would be to remove the replace the Community branded logo with the RBY branded logo and have it link to giffgaff.com and replacing the then redundant "giffgaff home" link with "community home".

mrjeeves

endorphin

I'm still set on keeping it how it is.

If you're on the community, the most likely place that you'd want to go to is the community home page, so having that as the largest link makes the most sense.

If you're a user and see 'giffgaff | community' and 'giffgaff home', it's pretty obvious what each of those links will take you to, isn't it? It just makes no sense to me...

You mention Labs, but I'd call that outdated now... If we take a look at newer giffgaff microsites...

https://studio.giffgaff.com/choose-category
- Microsite. Branding link does nothing
- Might argue that logo is a different style, so the point isn't valid
https://www.giffgaff.com/hub/
- Microsite. Link takes you to the hub home, even though it uses the generic giffgaff rbu logo
- No way to get to the giffgaff home at all
https://www.giffgaff.com/hub/academy/
- Microsite. Uses (very badly sized) custom logo. Link takes you to the academy home.
- No way to get to the giffgaff home at all.
https://www.giffgaff.io/
- Full site. USes rbu logo. Clicking takes you to the homepage of the .io site.
https://www.giffgaff.design/
- Microsite. Uses custom logo. Clicking takes you to design homepage.

I think there's a general rule here... except it doesn't work for the Hub or Academy.

Modern giffgaff microsites have their brand links take you to their respective home page. Labs is the odd one out.

endorphin

mrjeeves You've highlighted several inconsistencies across the various giffgaff sites! Either:

the logo is incorrect, eg for the the hub microsite the logo should be "giffgaff | hub" and not RBY, similarly for .io
the "giffgaff home" link is missing
all of the above, ie the studio site

This is straying OT slightly but until there is consistency there is no right or wrong.

mrjeeves

endorphin

You're quite right. Consistency needs to be kept. It's like how the nav bar font changes on the main giffgaff site depending on if you're at the home page, dashboard, or contact an agent...

I thought I might let you know that they're now on design system version 52 as well 😂

endorphin

mrjeeves just to say that the vertical line in the logo is far too strong a graphical element IMHO, as it strongly suggests that "giffgaff" and "community" are two separate, distinct items; replacing it with a simple colon would be more visually intuitive, and I think appealing:

dtuxcomp

endorphin Good thinking, much better as to most people's eye that links the two.

mrjeeves

endorphin

The colon just doesn't look right to me...

As I'm not allowed to upload SVG files (rip) here are some PNGs I chucked together quickly.

Personally, I like #2 as it brings giffgaff closer to the community, so-to-speak.

The colon is growing on me though...

Another using giffgaff's colour branding

endorphin

mrjeeves the colon still does if for me. Second best would be your second suggestion above with just the two words close together.

As a left field choice I've always liked ">" as an abbreviated arrow, which might appeal to giffgaff's quirky, non conformist side:

But I know some will see it as greater than sign. 🙁

mrjeeves

endorphin

Well maybe giffgaff is greater than community, design and labs! 😂

I kinda like that, to be honest, and it matches giffgaff's playful style.

endorphin

mrjeeves I kinda like that

Knock me down with a feather! 🙂