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Design the new TCKID

Design the new TCKID re-launch.

Big changes are coming to TCKID.com, and you can help shape the future of the TCK community. Mark your calendar for the TCKID Re-launch on Monday December 8th, 2008. At the time of writing, there are 6 days left to share your ideas and shape the new design.

Starting this week, you’ll have more interactive opportunities, see a dramatic new design, and find new ways to get involved in shaping the future of TCKs. We’re also working on a social network for you.

This is your community. You’re here because you care about TCKs. You should be given the opportunity to decide what you want this community to look like. Change is coming, and you can be a part of it.

  1. WEEK 1: Design the new TCKID. (Official RE-LAUNCH is on Monday December 8th, 2008)
  2. WEEK 2: You decide how we should celebrate.

    • What is your opinion of the new design?

    Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.

    Get involved in building your Third Culture Kid community. Share your ideas to improve and shape the design.

    If you want to get more involved, join our TCKID team by volunteering.

    DECEMBER 4TH UPDATE:

    Thanks to everyone for sharing your feedback! The response from the community has been very impressive. There has been 87 emails today, and they keep coming.

    Many offered some great quote suggestions, and 6 new people offered to volunteer. I hope we can bring them on the team. You will all soon be able to share your ideas and decide on what they should work on.

    Thanks again for being part of this change. It’s great to see everyone getting involved in shaping the future of this community.

    Keep the feedback and ideas coming. If you want to get involved, volunteer to join the team.

    I’ll post a follow-up soon!
    -Brice

    We’re going to take all of your feedback and update the design in the coming weeks.

    I’ll make a list of the recent changes:

    -World map added in the background
    -Mosaic added
    -World languages added
    -Plane added. (will possibly be removed)
    -Passport added. (will possibly be removed)
    -Obama’s handsome face has been removed, and we’ll continue to change the theme from the Obama site. (If it was up to me, I would put his face everywhere of course because I’m a fanboy, but you design this site!)

    We need your help to choose our TCKID’s new official quote.

    Please share your ideas in the comments below. Keep your feedback and suggestions coming!

    Popularity: 19% [?]

    Posted by tckid at 1:52 am on December 3rd, 2008. Comments
    Categories: Feature, General Forum, News, Vote.

    • mairabay
      There's one thing I REALLY don't like about the new design:

      I can't see all the posts sorted by date published, like on the old site. Untill a few days ago I thought this wasn't possible at all, since the main page shows the posts sorted by latest commented.
      Then I discovered the Categories menu. **But still** I can never see all posts sorted by date posted.
      I really liked this feature because it helped me to know which were the new posts since the last time I had logged in (and I could also torture myself on how much I had to catch up!).

      -------
      Another thing that I'd like to see (although it might clutter up the site and bandwitdh) is the ability to RSS feed my blog into the Blog section.
    • followingsunshine
      1. I haven't met anyone here, just read articles

      2. I think it would be helpful to create links under comments that people write so that we could respond individually and that those comments can also come directly to our inbox so we know when we get a response.

      3. I think that if you have a name, then you can click and see who (they) are and be able to contact that person and read thier profile.

      4. I also have a hard time finding the chatroom. Hm.

      The webpage is good it just needs more tools. =)
    • :) I love the Christmasey design!!!
    • Hi Josh, I'm still working on that one but it'll take some time because there's only one web developer who offered to volunteer, and he's a bit busy right now!

      If there's anyone who'd like to get involved, please volunteer or donate so we can hire someone to get it done quickly.

      Thanks everyone and Happy Holidays. =)

      -Brice

      P.S: Anyone can see the Christmasey design?
    • Hi Brice,

      How come many recent posts show no views (even posts with comments on them)? Also, why are some of the recent posts not showing up on the forum on the Home page? Inquiring minds...

      JoshS
    • I find the forums rather combersome to go through...I do like SOME order to my TCK chaos :-p. Most forums I go through have a line list of topics and then a line list of recent threads. All I can find here is threads in order by activity. Beyond that the hovering effect on the links at the top needs some work...over all it's a good site, just needs some technical tweaks like any site.
    • Brice
      I just heard from the designer - he said he's almost done with the new TCKID design. =) He took all your suggestions and is updating it, I'm looking forward to see it!

      I'll announce the version 2 of the design as soon as I receive it and will ask your feedback.

      P.S: He's also working on updating the logo and we'll probably have a vote too. I'll keep you posted.

      Please keep the feedback and suggestions coming if you have any.
    • Brice
      Great ideas everyone! Keep them coming.

      A web designer has volunteered and will update the design for you. He'll take all of your suggestions and come up with a few design ideas. You want warmer colors, and less blue. :)

      We'll follow up and make a comment here with a revised version of the design when ready.

      If you want to get involved, then please sign up to volunteer:
      http://tckid.com/volunteer.html

      ----------


      The New Design Voting Results:

      A large 92% majority voted to keep the design, but we will continue to change it and take your feedback into consideration. It will have warmer colors and a different layout.

      Proof that people do care about the TCK community.

      * 11,638 views on that post.
      * 187 emails
      * 9 new volunteers.
      * Over 200+ votes.

      This is encouraging and shows that TCKs do care. It's great to see everyone getting involved in shaping the future of this community.
    • you slogans and stuff? I made a post where people put ideas for slogans. I think alot of the things we are looking for are already on TCKID somewhere, so maybe we should take a look into TCKID itself to help design its future :P
    • Jan
      Hi, Brice,

      The site looks great. It's visually appealing, isn't busy, and looks balanced...like the color scheme. Also very user friendly. It will appeal to TCKs of all ages.

      I can tell you've put in a considerable amount of work on this, Brice, and it looks splendid!

      Jan
    • Janet
      Looks good and is more user friendly. Thanks for your hard work!
    • danau
      I think it's on the front page (click 'Home'). Or you can also see it on the right hand column where it says "Latest comments on TCKID".
    • One question:

      With the new design, how do we see what forum posts have most recently received comments?
    • Becky Hutchins
      How to celebrate? A world wide 24 hour digital/internet 'drop-in' gathering:

      I think of Seiji Ozawa's five-continent concert during the Olympics in Osaka.
      http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sport/winter_olympic...
      Watching the performance of Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy' 10 years ago, was not unlike watching Neil Armstrong 29 years before that.

      OH, to have an open connection: To gather on-line, to celebrate together........It would be grand to all meet in a chat room and express gratitude to Brice et al. We are the world!

      Is there a chat room large enough for us???????? (I don't have enough experience with chat rooms to know....)

      ~dream big in peace
    • Connie Cirafesi
      Great job on the website. It's very interactive and eye-pleasing. Keep up the good work.!
    • more feedback:

      Thanks Brice for sharing this with me. I visited the website and I really liked it. The contents are very relevant. However, of the beautiful smiling faces I saw there, there seems to be no black faces there at all. There are many black TCK as well.
      Remain blessed and thanks for the good job.

      Elias

      ----

      Hey Brice,
      I love the new site! It looks great and you've done awesome work!
      As for choosing a quote (out of hundreds of beautiful quotes), how about rotating several quotes, instead of sticking to just one?

      ---

      Hi Brice,

      It looks good, much easier to find and access information. I voted I LOVE IT.

      Take care,

      Camille

      --

      Fantastic makeover of the website, Brice. You are doing amazing work in
      the TCK field, and it's through your website that I finally understand
      so many things about my constant struggle with keeping in touch with
      friends. I'm great at making new ones, always comfortable with moving
      or traveling to new places, but awful at keeping in touch. I look
      forward to exploring more of these issues as I begin a masters program
      in Intercultural Relations at the University of the Pacific (CA). My
      greatest gratitude to you for creating this permanent site. If
      anything, I'll have TCK World as a constant resource in my life.

      Kristina
      ------

      04/12/2008 610pm
      Hi Brice, yup, it worked this time
      & thanks for responding to the email so so so so soooooo fast
      Just to let u know i read ALL ur emails n they are always a great comfort
      Regards
      Rosemary
      -------
    • Larisa Naples
      Great links, Priscilha! I concur about the chameleon colours. It would be more cheerful, more original, and well, more chameleon-like!
    • Priscilha
      I think I agree with the coment about making the site a bit more colourful. We are chameleons and chameleons have the capacity to change colors. I know blue works alot as an institutional colour, but it's also a sad colour ("I'm feeling blue", Picasso's blue period), and blue is usually a bank colour (perhaps that's just my assosiation of blue). How about green? It's a more peaceful colour plus it has to do with nature, earth, animals, and we are children of the earth really not of any country in particular.

      As reference of colours you could chek out the following link http://chameleonsonly.com/Pictures/Isairy-mifid... (its a chameleon). The colours don't necesarily have to be very bright; the background could be like a darker green and the buttons could be orange or cyan. You could also add alot of white so that the composition is more serious and the colours don't hurt the eye. Here's another link of a page that has different colour combinations in case you'd be interested. http://www.colourlovers.com/.

      That's my oppinion about the site. Cheers!
    • mairabay
      oh, and here's my opinion on the quote on the top
      I vote for
      "We're each other's country" -> one of my favourite TCK sentences of all time ;)
    • mairabay
      testing
    • mairabay
      hey Brice,
      why don't we mix brown (like Cyn said in the FB thread) - in a light tone, of course - and blue (like wayako said)?
      I would also add green bc it reminds me of trees and I love nature, but that's just my opinion (just like you would add tons of cat pics - which I wouldn't mind either! lol)

      comment#2:
      make the immages (the chamaleon on the top and the one that says Forum) a .gif or .png, cause jpg has too much quality loss :P (ok, I know, this is a picky perfectionist detail)

      #3
      huh, the buttons on the bottom are wierd (I emailed you about it). I just opened it in IE and it looks the same as in Opera. Are you sure that's how you want them? same thing for the "next featured", etc tabs.

      #4
      and I agree w/ what ppl said in FB, still a little too obama-looking
    • Macarena
      Great Brice!! The website looks really nice, I love the color blue and the globe with the chameleon. The only thing I would comment on is that I think that the collage of photos on the top right corner could be a little better... One can tell that (1) many of the pictures were just pasted on top of others, and (2) the smaller ones are a little out of focus (blurry). I would recommend getting pictures with better resolution.

      Good Job!!
    • Melissa
      An option for the quote: "Own only what you can carry with you; know language, know countries, know people." - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
    • tab
      i like the page, the cameleon and how you can discover a lot things when you look for them...however Obama-style???? A little less blue might make the page more unique!!
    • could we have more than one color on the website to offset the blue? it is very blue. we could have like cream, or bright or pastel colors will do best?
      could the world map be made to emphasis the countries and the chameleon made smaller and put on the top part of the globe?
      could the world flags be put on the top, left, right and bottom of the website site and made more clearer? could the names of the lady & gentlemen be put together with the pictures? ur picture should also appear along with theirs, plus ur name
      i dont like the idea of a chameleon (creepy creatures) but i feel it best represents the TCK. Do u think the chameleon could be made to move around the website and adapt the colors of the flags as it passes by?
      All in all its nice to be a TCK rootlessness, restlessness and all.
    • Mynah
      I have to add something I just found on w3.dumblittleman.com:

      "It seems that in today's world, everyone is originally from somewhere else. That's especially true in North America where our ancestors came from various parts of the world. Let's suppose that your great-great-great grandfather was Irish. You'd consult a calendar of cultural events and head over to the next Irish meet-up. The minute you'd walk in, friendly people with the same background who would warm up to you quickly surround you."

      I was not able to find an American election party in Hamburg (Germany) on short notice (when I realized how affected I felt). If there was one, outside of a talk show host meeting the American Embassy, it was very private. There were plenty of parties in Berlin, though, even one for McCaine. So I guess I would pay money for any membership that would have provided that information. I'm waiting to see if this site has the potential to become a network that would function that locally.
    • "Two roads in a wood diverged and I, I chose the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference."

      I'm not sure where this is from, The Pilgrim's Progress or Robert Frost, or somewhere else. It could have been me. How did I come to make the choice of road that I have? Because I am a TCK. My background has made me move down all sorts of narrow, convoluted paths, even though I could have had quite a good career as a designer if I had followed a straight one, had I seen it. Though I feel trapped by my decisions at times, I look to this quote and it reminds me of the colours and views along the way that I would have missed otherwise.
    • Mynah
      Hi Brice, thanks for taking the trouble to set this up. I really like the chameleon logo, did you come up with that? As others have said, the design is rather heavy on the blue, but it can evolve.

      Now I'll have to wait and see how the content develops. I don't really like the "self-help group" aspect, problems, counseling and donations, but maybe other people do. I'd be more interested in discussions about the countries we are in and general social and political stuff. Maybe that is what you mean by "global awareness" ? I was very excited by Obama's election, and found many contributions from all sorts of interesting people on other sites - that is what I would like to participate in.

      Maybe this is just the wrong place for me, certainly not my "community". Though I am a TCK and was impressed by the research, the discussions here don't help me find friends for real life. Maybe I should join Mensa instead.

      Sorry, that was not very nice. OK I'll just shut up and see how this comes along.
    • Jemila
      Well done Brice! Love the new TCKid, it looks so professional and slick! The only thing I don't like is that when you comment your pic doesn't appear, I kind of liked seeing the faces of people on the comments.

      I know you probably won't use this quote, it might be too African, but I thought I would suggest it anyway :)

      "ubuntu I am because we are"

      (oo-boon-too) n. Zulu or Xhosa word, a traditional African belief.
      Ubuntu is a term for humaneness, for caring, sharing and being in harmony with all of creation.

      "Africans have a thing called ubuntu. It is about the essence of being human, it is part of the gift that Africa will give the world. It embraces hospitality, caring about others, being willing to go the extra mile for the sake of another. We believe that a person is a person through other persons, that my humanity is caught up, bound up, inextricably, with yours. When I dehumanize you, I inexorably dehumanize myself. The solitary human being is a contradiction in terms. Therefore you seek to work for the common good because your humanity comes into its own in community, in belonging."
      - Archbishop Desmond Tutu

      Ever since I heard of Ubuntu it helped me feel more connected to the world, reminding me that no matter how alone I was and how "unique" my problems where, somehow, somewhere I was connected.
    • Carrie
      As a Generation Jones and TCK, I love the site! I too am a fan of Obama but I understand others not wanting this site to be political. The globe in the left corner looks more like a marble, it needs to be a bit bigger so we can see the continents on it. Otherwise I LOVE the new site. For those of us that keep forgetting our login and password, could you have a login help that can e-mail our login as well as the password?

      Thanks, Brice for doing this website for all of us! We are truly the culture-savvy folks that can live anywhere because we have lived everywhere!
    • cami
      Nice work, Brice! It looks great. I love the JRR Tolkien quote. I'm wondering though, with so many great quotes, should we limit ourselves to just one? How about maybe rotating a bunch of quotes?
    • the website is very blue. could other colors be added? Eg cream to compliment the blue?could the cameleon be made smaller and sit on the top of the globe? Could the globe be made bigger showing the continents? it would be nice if the flags could be seen more clearly and fitted in at the top, sides and bottom of the website.
    • quote suggestion:

      ----------

      Hey Brice,

      With regard to the header: I think a quote from David Pollock would be great. From the magazine of Among Worlds I have a collection of quotes jotted down. Since every issue has its own subject it is difficult to find out in which direction your request needs to go. One could also think along the lines of: * "The world - one place; where do the TCK find a nest?" or:
      * "The webpage for those who have no home"
      * "You feel lonely, come those who care"

      See what you make of these. Greetings and God bless
      Martin
    • A quote suggestion from Amin:

      Marcus Garvey: "A people without knowledge of their History is like a tree without roots" This has been one my favorite saying since my days in ISMoshi , when learning about the Rastas. Yahman.
    • Thanks to everyone for sharing your feedback! The response from the community has been very impressive. There has been 87 emails today, and over 4,000 views of this thread.

      Many offered some great quote suggestions, and 6 new people offered to volunteer. I hope we can bring them on the team. You will all soon be able to share your ideas and decide on what they should work on.

      Thanks again for being part of this change. It's great to see everyone getting involved in shaping the future of this community.

      Keep the feedback and ideas coming. If you want to get involved, volunteer to join the team.

      I'll post a follow-up soon!
      -Brice
    • Did you check on FFX? In "Posted by tckid on December 3rd, 2008 | Categorized as Feature, General Forum, News" the "News" is coming on the next line. If the font is smaller it might fit in one line. Or if they're all not in caps...
    • Roland
      oh, and the chameleon on the globe is very cool...coincidentally, the chameleon is sort of the non-official mascot of my the town where I live, in southern Spain where there used to be a huge population of them - sadly, they're being decimated by the usual man-made crimes of over-development, pollution and invasion of non-native species.
    • Roland
      I assume that the page I'm looking at right now as I type this is the the new design, yes? (Sorry, I just joined and not overly familiar with the old design)...anyway, assuming yes, overall, I like it and I agree with the previous suggestions and comments. My only suggestion at the moment would be that instead of passport covers, or perhaps even in addition to passport covers, show stamped passport pages. This would allow you to keep the nationality open and vague, sort the way a TCK is. A bit cliché, yes but I love the old fashioned look of the stamped passport pages, stickers on luggage, etc...
    • cami
      I think it looks awesome, Brice! As for the quote - I'm sure there are hundreds of really great quotes, so I was wondering, why stick to just one? Maybe we could rotate several really good ones?
    • danau
      I love the quote MichaelP suggested.
    • sevenleague
      i have a strange reaction. The design is very professional but my attention is drawn to the impressive web design and colors but away from the text. Suggest less intense colors (blue) so text stands out more. ???
    • Renee
      I like the colour scheme, and the fact that it is simple and easy to navigate. You do need a contact icon at the top, and what about more drop down menus so that people can cross reference on different links....

      I do like it though.

      Renee
    • PJ
      The design and the colour tones are great, so there is noting wrong with that. Although, what you could improve on now is to lower the compression ratio of the graphic images so that they don't appear too pixelated. (some people may not see the pixellation in the images if the brightness and contrast settings of their screen are set too dark or too bright, but it's there. If you don't see the pixellation, simply calibrate your screen in photoshop and have another look at the web site). I hope this help. Keep up doing the great job.
    • For the quote you might think of using the title of the seminal book on this topic according to the U.S. State Department:

      "According to my passport, I'm coming home." Kay Branaman Eakin
    • Miriam
      Hey Brice, I like it - thanks for all you're doing
    • I love the design...definitely Obamaesque, which is a plus!

      Best,

      Tanya
    • Hey, this is great stuff. It was a 'good grief' to see my dad's picture in the banner- have always thought of that particular portrait as his "global Uncle Dave" picture...Oddly, blue was his favorite color, too. I like the earth tones idea with the chameleon that changes colors. I recently saw a website with changing quotes and pictures too that would be a great addition, however, if nothing on this site was changed it would still be a fantastic site. Thanks Brice and Co. !
      Michael
      Nabbed the following from an E. Briel blog...
      Here's a quote from Hugo St. Victor, a 12th-century monk ( from a Pico Iyer interview):

      The person who finds his homeland sweet is still a tender beginner;
      The person to whom every soil is as a native one is already strong;
      But he is perfect to whom every soil is as a foreign land
    • more feedback from email:

      --
      A personal favourite from a TCK perspective:


      "I come from my childhood as if it were my homeland."
      -- Antoine de Saint-Exupery


      --
      Hey Brice

      LOVE IT!!

      Susanne x

      ---
      Hi Brice,
      the new website remembers me the Obama one. I like the logo with the camaleont on the earth.
      Great job.
      Vanessa
      ---

      Hi Brice,

      I love it!

      Just a quick note: I'm not sure whether it's a template issue or something else. Have a look at the attached screen dump. You'll see the words "General Forum News" overlap with the background of the item/image below it.

      Looking forward to hearing your BBC interview!
      O.
      ----

      Hey Brice,

      I just voted to keep the latest design.
      Best,

      Arsalan

      ---
    • ----

      Hi Brice...
      Ok, I looked at the new site...looks great! However, it never fully uploaded, it kept reading "one item remaining"... and this on my high speed computer at school. I would have loved to explore it more, but it was never ready. :-$
      oh, and congrats also for having a BBC interveiw...that's really great- spreading the TCK news!
      Kris Adams

      ----

      Hi brice,

      Congratulations onour year anniversary! Well done! ^__^

      Ok my feedback : I VOTED: It could be better. (I vote to change the design) (9%, 7 Votes)

      AND HERE ARE MY SUGGESTIONS-REMARKES as it comes, good and less good re the new site:

      * I do not like the pix you put for yourself.. it looks too "new age" ....
      * I do not understand the logo below "change is coming'..it looks like a foetus?
      oohh I see now it is the same logo as the lezard in green... humm well.. I am not fond of it either..I suppose you wanted to go for the cameleon?
      * I like the passport idea but it is a bit too much on the side ...though it is a relevant "piece of paper" for any tck right? :)

      * when you pass your mouse on the tab menu at the top, each category stays open.I find it a bit too much.. one column at the time is enough.
      * I like the pix in general, there could be more too ^__^
      * blue is a great color.. just wondering if there is not a bit too much of it, again in the "change is coming" section?

      Please do not be offended by my comments, it is just meant to be helpful, I know it is not easy to build and not easy to please everyone..

      and again: felicitations

      Cheers,
      Claire

      --
    • More feedback:

      -------

      It's all good in the hood. Thanks for taking the time to let me know. I am not sure what to put in the header. I like it when theres a different quote each time you come, Maybe ones with different quotes by expats or inspirational folks regarding world events.

      Sunny

      ------

      Hey Brice,
      Same thing happened when I clicked (another random google search) so I took your advice and pasted the link into a new tab and it worked! Looked great! A lot like Obama's campaign site which there is nothing wrong with haha :) I'll comment on the site soon
      Katie

      ----

      The site looks great - wish I could think of an amazing quote for the
      top - right now the brain is not delivering!!!

      Many thanks again

      Cheers
      Lise

      ----

      I like it Brice. Very professional looking, if that's the look you are going for? Take care, Catherine


      -----
    • More feedback and quote ideas from emails:

      "Hi Brice,
      Congrats! This is so needed. I think I told
      you when I signed up last year that I am finishing
      my phd in multicultural education, focus is on interviews
      with Adult TCKs and impact on their teacher-student
      interactions when they returned to the U.S. for schooling.
      Would love to volunteer and help in any
      way. I really like the new look of the website.
      Best wishes,
      Gretchen

      -------



      ~ A world community can only exist with world communication, which means something more than extensive software facilities scattered about he globe. It means common understanding, a common tradition, common idea's and common ideals. ~
      share this Community saying Robert M. Hutchins


      ------


      A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.
      Mohandas Gandhi

      Be the change that you want to see in the world.
      Mohandas Gandhi

      ---
    • Becky Hutchins
      Given that a website is dynamic...I'm expecting the "Change is coming" to dissappear after Dec 8th.

      I like these two quotes from earlier: My favorite is C. Morgensterns.
      x"The important this is that everyone needs the feeling of belonging to a community of like-minded people." ~ Elise Boulding

      Home is not where you live, but where they understand you. ~ Christian Morgenstern
    • David Welch
      Thanks for giving me a chance to give you feedback.

      It's so close to www.barackobama.com in look and feel that instantly it looked like a copy cat site. Granted, Barack has an amazing site, but that is why so many people are copying it.

      It is to "official looking" This color of blue = Barack. It's his brand color.

      If you are going to use the lizard (which I really like) then use colors that go with that (warmers tones, brown, oranges, greens, etc.)
    • Becky Hutchins
      I identify well with "The Mixed-Up Chameleon" by eric carle and I see a chameleon on the globe....... I like thinking it is a chameleon.

      it could be set to change colors...

      Quote at the top? My thoughts run along the theme of this being a home for us. If no one place on earth is home......can this space be our space?

      Welcome home, you can be home here, digital space adapts to you, home is what you make of it, home is where you belong, home is where I feel understood.......

      New design......it will take a bit to get used to....however, we are rather good at adapting, no? But, like in life, it can be both frustrating and challenging to not to be familiar...to not find my way around easily.

      hastily.....Becky
    • sCott
      i think this is really excellent. the only thing i would change is the backround at the top. it seems a little too busy for me. or the flags perhaps. other than that minor gripe, this is freaking awesome, and so much easier to navigae! Keep it up!
    • albert
      love it!!!
    • Jess
      It's really nice, the only thing I'd suggest is to alter the banner at the top so that the pictures are less pixelated and "blur"together better.

      otherwise, good job!
    • Sophie
      Okay, here are concrete suggestions:
      - Change the color to a warmer tone.
      - Change the thematic icons to something more welcoming and less "official" (I really love our logo with the lizard, for example. Should we create a mascot and have a friendly icon throughout the site based on that?)
      - I love the displaying of the many faces of TCKs on our homepage. But I'd suggest incorporating pictures that are less like portraits, and blur the edges/borders of each picture.
      Thanks for 'listening'!
    • Sophie
      The theme is too much like the Obama campaign's... and somehow, I don't think it is fitting with the mission or the atmosphere of our community. It's to regal, official, impersonal, I'd say. =(

      I do like the new FEATURES and the LAYOUT of the site, though. Great work!
    • amin
      Marcus Garvey: "A people without knowledge of their History is like a tree without roots" This has been one my favorite saying since my days in ISMoshi , when learning about the Rastas. Yahman.
    • Nathy
      I really like this new design =). I like to see different passports and the map of the world in background, I think they really fit the forum and website as well as the pictures of people from different ethnicities on the ban =).
      This new design is better than was the previous, it looks more professional and more welcoming. ^^
      I don't have an english quotation for the ban, I just think about a french sentence I like to say: "J'ai fait du monde ma maison" (World is homey/my home), but I think other people found better quotes ;).
    • danau
      what's this passport everyone is talking about? I see the mosaic and the jet, but I can't see the passport. is it my browser? as for the chameleon...call me slow, i had no idea it was a chameleon til Larisa mentioned it. I get it now.

      Rafael said the blue looks sad. Funny, that was my first impression too. I ignored that feeling coz the site has improved so much and it does look nice. But when Rafael mentioned it, I thought, hmmm, funny that.

      Quote: how about add a bit to it - Welcome home, if you live in the world. (or something along those lines, coz the second half is ripped off from the Australian news program on the SBS channel - "News from home, if you live in the world." So it'll need to be tweaked. They have another great line though: "Six billion stories and counting...")
    • Lois Bushong
      I love this new site. I don't get as lost trying to find my way around it and writing in my comments, etc. I think it looks wonderful!!! Muchas gracias, Senor Brice.
    • Annette
      Could we have a fan of passports from several countries? We come from many different passport countries, so singling out one is problematic for me.

      How about "You've come HOME"...which has multiple meanings like the HOME we long for as TCKs and the HOME page of TCKid?

      Somehow explaining the chameleon to newbies would be good. Otherwise, it's a bit disconcerting and disconnected from the site content at first glance. I know he's our mascot!!
    • Debbie2008
      P.S. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE "The Latest Video" from YouTube pasted at the bottom!!! Everybody, make sure and check it out!
    • Debbie2008
      Lose the jet and passports on the homepage design.

      Keep the color, LOVE it! I also like the pix of multicultural people on the banner.

      Add--to stretch for the entire background--alternating graphic (world map) with copy ("Welcome" in many languages).

      Since as TCKs we all seem to be driven by a sense of belonging and seem to be looking for a place to call home, I think the phrase on top might be something like: "Welcome home," or "Welcome, you're home now," or "You belong here!"
    • Lynelle
      I like the site and look forward to visiting more often.

      How's this for a quote?

      "...It is not how far off I go, or how deep into the forest I walk that gives my life meaning. I see that living life fully is what makes life - anyone's life, no matter where they go or do not go - an adventure." ~Maria Fademan, geographer and ethnobotanist
    • Wow, I really like this! I know I haven't been here in quite awhile (and I feel quite bad about it) but this is really such a refreshing change. The colors are great - they work well together.

      Keep up the good work, Brice! :)
    • Kayla
      Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much better!!!
    • Teri Gilmore
      Also, why only catagories for missionary kids and miliatary kids? What about the diplos and corporates?
    • Teri Gilmore
      I don't really think the pull-down menus at the top really function correctly. They overlap so you can't always figure out what some of the links say.
    • Teri Gilmore
      I think the quote at the top should be

      "Not all those who wander are lost" by from Lord of the Rings by JRR Tokien
    • Amy
      quote idea for the top banner:

      "I come from my childhood as if it were my homeland."
      -- Antoine de Saint-Exupery
    • Sj
      Looking good, much more accesible than before
    • I love how the new comments show up at the top! Gone are the days of searching through the pages and pages!

      LOVE IT!
    • Hey Brice,

      this is really cool what you did! Now TCK's can really explore more about same kind and finally get connected with "our" interests. Thank you so much for the patience and time you spent on this fabulous site!
      Yvonne

      P.S. Looking forward to hearing your Radio interview on TCK's.
    • André
      Sure man, just holler if you need help =)

      Now I gotta get ready to go to class...yeesh. Hahahaha.
    • Thanks for your feedback and vote Andre. :)

      Keep the ideas and feedback coming!
    • André
      Hey Brice. Sorry for the inactivity. I've just been extremely busy...doing my thesis. But I do end up coming back every so often!! =) I just love poking around here and posting from time to time.

      Anyway, good changes all in all...though I agree, I'm not a big fan of the flags on top, but overall good design. I like Heidi's quote: "Welcome home." Simple but conveys the message very clearly =)
    • Thanks Caroline, Wanda, Heidi, Deb , Amy and everyone else. I've taken everyone's suggestions and made the following changes (more to come):

      -Made the Flags, Passport, and Jet blend in with the background to make it less confusing and more visually appealing for the eyes.

      -I added an EU passport on the left. :)

      Let me know if they still stand out too much?

      Keep the feedback and ideas coming!

      If you're a designer, developer, writer and you want to get involved, please contact me so you can help shape this community.
    • Caroline
      As a designer, I'd say simplicity is key! I personally dont think icons such as the jet, gecko and passport are absolutey necessary. I find the background graphic on the right side more visually pleasing.

      Perhaps something like a strong title vrs. the icons and photographs of people might eliminate some visual clutter?

      Lastly, I would watch out for is the text. Right now its overlapping some images and the light blue text on light blue in certain areas makes it harder to read.
      Overall though its a great improvement!
      Good luck!
    • Good suggestion for the quotes, Heidi and Margie.

      Anyone else have quote ideas?
    • Heidi
      I like it, but the blurriness of the flags in the upper row hurts my eyes. Otherwise the layout looks nice and clearer than the previous one.
      About the question of the quote in the upper section, what about a plain "Welcome home" or "You're from here"
    • New changes:

      -World map added in the background
      -Mosaic added
      -World languages added
      -Plane added
      -Passport added.
      -Obama's handsome face removed. (If it was up to me, I would put his face everywhere of course, but you design this site!)

      Keep your feedback and suggestions coming!
    • Debbie2008
      I believe the pictures of a jet and a passport on the homepage make it look like a travel website instead of a culture website. I do like the world map as the background however.
    • Debbie2008
      I believe the pictures of a jet and a passport on the homepage look it look like a travel website instead of a culture website. I like the world map however.
    • Amy
      Hi! I agree with those that say it's too Obamaish, though I see you're already working on that :)

      Also, I like the flag banner....but directly under the toolbar of most internet browsers (and above the TCKID banner), it gets lost and looks really busy. Perhaps you could run the flags down the left or ride side of the window instead?
    • wanda
      Hi , I think the site is fine! I think people who have to say something should say it brightly, be loud and visible with intense colours. This blue is fine for me!
    • lai
      Hi like the new design, but there's a bit much going on, which makes the site hard to navigate... It could be a bit more organized... cleaned up so that everything has it's place. if that makes sense.
    • Vivien
      It' s great! Like it very much. I love the blue. And I can only agree to what Angela said about the newest info. Congrats.
    • Thanks for the feedback! Keep them coming. :)

      Version 2 of the design is underway. Make sure to refresh the page.
    • Mrs. V
      I agree that the title is too Obama-ish -- besides, what are you saying with "change is coming"? In reference to what? The general design is nice though. Keep trying
    • rafael
      It's definitely more user friendly, but I agree with Dan's comment about the sight remaining neutral.(Isn't the "Change is Coming" slogan unnecessary?) Plus, I find the blue background a bit sad.
    • MajorTom
      There's only one word in the English language elegant enough to describe the redesign: Purdy.
    • Yup, I'm taking Larisa and Dan's suggestion and will continue to change it so it's not too Obama-ish. This is only the first draft, and it'll be shaped with your suggestions.

      Thanks for the feedback!
    • Uncle Dan
      Again, just for note:

      It's very pretty, very nice. I liked it when I first saw it. But then I checked the Obama site, because it struck me as kind of similar and... it's a bit too similar. Sorry Brice, you've put so much work into it and it looks great.

      But it's exactly the same. We're not an Obama site. And we shouldn't be. It's alright for us to highlight his TCK-ness, and for individuals to say that they support him, but the site should stay neutral. TCKs as much as anyone else vary significantly, and not all of them like him or what he stands for.

      The *Focus* should be on TCKs. You think there's a different template you might use? Because even the layout is similar.
    • LOVE IT! Great job! Very user friendly and easy to find the newest info fast! Great job :)
    • piya
      me likey!!!
    • Larisa Naples
      I agree with donau. Great navigation, much better organization. I love having that simple navigation bar with the drop-down menus, right up front. BUT it looks so much like a rip-off of the Obama site (which EVERYONE has spent too much time on), that I believe it ends up weakening your TCKID brand. What you are doing/offering here is so important that I think it is equally important to make sure you establish a workable and unique visual to go along with it.

      Perhaps making the graphics in the top area of the main page an interactive graphic that involves having viewers answer those "who are you" questions, would serve both the purpose of establishing an unique look, and the purpose of making clear exactly what this site is about -- for newcomers. An example of the type of interactivity I mean is here: www.larisanaples.org (click on the education link to see it). I do not mean that the specific shapes/colors should be adapted, but the underlying mechanic. (If you have not done this kind of thing before, give me a call, or drop me an email, and I can help you out.)

      BTW, I like the chameleon/globe logo. I am curious though, if someone not already steeped in the TCK "cultural chameleon" phraseology would recognize it as such. Do other people have opinions on this?
    • Nice job Brice!! Happy Birthday TCKID. :) Also, I love the Tolkien (also a TCK) quote that Margie offered... "Not all those who wander are lost." That quote is so full of depth and hope, ache and broad smile. Since there may be a lot of good quote ideas, one thought would be to have a handful of different core quotes that rotate through, so a different one comes up each time one refreshes the page. Good stuff...
    • Margie
      Some possible quotes to use on this page?

      We are all wanderers on this earth. Our hearts are full of wonder, and our souls are deep with dreams. ~ Gypsy Proverb

      Not all those who wander are lost. ~J.R.R. Tolkien

      "The important this is that everyone needs the feeling of belonging to a community of like-minded people." ~ Elise Boulding

      Home is not where you live, but where they understand you. ~ Christian Morgenstern

      I have become a queer mixture of the East and the West, out of place everywhere, at home nowhere. ~ Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India

      I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world. ~Mary Anne Radmacher Hershey

      We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. - Anonymous
    • paulettebethel
      Very nice Brice!! You did a great job -- why am I not surprised.
    • Krista
      Very nice.
    • danau
      ps. yes, i could tell straight away that you had been on the Obama site too long. lol. Also, I miss that intro page where you had the questions: What are you? Where are you living now? etc. Coz those questions gave first timers on the site a really good idea as to what the site was about even if they had never heard the term 'Third Culture Kid'. It helps people identify what the site is about and also identify with it right away without having to look up the explanation to the term. Or maybe even if you didn't have all of that, a one liner in big letters like: "Global Nomads a.k.a. TCK: Growing up everywhere and nowhere" ...or just "Growing up all over the world" or "Home is everywhere and nowhere"...or something like that (you get what I mean) on the main page to help people understand what a TCK is at one glance would be cool...oh, i suppose this is what you meant by 'quote'? (i just noticed) But yeah, thanks so much for all the work! It's lookin' good.
    • danau
      It's great! The new look is cool. It's much easier to navigate. Just a couple of things: 1) I've always wondered how we can get back to the Dashboard. I still can't find an easy way back to the Dashboard. 2) I miss the that thing on the right hand side that tells us the location of the most recent person who has accessed the site. That was kinda nice. But otherwise, the new look is cool. It's more organized, etc. etc. etc. :)
    • Martin Jaeschke
      Well done! I think you did a good job, or to put it another way: You did it again! I am no expert on webpage design but to me it looks attractive. The layout is superb and easy to find your way through. That latest video: hmm! Not so hot or shall I say a bit nervous with all that dancing from A to Z. I know it did not grow in your garden.
      Keep up your good work. I will try to make more use of the things you are offering.
    • Karin
      The new design is great! Good job! :D
    • Hey, it's great! It's much easier to navigate, and blue is so relaxing!
    • This is great! I'm loving it already, I think I'll be spending a lot more time on this website soon enough. XD This is bad considering I'm meant to be starting uni next year!
    • Pleasant look and seems to have an improved feel. Looking forward to the social network features you're planning.
    • Absolutely love the blue "rising sun." I think it's actually a chameleon, the tckid logo?
      I love how TCKis the sun is :)

      It's so nicely done! Great job, Brice!
    • I LOVE IT! *gives all fingers and toes up* Although you can probably make the buttons in the "Make a difference" section smaller. The little swirly thingies sorta doesn't match with the rest of the site.

      Otherwise...good job!!!!
    • greeneaglz
      Lot going on looking at the items on the menu bar but site doesnt look as busy(in a negative way) as before and it is easier to find what you are looking for (Bono from U2 would be jealous).
      Pictures blend in well with scheme and stand out well. Text is clear and easy to read.
      Good job
    • Woodsie
      d= we beat you d= d=
    • Oh wow, that was fast... I thought I was going to be the first one to comment. lol
    • Can you tell I've been on the Obama site too long? hehe. I'm looking forward to hear your thoughts on the new design. Tell me what you like, what you don't like and share your ideas to shape the design. :)


      NOTE: Some of the links on the menu haven't been added yet, and there may be a few bugs here and there. I'll smooth everything out this week guided by your suggestions and ideas.
    • its so cool, and with colour!!! its great!
    • Woodsie
      wheee!! lovely new layout!!! [= i love it already!!
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