Gentlemen,
it is great that the new GMT website sports a fresh elastic design usable on both small and large displays. However I feel there might be room for improvement in the appeal.
If I take a look at https://www.generic-mapping-tools.org with the eyes of a new visitor I have no clue what the page is about:
It has a nice logo, says something about generic mapping tools, but lacks further information on what’s going on. There is some info about stuff that I know nothing about, some releases of software I don’t know yet and workshops for said unknown software. And this is on a large display.
I have the feeling that this is not very inviting at first glance.
The thing is – the inviting part which might spark interest in GMT is already there. It’s just not visible. You have to scroll down:
Here I have some interesting visual content, have some short texts what this all is about and get a general idea about GMT.
In my opinion the website would look a lot more inviting if the news/release/workshop block is moved to the end of the page. I feel this is of interest only for returning visitors and adds nothing for new visitors.
I made a crude mockup:
For me at least this looks way more inviting and informative than the current version.
What do you think? Please understand this as an idea open for discussion to improve the appeal of the website for new visitors. Let me hear your thoughts!
All the best,
Kristof