After nine years, the site was pretty badly in need of a makeover. That includes a new logo that better represents what we’ve become, as well as a number of new functional features and options to improve your Curbside experience, including an-ad free option. It’s a work in progress, but as of last night, the new logo is up, and the top menu bar has been re-arranged for greater simplicity and functionality.
But there’s more to come…
As for the logo, I’d like to thank Don Kincl, one of our more regularly featured Cohort posters, who volunteered to realize my concept. The idea is to emphasize CURBSIDE, as we’ve become much more than Curbside Classics. We’re obviously interested in a much wider range of automotive (and other transportation) coverage than just old curbside cars. That’s not really new, as from the start we did more than that, but it’s been growing, and we’re posting one Curbside Newsstand pretty much every weekday, as well as other related coverage of all that catches our interest. And hopefully yours.
I’m going to be referring to the site as Curbside from now on, but I’m not forcing the issue. As you can see, the Classic is still there too.
The top menu bar has been rearranged, and new functions added. From left to right, there’s “Home” as before, to get you back to our front page. Next to that is “Site Info”, which when it’s clicked on reveals a submenu of options that were scattered about before. Some of those pages will need to be updated yet.
The “E-Mail Subscription” option is not yet functional, but we’re purchasing an email service that will allow users to receive daily or weekly notifications of new posts at Curbside. Our old system is all or partly defunct, and we’ll try to migrate the old emails to the new one. I’ll let you know when it’s working.
Next up is “Membership”. That’s not working yet too, but we’re purchasing a system that will allow readers to become members for a very modest recurring fee (33¢ a day/$10 month) that will deliver them a completely ad-free Curbside. Our new ads are a bit more intrusive, but the increased revenue is essential for the long-term future of Curbside. This is an alternative. And there will likely be other benefits to being a Member, when we come up with them. All regular/recurring contributors will receive a free membership.
The Archives are now all accessible from the top menu bar, for the benefit of our mobile users.
Recent CC’s & Histories access the various categories of CC’s and Histories, chronologically from the present backwards.
The CC Cohort button accesses the Cohort Flickr page, as before.
And the Log In and Register features stay the same.
I’ve hired a Word Press developer who is making these changes, and he’s encountered some back-room issues with the site that will also be addressed. And we will likely think of others too. If you have any reasonable requests, let us know, but no guarantees.
Thanks to your support, I’m motivated to take Curbside into the next decade with renewed energy and plans for growth. Curbside has been growing again these past few months, and Eda and I and all the Contributors are committed to keep the momentum going.
Bravo! On the new logo and the new features. The Curbside gets greater every day. Thank you all who contribute, and a special thank you to Paul and Edward.
And now for the first change request from the commentariat: I just saw the site on my iPhone and the new logo is far too small in my opinion. It should go full width like I see on the desktop. Thanks!
Just a guess, but I expect the eventual new site theme will utilize a ‘responsive’ design that will automagically adjust to your device screen size. The new masthead graphic is being cut off on my desktop browser (Safari) because it is currently a fixed width.
It’s a work in progress….
But aren’t the ads crazy ? I just bought a couple of tyres online ( tyre stockists only keep popular cheap stuff) so now I’m bombarded with tyre ads – including a “price-drop” on a tyre unsuitable for my Honda !
I presume the site is still work-in-progress, as there is no option in the top bar to “Log-out”.
Many thanks to Don Kincl and all others, as ever. I like the new curb. And the crack and the damp and the leaf.
From a marketing perspective – and asked in the interests of keeping the site strong – is it entirely wise to minimize the “Classic” part of the title? That is, isn’t that itself a brand with a certain name by now, and in commercial terms, a thing of on-going value?
My thoughts exactly… The “Classic” part is what made me a regular (usually daily) visitor in the first place. I’m not sure that it’s a good idea to diminish the value of this site’s unique selling point?
I’m fully on board with the site updates, though subscribing is a bit out of my budget (the exchange rate really screws me over). I’ll live with the ads, as long as they don’t overpower my ancient iPad’s limited memory and start the spontaneous site reload problems I encounter on that other site…
I have been an Art Director for over 40 years now, still at it, and I have to say with regard to the logo/banner… excellent. Great visual. Says it all. Congrats to you and Don Kincl.
Kudos to Don for the great logo work. I must admit that the old logo quietly grated on me for many years, but then perhaps it was just a matter of personal taste, a place where I often find myself in the minority. A big round of applause on this one, though.
I am of a mixed mind on the Curbside vs. Curbside Classic thing. I understand the desire to broaden the focus and avoid an identity that is too restrictive. But what to do with those of us who refer to the place as CC? Will it just be C now? Will “The C Effect” be as powerful as a force in the universe? 🙂
No, not just you, the old title also vaguely bugged me – seemed a mismatch to the quality of the actual content – but as the site was free and of a very high standard I thought it churlish ever to mention it.
Which I didn’t, you did, and so you’re yet again in a minority.
That old logo was made by me using Paint in about 15 minutes….and its 15 minutes of fame was long past. 🙂
Keep using “CC” as much as you like. There’s no stigma attached to doing so. 🙂
I am of a mixed mind on the Curbside vs. Curbside Classic thing.
I am in the same boat. I understand the site is expanding its horizons beyond classics, but I don’t know if a name change is required. To me the name Curbside Classic has some brand value, and I think it has a great ring to it. So I am glad it’s not completely gone, even it it is being de-emphasized.
The other changes though are great, especially reorganizing the menu. The new logo looks great – nicely done! Keep up the great work!
Excellent changes, the healing rains are keeping things fresh!
A wonderful improvement. Looking forward to seeing what else is in store.
Two thumbs up. I’d give you three thumbs up if I had three thumbs.
With the exception of the huge, irritating, intrusive “pop up ads” necessary to keep the light on here at Curbside; I approve of and enjoy the running changes.
I am not sure if I qualify as a regular contributor but in any event I will be happy to pay $10/month to support CC.
I will miss the graphic in the old logo, but am looking forward to all the changes. Great work!
Nice work – look forward to the coming site upgrades!
The new logo looks great!
The new logo is great but please do something about the bottom ad banner. On my old 1366×768 laptop screen it eats up half of the screen.
So, not just me/my laptop!
Nice restyle!
Looking good!
I was able to post this without entering my screen name and email address, so presumably I’m logged in, but I don’t see any indication anywhere on the page that I am. I assume this will be sorted out.
New logo looks great. Takes up a rather large percentage of screen real estate would be my only quibble especially on a lap top. But that is shared with quite a few modern web sites.
Proud and grateful to have been a reader/commenter since Day 1 and look forward to more great things. Logo refresh has a lot of personality and the current content adds perspective. Great goin’!
Kudos on the redesign! I have been following this site for a long time and enjoy the articles on various cars, trucks, buses and so forth. I probably spend more time here than other “car-themed” websites.
Count me in as another fan of the new logo and changes so far. Keep up the good work!
I’m logged in, but it still shows me a log in button. FYI.
Eleven years! Seems like only yesterday, doesn’t time fly. Like many others I’m sure, I’ve been here since day one. Contributing when I could (hoping to start doing so again in 2020), reading everything I could, and loving every bit of Curbside Classic.
The facelift looks great, very reflective of the evolution of Curbside Classic into Curbside. Fun question: with the name update, can re-posted articles be called Classic Curbside? 😉 Thanks Paul, Don K and others involved, looking forward to what’s next!
Eleven years!? did I say that? Oops; I guess I did. It’s been nine years, actually, but it just feels like eleven. I was thinking “2011” when I wrote that.
And the answer is no: the posts on older cars are still called “Curbside Classics”.
I like it.
Love it!