Request Input for J/109 Website Updates

J/109 Class Officers and Fleet Captains,

The J/109 Class website will be updated this fall & winter.  There are many behind the scenes updates needed for class administration that have been on the list a few years.  The website also needs updates to provide better viewing on phones and tablets – this is long overdue.

Inputs wanted! Below is the current menu structure description with a request for your input to help guide how the changes will be made.  Please gather your thoughts and provide feedback by replying to this email by 15 October so inputs may be considered.

1. Simplify the Menu: The menu is a holdover from the old website updated in 2015, with new features added.  The structure is confusing.  Please review the desktop menu structure and determine what menu items should be combined or eliminated.  The desktop menu structure is annotated below:

• • • Home – Link to home page (this will remain)
    • Class – top level to group J/109 Class related items
      • Constitution – The J/109 Class Constitution as text and downloadable document
      • Rules – The J/109 Class Rules as text and downloadable document
      • Class Rules Discussion – Link to the forum where the Class Measurer may answer rules questions
      • Other Documents – links to various documents grouped as Class Meetings, Class Rules. Other Class Documents, IRS/Tax Documents required to be on display
      • Officers – List of current officers & fleet captains
      • Membership – Explanation of membership, benefits and related links
      • Boat List – Publicly visible list of all known J/109s without any personal identifying information
      • Fleets – List of all fleets and fleet captains
      • J/109 UK/Ireland – Link to that website
      • J/109 Klasse Netherlands – Link to that website
      • Announcements – chronological list (newest 1st) of all announcements posted on the website 
    • Contact Us – Form to contact the class officers – captcha works well to minimize spam
    • Calendar – Link to J/109 Calendar
    • Forum – Link to J/109 Forum
    • History – top level to group J/109 Class history related items
      • Class History – Reverse chronological listing of class officers by year and previous newsletters
      • Regatta Results – Reverse chronological listing of regatta results
      • Photo Albums – old page with photo links – hasn’t been updated in years
    • Info – top level to group J/109 information related items
      • About the J/109 – description about the J/109 boat, class and owners
      • Specs – J/109 specifications
      • PHRF & IRC – J/109 ratings with links to rating bodies
      • J/109 @ J/Boats – Link to J/Boats J/109 page
      • Drawings & Manuals – files and links for drawings and manuals from J/Boats & suppliers
      • Technical Bulletins – links or files for technical bulletins issued by J/Boats, Yanmar, Edson, and others
      • Tips & Tuning – various tuning guides and tips for setting up the J/109
    • Market – top level to group buying & selling J/109 related items
      • For Sale – J/109 Boats – Link to J/109 for sale section on forum
      • For Sale – Equipment/Sails – Link to J/109 Equipment & Sails for sale on forum
      • Looking to Buy – Link on forum where owners may post something they are looking to buy
      • Equipment Suppliers – Page listing equipment and suppliers for J/109 components and parts
      • Sail Tags – Top page describing sail tag system with links to various pages
        • Sail Tag Order Form – Page where sailmakers may order sail tags
        • Register Sails – Page where sailmakers may register class sails
        • Sail Tag List – Page with list by hull number with all sail tags registered
        • Transfer / Retire Sails – Page where owners may transfer a sail to another owner and declare sails destroyed or retired
        • Declare Sails – Page where owners declare particular sails being used for a regatta (Class Measurer uses for boat inspection & measurement)
    • Members – top level to group J/109 owner & member pages
      • Boat & Owners List – list of all J/109 owners with email, names, and location with dues paid status (requires login)
      • Members List – list of all members and associate members with email, names, and location and dues paid status (requires login)
      • J/Owners Website – Link to J/Boats website (requires registration with J/Boats)
      • Sail Tag List – same as  section above
      • Transfer / Retire Sails – same as section above
      • Declare Sails – same as section above
      • New Membership – page where people who are not yet members may register
      • Renew Membership – Dues – page where existing members may update information and pay dues (requires login)
    • Officer Admin Access (only displayed for logged in Officers) – top level page for officer admin actions. 
    • Login/Logout – Allows logging in/out of website

2. 2. Mobile Menu Update: Once the desktop menu structure is updated, a streamlined mobile menu will be made.  This provides an icon menu for mobile devices as a subset of the main menu to make access to key menu items more prominent.  This will be easier for people to quickly navigate where they want and minimize the number of “clicks” on the screen.  A full menu will still be available to mobile users, but they must click on an icon at the far right to open the full menu. An example is shown below from my own website with the phone on the left and desktop on the right. Click the image to open a high resolution version.
      
      

      Comparison between Phone Display and Desktop Display

3. Website Content – One can ask – Do we have the right content on the J/109 Class website? The answer is… for you to determine.  Please review the site and make suggestions for updates, additions and deletions.

I would appreciate replies by 15 October so a consolidated approach for doing the updates can be assembled.  It is my goal to complete all updates before the end of January.

Thanks,