Hi - I'm just starting using DNN and I'm really impressed with the speed that you can put together really powerful applications. However - why is the design so bad? Also - on this site, I still don't understand how to actually get to the module downloads as the link on t he modules list page just takes you back to the same page.

So - I think it's massively lacking in front-end design/usability.

I'm a .Net developer but I do a large amount of front-end stuff as well. I was in a meeting the other day and someone asked me - "why do PHP sites look different to ASP.NET sites - does PHP make the page look different? Why do PHP sites look better?"

So - I had to explain to them that ASP.NET developers, generally, come from a microsoft-type background and as such (I'm going to generalise here), write bloated front-end code and don't follow the leaner, meaner front-end coding practices of open source developers who will probably be coding in PHP. Obviously there's no difference in how PHP and .Net websites should look but, generally, I think PHP sites are better designed becasue the front-end developers aren't from a microsft background.

Now - take this site, for example - it's really badly designed from a front-end point of view. Lots of tables - no padding on layout elements. Over use of divs for layout etc..

I think it's a really good piece of software but lets itslef down on the design.

Just wondering what thoughts were regarding the design and also how do I actually get to the module downloads? I'm looking for a good DNN Gallery control.

Cheers.

 Thanks - I figured it out. I use google chrome which wasn't telling me that there was a pop up blocked. The link from the modules page actually posts back to the page and then opens up the specific module page in a new window when the parent loads. I had to use IE and allow pop-ups in order to see the correct page.

See - this is exactly what I'm talking about in terms of front-end development/design - why on earth would you design the page to post back to itself and open a new window? Why not just link to the page?

I'm currently taking apart my installation of DNN and am stripping out the supurflous code. I'm then going to code the CSS.

I'm currently working in an office with a load of open-source types who come from a php background. They are constantly complaining about microsoft and .net - I have to defend .net and point out what a brilliant technology it is but bad front-end devlopment really doesn't help show what a great technology it is.

Smashing Magazine, CSS Remix, Styleboost etc.. It's as if microsoft based developers don't follow what's happening on these sites.

Just wanted to see what everyone elese here thinks?

In many cases they don't, but the point is sort of valid.  PHP-based sites using apps like Joomla or Drupal have a huge variety of skins/themes available, many done by professional designers who are not developers.  Many ASP.NET sites are handed to a developer and then they need to also skin it.  A developer who is also a designer is a very rare commodity, in ASP.NET or PHP.

When you get DNN-specific it gets even worse.  There are few decent, freely available, skins for DNN.  There are few good designers for DNN skinning.  The result is that many DNN sites use one of the few skins available and modify it slightly to change the colors.  DNN also doesn't easily lend itself to simple, pure CSS design, doesn't work well with DreamWeaver designs and is utterly incompatible with a Flash skin.  Not so with many PHP, or even other ASP.NET, portal applications.

DNN, as with many ASP.NET apps, was designed by developers, for developers and with design or usability standards a secondary concern.  Microsoft's ASP.NET framework provides adequate user interface controls out of the box, most developers don't see an overwhelming need to change them.

Jeff