How Can I Improve This Site?

[TheEclipse]

I hope that this is the sort of thing I can ask in this part of the forum.
http://notebookinhand.com .
How can it be improved?

[Zak]

Seen as though its got to do with the design and development of your website I see no reason for it not to be

For me, it's very plain. It just looks dull and boring, a little too much 'white space' too for my liking! I don't like the advert too near the top of the page (the clickable one) or the amazon things at the bottom if I'm honest. I think you're in desperate need of a background - not too overpowering, just nice and simple but pleasing to the eye. Like the christmas forum skin background on this forum

[TheEclipse]

... I find the Christmas skin here to be really hard on my eyes to be honest! But yeah I'll consider a background. I need the ads to even remotely be able to pay to advertise the forum/hosting stuff. I think I'm going to get rid of the Amazon ones though, I've never had any points from that and it's been there for a year!

[Trinity]

I hope that this is the sort of thing I can ask in this part of the forum.
http://notebookinhand.com .
How can it be improved?

I think it really needs a new theme. The site is supposed to be about creativity, and yet the current design is uncreative and uninviting.
Also, you seem to have restricted access to threads in the creativity section, I don't like that. I just went on there and saw a thread called 'Creating websites', I decided to click it and see if the person needed help, and I would have registered so I could help them and then I'd post around the forum a bit. Alas, it was not to be. I couldn't read the thread without signing up first, and I'm not going to sign up without knowing if there's anything worth signing up for.
You could also try adding a section for guides/tips/tutorials. They usually make the forum feel more welcoming to new members and you could add links to them to sites like pixel2life to get some new traffic coming in.

[Jamesy]

As a person preference when it comes to site designs, I find that quite cramped and crowded. There is a lot of text that hits you at once and it's all very close together. Try reducing the amount of text you have in the forum descriptions. This is something we did here a few months back and the forums look at lot less bulky on the front page.

I also agree with Trinity's points

[TheEclipse]

Thanks, I intend to shorten the descriptions soon. I'm not sure exactly how to do it and make it clear what it's for, especially for the creativity parts of the forums.

[TheEclipse]

I think I'm doing something wrong, psychologically. It's really really hard to get people to share their work (they're doing their hobbies, but for some reason think that no one wants to see it), to start new threads (not good enough ideas apparently), to suggest topics for the featured topic (what if it turns out its not good enough as a topic!).

... I'm wondering if it's how I'm asking?

[Fiendly]

Create an announcement asking what people what.
Let the community decide on what needs to be improved

[Jahova]

Have you got a section for poetry?

[hamheyelliot]

I'm probably taking a completely different side on this, but I really like the colour scheme. It's clean, spacious and clear which makes a site like yours a lot more pleasant to use.

That doesn't mean to say it doesn't have it's downsides. HabboxForum isn't particularly focused on providing creativity, but it still has it's own reputation system when people make quality posts- the same could go really nicely with NiH in my opinion. People share some of their works (which is what you're aiming for) and they get Karma, Kudos, NiH Score... whatever you want it to be.

Next up would be a few more forums/sub-forums to garner some more discussion, for example Poetry as Tom mentioned, just to diversify the topics a bit.

I'm not entirely sure just how the community works, but I would have some form of task each week which encourages creative works, make it a competition but don't pit members against each other- less 1st place, 2nd place and more of a 'Most Creative', 'The Next Sunday Times Bestseller' and other random awards. That would probably suit your community a little more.

Lastly, just allow your users to be as expressive as they want- you've got a pretty bustling community but things such as User Titles which display what the user is into: Blogging, Writing, Haiku Hero... whatever. Keep them perfectly purple but let your users show some flair.

Try to look into this bundle of information and tell us what you think, these are just personal opinions but you don't want to jeopardise your members or anything. Look at doing what's more suited Keep it up though because it has plenty of untapped potential.