Design History

Information

Want to know what Jammer's Reviews looked like through the years? Below are each of the major site designs at a glance.


2024 Design

Version 8.0 (2024)

  • All-new switchable light theme (classic dark theme also retained)
  • User ability to block individual commenters
  • Quick filter at top of index pages
  • Code refresh, improved structure
  • Better accessibility support
  • Installable Progressive Web App (PWA)
  • Refreshed site menu design with swipe gesture support
  • Permanent sticky menu bar
  • Some limited animations
  • Admin panel overhaul

2016 Design

Version 7.0 (2016)

  • All-new, global responsive CSS3 web design
  • Optimized mobile experience
  • Cleaner, streamlined home page
  • Simplified navigation
  • New, more readable typeface
  • Improved image quality
  • Improved HTML5 semantics
  • Updated site info and policies

2012 Design

Version 6.0 (2012)

  • Complete underlying architectural overhaul
  • Custom PHP template system
  • All-comment stream with search and RSS
  • Pages for every review
  • Improved mobile experience
  • HTML5 compliant
  • Minor design tweaks

2007 Design

Version 5.0 (2007)

  • Commenting feature implemented
  • Printer-friendly feature
  • XHTML 1.0 compliant
  • Table-free design
  • Enhanced PHP codebase
  • Google Analytics site tracking
  • Interior-page right rail (ad space)
  • Design tweaks

2006 Design

Version 4.0 (2006)

  • Wider home page layout
  • Simplified home page navigation
  • Design tweaks

2002 Design

Version 3.0 (2002)

  • Redesigned home page
  • Fully integrated CSS
  • Verdana typeface across entire site
  • Breadcrumb navigation
  • Interior-page navigation via SSI
  • Simplified interior pages
  • More extensive table-based layout
  • Cleaner HTML

2000 Design

Version 2.0 (2000)

  • Redesigned home page
  • More aggressive styling
  • Verdana typeface on navigation pages

1999 Design

Version 1.5 (1999)

  • Improved visual design
  • New color scheme and logo
  • Redesigned home page
  • Removal of repeated background
  • Plain-text archive
  • Minor cleanup and tweaks

1997 Design

Version 1.1 (1997)

I unfortunately don't have the notes for this redesign as it predates my record-keeping. This version of the site established a black background with white text for the first time. Previously it was black text on a gray background.


Version 1.0 (1995)

The original vesion of this site (and I can't find an image anywhere in my records; it appears all the files were overwritten at the time of the 1997 redesign without taking a prior screenshot) was the ultimate in 1995 web layouts: black Times New Roman text everywhere, gray backgrounds (with a gray stone-like texture background image added at one point), no layout to speak of beyond the most rudimentary single-column spanning the full page width (which for most people was 640x480 or 800x600). You'll just have to picture it. Or better yet, don't. Because it was ugly. But it's where this whole thing started.

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