Hi all, we have been working on design for additions to the Australian OFN site to be built in Word Press for now (and later to be made configurable if other instances want to replicate). Basically this is adding 2 new sections: “Connect” (linking people to discussion boards and other ways to connect with Australian OFN community) and “Learn” (with a whole lot of generic / useful materials re activating / setting up local food enterprises in Australia - and linking also to how OFN can help).
As part of this we propose to create 2 extra “gateway” pages built in rails that could then also be configurable by other instances - a main landing page and an enterprise landing page (with call to action to register).
The first page will have buttons that correspond to labels on the main menu bar. These menu bar items and buttons will be configurable by instances (name of button and url link). In Australia, we will have: Shop (link to existing the experience for shoppers); Sell (link to landing page for enterprises - with call to action to register); Connect (link to noticeboards / and basic search/map for OFN) and Learn (link to other useful resources for local food enterprises). I am excited about the learn page, it will be modelled on naomi klein’s beautiful solutions site and it will also have landing pages for different types of users (eg local government; social enterprises; food hubs; community groups; farmers markets; farmers etc)
I have attached the wireframes - input and questions welcome! We’ll keep everyone up to date re progress as we go. We are especially interested in feedback re proposal for the 2 new proposed configurable landing pages to be built in rails…
wireframe4.pdf (281.7 KB)
Note that this relates to discussion re donate button. This is because the new landing page for enterprises removes the need for the “drop-down call to action to register” (what we refer to as the “uber dropdown”). This can then be RE-PURPOSED as a call to action (linking to whatever fundraising mechanism each instance has set up). Our initial thoughts are that it could be configurable and also be programmed to appear only sometimes (not everytime a user comes to the site). We can make this change FIRST - because we know that other instances are keen to get a donate button asap 
@MyriamBoure Rohan will be making a start on this new project from 29 June.
@lin_d_hop @NickWeir @nickwhite @Kirsten @danielle @sreeharsha @CynthiaReynolds, @sigmundpetersen, @apicella2, @fraschelo, @tschumilas, @MikeiLL, @Selmo, @lawrence
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The couple of us working to get OFN going in Canada are really excited about these changes. There are so many online ‘marketplaces’ for farms and hubs in use here, we are always asked what makes OFN different - and these new buttons allow us to showcase our different ethics, and our system building (versus just product selling) goals. So thanks - can’t wait! One small thought/question - in addition to a funding support call to action (which of course we support) we wonder about a call to join other sustainable food system advocacy campaigning (on-line petitions re: GMO labeling, banning of neonicotinoid insecticides, campaigns to change legislation around foreign farm labour…) So buttons like: ‘advocate’, or ‘act’ or ‘join’ or something could be useful too - whether in drop downs of the call to action button, or on its own as another button. Just a thought for you to consider. Our agenda has always been joining market-based actions (ethical buying) with actions with non-market resistance (We know we can’t change the world only by shopping.) We see the possibility to do this with OFN. Our wish list here includes integrating on-line campaigning with OFN, so that users can be offered the opportunity to join particular campaigns when they checkout perhaps. But a button to link users to such action would be another option.
Theresa
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Hi @serenity! Sorry for my late reply I was disconnected that past week, interesting network retreat about the inner trigger for meaningful change, but that’s not the topic 
I really like your proposal, indeed it’s not very clear today as a producer or hub what are the different steps (for example for the hubs, that if you want to be linked to existing producers you have to ask an admin, etc.) So that would be great to have a landing page for entreprises as you suggest). The learn page seems really exciting, I agree with you 
And would be great to make more user friendly maybe the access to relevant discourse discussions (for example in sharing business models for hubs, etc.)
I’m wondering if 4 entry points will be enough (we have 5 at the moment), I guess that should be (the group page is more used as integrated in another website than searched from the OFN I guess…)
About the drop-down call to action, I agree with you that it can be used to call to donate, and if we want to have a donate section somewhere, we can still use the bottom links or put it somewhere in the “learn” section. Or actually we can use one of the four link on the top right corner (about us / contact / help / FAQ) to place a “donate” link if we want a permanent link.
About the wireframe:
- if I clic on “shop”, I think that would be great to offer the possibility to search in the map and not only browse in the current shop page. It’s more visual also
- I see an interesting opportunity in the “connect” section. I had a discussion with a friend who organizes events, she would like to find a place where she can list what she needs so that producers or groups of producers can answer. There is not yet any platform doing that (at least in France), and it’s a huge job for her to find herself the producers to by directly from them (she wants to by directly to producers). Anyway, I see that could be a future feature that would well fit in “connect”
- In “connect”, on the forum part, I would have imagine to link to the local Discourse forum… is it the idea? I don’t understand the noticeboard thing… The blog part is interesting, as it avoid to have another blog as a side Same for “advice”, I would guess that would be an integration of Discourse…
- Same for the “learn” section, I would like also to be able to link to exiting Discourse discussion, because it enable the content to be managed by the community, so I would see the learn section of a “directory” of relevant and focused discourse posts…
That’s my feedback
Great job! And happy to be part of the testing team on the dev process if needed
Cheers!
And would be great to make more user friendly maybe the access to relevant discourse discussions (for example in sharing business models for hubs, etc.)