Here's some things I'd like to get on:
Some 'featured content' - interviews, studio visits, exhibition reviews. This would probably involve having some dedicated writers to add content...
I'd like to use these pages for the links through from 'Artists' on concretehermit.com so that they can be updated and kept relevant.
There seemed to be some artistic discussion going on beneath a doodle I'd done, absoloutely no problem with that, but there was the suggestion of bringing the discussion into a forum. That would be great to get the cogs working again! So maybe there could be a section in the forum where people discuss ideas or trends or whatever...
unfortunately this isn't something that can be easily achieved site wide. It would be up to the individual poster to add the html: target="_blank" to the link code.
Would be good to see things tightened up a bit, though I'm not too hot on how much control you have over ning based community sites?! The store section on the right would be good if it was made more dyanmic; product description, more updated 'new/highlighted' products etc.
Tutorials and so forth would be great, but more in the line of introductions to things such as screen-printing, bookbinding, starting-out, freelancing basics etc. As i'm guessing there's a 'young' artist/designer bias, some good information on these things would greatly benifit a community!
I'd also make a perminant feature of the main page space; use it for features, new exhibitions interviews etc, and move down or make smaller version of the gallery rotating through everyones work.
Cheers Daniel. All these points are currently being addressed, you are thinking exactly along the same lines as where I want to take the site. In terms of timescale you should start to notice changes over the next couple of months.
I've noticed a fair few people asking for advice on things such as studio space, printers, etc, would it be worthwhile having some kind of resource listings? This may even be a bonus for you in terms of advertising swaps with the good companies based in London...?
As one of these younger (i think is a better word,ha) designers i would love there to be help in different crafts that are coming back into fashion. Also what would be great if there were a section for internships although i understand if the demand wasn't so big, considering the number of practitioners.