Next one renovation of Soveit Crowncaps

You might ask, "Why?" There was a website, it worked reliably, and it served its purpose. I want to do it well, not just any old thing. Since creating the previous version, I've gained a lot of development skills and experience creating truly good, useful websites (web development is my profession). But when you look at the modest SEO indicators and low traffic, you realize this can't be tolerated! On the other hand, of course, the topic isn't that interesting to a wide range of visitors, but I know for sure that the situation can be significantly improved.

Design

A new, more concise design has been created. I tried not to overload the interface with colorful backgrounds and bright elements. Only the most important parts of the pages are highlighted. The appearance has become smoother and more relaxed. A dark theme has been added, which will work well if you use the site in a room with dim lighting; it will reduce eye strain.

Adaptive layout

The old site had it, but now it's even better adapted to different screens: computers, tablets, and mobile phones. The pages themselves have become lighter and faster for display in browsers. This is especially important for devices with limited hardware resources.

Catalog

This is still our wonderful catalog, with the same data collected over the years. We've added separate pages for each type, where everything relevant to each type is collected: photos, specifications, descriptions, calendar, position in the catalog hierarchy, and comments. This makes it much more convenient to access information about crowncap; everything is gathered in one place. Opposite, the factory pages have been shortened—instead of a long list of types and their descriptions, there are now compact cards that can be expanded as needed to delve deeper into the variety hierarchy.

The lists of types are now equipped with a convenient filter. You can quickly narrow the list by a set of characteristics and find what you need.

Additional characteristics have been added. The text on the cap was previously entered into a single property, now it is separate: text along the outer circle, along the inner circle, in the center, below, and above. This provides more order and even allows you to find additional patterns. Separate icons have also been added for the upper and lower text, which were previously entered as text in the description of the varieties. And now you can filter the list by them. Characteristics are a more systematic approach, it's fun! Caps with matching stamps are now conveniently linked to each other with links, you can easily navigate back and forth. Previously, this functionality was present in a limited form, but now it's better.

Standards

I decided to delve into GOSTs, TUs, and other regulatory documents whose numbers are printed on caps. The idea was to be able to go from the type page to the corresponding standard page and download a PDF version. It turned out it wasn't that simple; there were about 30 different markings, of which I only found a couple in the public domain. A few seem to be available on websites that sell documentation. The rest is a complete mess, nothing. It's a shame, of course; it would have been interesting to browse. Apparently, I need to search through archives somewhere and scan them. I'd be grateful if anyone finds files from the list; please send them, we'll post them. I've listed the caps that relate to it on the standard's detailed page.

Plant Map

The previous version had a primitive map that could be used to navigate to the republics. Now the map contains the coordinates of all the plants, which creates a very interesting picture. I did some research and found the coordinates of the factories, or if they were unknown, I at least entered the coordinates of the settlements. Here, too, I would be grateful for any information, if you could correct the coordinates to be more precise. Addresses and locations are not only good for appearance, but can also help improve the catalog. It turned out that LMK and 1 City Dairy Plant in Leningrad were located at the same address, meaning they are one and the same, the name may have changed.

The Bottom Line

The rest of the functionality remains largely intact: the blog, collections, and search. Right now, we need to polish what's been done; there are still a lot of little details to tweak. Feel free to suggest your ideas or send descriptions of any errors you encounter (you can email them to info@crowncaps.su). I have more ambitious ideas, but I won't reveal them yet.