TAFA's New Website: The Prototype is Here!

TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List was launched in January of 2010 using Blogger as a temporary platform.  All along, I have known that eventually we would have to invest in a new site that could accommodate our needs.  By January of 2011, we had clearly outgrown the blog format and began investing time and energy in getting a new site.  For the last two months we have been fundraising on IndieGoGo.  With two days to go, we have raised enough to launch the core part of our site, but still need another $1,400 to develop all of the bells and whistles we would like to have on the site.

Our designer, Nathan Brown of Horizon Media Group, finished the prototypes for the new site's look yesterday.  I almost cried with relief when I got the emails from him.  Although we still have a lot of work to do, I knew that our members would like this design.  It was so much more beautiful than I imagined!  It spells happiness and joy, a welcoming to the beauty that is so much what TAFA is all about!

The landing page has several versions, showing how the largest image will flash to different scenes:

Nathan basically plugged in different things he found from our links.  The Home Page will be the portal to the different hubs and features of the site.  We are working on much of that through a think tank group of TAFA members.  All along, as TAFA has developed and grown as an organization, members have had input and helped shape the direction.  It has truly been a great experiment in democracy!  Of course, I have to make many of the decisions, but I feel that I can do so from an informed place.  Our members are mature and have an extraordinary amount of knowledge, business savvy, and experience in the field.  I certainly could not have come this far on my own and every day I am grateful, humbled and honored by having this experience with TAFA and its members.

TAFA Member Profile Prototype

Right now, our members have their profiles on the site as a post, listing their background and internet sites.  At full functionality, each member will have their own landing page, highlighting their products and other online presence.  Member profiles will be like mini-websites.  All users will be able to register, sign in, save profiles and product that they like for further reference, leave comments and connect to each other.  We want to be able to integrate some of the best social media functions into the site.  That is what we still need to raise some money for...  and that is what will benefit the whole fiber art and textile community the most.  We hope that you will see how wonderful TAFA will be as a community hub.

Product search template for TAFA

Developing a smooth search system for TAFA products is the most challenging part of the site for us.  We have a think tank on facebook, a group of TAFA members, which has been discussing how to best set this up.  Language is important.  There will be two product areas on TAFA, the main search database that links back to member profiles and a market, much like the one we have set up temporarily, TAFA Market, which links to member shopping carts outside of the site.  One is basically to introduce member products and the other is for shopping.  The main search will also include books authored by members, videos, and so on.

Do you like what you see?  YOU can help us make TAFA the best it can be.  Donate to our campaign.

Go to the IndieGoGo Fundraiser

We only have a couple of days left.  Here is what you get with your donation:

• All donors will be listed permanently on a page on our new website.  You can see who has contributed so far by going here.
• $10 Donation: Name on the site
• $20 Donation: Name and link of choice on the site.
• $50 Donation:  Name, link and image on site.
• $100 Donation: Name, link, image and gift.  (See gifts listed.)
• $215 Donation: Name, link, image and 18 months of advertising.  (Less than $12 a month).

We still need to raise over $1,300, so any amount you can give will help us get closer to our goal.

The new site will still take a couple of months of work before we can launch it.  Meanwhile, visit our member profiles at TAFA List and shop from our TAFA Market.  You can also visit our Etsy member shops on our Team Blog.

Many thanks to all of you who have contributed and are making a wild and beautiful dream come true!

Visit the TAFA Market!

TAFA's New Website: The Prototype is Here!