Extinct section is extinct
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Sorry to be a contrary voice, but I found the 'extinct' section unbearable. So often I would type in '634', or 'Western', and I would have to scroll through reams of shit I couldn't buy anymore before I could get to what I actually wanted - yes, I was aware of the filter options.
It's very clear why people are upset - understandable, even - but maybe the extinct, or OG models, deserve their own section on the forum.
As a forward facing, no bullshit brand, it makes sense to have the website clear of the pieces that are no longer in circulation to make room for the new leaves to flourish, so to speak.
Just my opinion x
…I am drawn to IH because I view it as timeless classics. What IH made 10 years ago looks as good as the stuff made today. If IH were to move towards fast fashion, I feel it would hurt the overall brand and ethos. I may be misunderstanding your post, but the extinct items are the foundation of where IH is today and should not be forgotten.
Just my perspective.
I don't think they can or ever will be. But the only way we will continue to grow is to make the website as user friendly as possible to our new family members - you were one once. So they will get as excited about the SLBs, or the Indigo Blacks, or the Chore coats in the same way that you did about the pieces you love and cherished. I appreciate that we are all able to have friendly disagreements. It shows how much we all care.
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Well it certainly didn’t get in the way of the product pages. It was in an entirely separate section of the website. It would be really hard to confuse the extinct product pages for active products.
Anyway it sounds like the matter is settled.
Like I said, when you typed in a product, all the iterations of that product - predominantly extinct - would be at the top of the page. So not as hard as you claim. At least in my experience, anyway.
Stay well, friend.
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So maybe a filter could be put on the search function for only “in stock” items?
I gotta say I’ve never used the search function when the website has well ordered categories like “shirts” “tapered jeans” etc. Also, it doesn’t take much time to realize the new items are all in these sections, and there aren’t very many of them that are live at once. I’m curious how many folks really search for stuff this way.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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I also quite like the extinct section…. Use it often and already miss it. I keep forgetting and trying to pull it up
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Having previous seasons available is also interesting from a design/history perspective so another organising principle could be season. I do think that IH has a USP in archiving and making that archive accessible. Useful for measurements, but also useful for understanding how the direction of Haraki's thinking develops. I've used the extinct section to check measurements of a used item for sale somewhere as other people say they have here, but I have also found it interesting as a kind of visual library with all sorts of information, how cuts develop, what fabrics get used, which patterns are important, when things become more decadent or austere, how colour and shape are utilised…
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I don't look at the extinct section very often, but when I do, I'm glad it's there. I often compare old items to an item I'm about to purchase, so at least in my case, the extinct section has a direct influence on current sales.
It's hard to believe that only few hundred items is causing such major resource problems. Perhaps there are some issues with the database design. Has your IT team looked into this?
If the database can't be optimized, here are some possible solutions to make the extinct section more lightweight.
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Only include a single photo, the measurement table, and description for each product
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Disable filtering/grouping for extinct items and instead let the user scroll through them all until they find what they want.
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Create a PDF containing all the extinct products that's available for download.
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I said my piece at the start of the thread, but feel the need to expand on it.
The brand and its main source of income need to develop in order to stay ahead of the game. Forward facing like @Olly said. At the same time, history is important and remembering where you came from is useful.
From a consumer point of view I use the Extinct section for nearly every purchase I make. Just last night I missed it because I needed to compare a potential purchase with an item I’ve owned previously. The option to include archived items in comparisons is valuable to me.
The section as it was is a mare to browse, clunky and unresponsive. So I agree with @DrPat , if it can’t be modernised as is, then extracting a single picture and measurements and making a new streamlined database, compatible with the compare function would create an effective resource that stills serves as an archive.
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Think I’m just echoing the consensus here: loved having a mosey at the oldies, but the experience definitely felt bloated and clunky. Also agree with @Olly that it was a pain in the arse when searching the site and having to sift through bits you can’t buy anyway.
Having the history preserved elsewhere, be it a mirror/subdomain/child board whatever, would be perfect.
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Keep making cool stuff and I’ll be happy. For me the extinct item pages were a useful, but not unmissable, resource. If I find something on the aftermarket, I don’t see it as IHUKs responsibility to provide me the resources to make me confident in making the purchase. That’s on the seller and on me. As far as I can tell, the forum still provides enough info for me to browse and understand how things might fit/feel/age, and I actually quite enjoy doing the legwork.
I’m aware that this may not be the case for other members here, but just putting my two cents in.
