Website Design Ideas
- Thread starter Gerrit Gulden
- Start date
Gerrit Gulden
EF4
Ohh ok. So you guys think I should launch? If you look at the testsite link in my earlier posts youll see what I came up with as far as colors, design. Just dont want to launch if there are some eyesores.
let me know.. Thanks...
-gerrit
let me know.. Thanks...
-gerrit
Jordan Bell
EF0
while on this topic of website creation and layout... i am looking for some i guess you would call them Free Domain sites? anyone have any ideas?
Dean Baron
Supporter
Chris C Sanner
EF5
GREAT POST Darren! Just want to echo your comments!Honestly, the #1 thing that people could do to improve their designs is to learn the basic principles of visual design (and they aren't that hard): Contrast, Proximity, Alignment and Repetition. Once people understand what these 4 things mean, then they can have a reason for why/where you put things on the page and can stop just centering things because that's the only "special" alignment they know of.
Getting Robin William's book The Non-Designer's Design Book will show you before and after of each point and then you will know why you like some ads/web sites and not others. (Because they probably follow these basic principles). You will also look at things like magazine page layouts in a whole new way after grasping the principles of C.R.A.P.
For example: Your basic design has a couple of nice vertical alignment lines created by the columns. Those lines suggest two good places that you could have utilized in placing (and/or sizing) your new header graphic text. But you ignored them and centered the text (where the ends of the lines don't line up with any existing vertical alignment). Play around with that idea and see how much stronger the "whole" look becomes.
Gerrit, your site isn't all that bad as it stands right now...a few simple tweaks following the 'C.R.A.P.' principles will make it pretty strong overall. I don't think a complete redesign is necessary man
Darren Addy
EF5
Gee thanks, Chris!
(I just noticed that I did the principles in the wrong order which makes the acronym CPAR - not quite as memorable.) For those who don't like C.R.A.P. your alternative is C.A.R.P.
(not a bad thing, since one you learn these principles you will be constantly carping about them.) 
I think that all of us (well, most of us) are equipped to make value judgments on aesthetics of a web site, magazine layout, ad layout, etc.
In other words, we know what we like (looks good) as opposed to what we don't like (looks unappealing). But what most of us can't do (without a little training) is to explain WHY. What makes this look "good" as opposed to this looking "bad".
Generally, once you understand C.R.A.P. you can explain WHY. You can look at a web site, or magazine layout, or print ad, and view it through those different lenses:
How are they using/not-using: Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity? Once you can do that you can turn a critical eye on your own work.
It is not that there is only one way to do things. You could take 10 graphic/web designers and they will come up with 10 different designs/color schemes/etc. But if they are good, chances are it is because they all make use of those principles.
(I just noticed that I did the principles in the wrong order which makes the acronym CPAR - not quite as memorable.) For those who don't like C.R.A.P. your alternative is C.A.R.P.
(not a bad thing, since one you learn these principles you will be constantly carping about them.) I think that all of us (well, most of us) are equipped to make value judgments on aesthetics of a web site, magazine layout, ad layout, etc.
In other words, we know what we like (looks good) as opposed to what we don't like (looks unappealing). But what most of us can't do (without a little training) is to explain WHY. What makes this look "good" as opposed to this looking "bad".
Generally, once you understand C.R.A.P. you can explain WHY. You can look at a web site, or magazine layout, or print ad, and view it through those different lenses:
How are they using/not-using: Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity? Once you can do that you can turn a critical eye on your own work.
It is not that there is only one way to do things. You could take 10 graphic/web designers and they will come up with 10 different designs/color schemes/etc. But if they are good, chances are it is because they all make use of those principles.
Chris C Sanner
EF5
Haha, let's not stress over details of that Darren...I've always called the acronym C.R.A.P. because it explains why some web designs are...crap.
I also want to say this for ya Gerrit...KISS (Keep it simple stupid). Sometimes (actually most all the time) less is a lot more and it's a lot more classy and professional
Good luck man!
I also want to say this for ya Gerrit...KISS (Keep it simple stupid). Sometimes (actually most all the time) less is a lot more and it's a lot more classy and professional
Good luck man!
Jason Foster
I haven't skimmed over the latest comments, but I think you could go a little wider on the design if you wanted to. Not too many that have low resolution screens anymore. Same thing with dial-up, so I'm not as particular with that aspect myself anymore. I do try to make sure pages load quickly though.
Looks good though so far, I think at this point it's just a matter of tweaks that are ongoing that is typical of any site development.
Looks good though so far, I think at this point it's just a matter of tweaks that are ongoing that is typical of any site development.
Anthony Petito
EF4
I like this site: http://www.freecsstemplates.org
Picked a design that I liked and modified it to fit my needs.
Picked a design that I liked and modified it to fit my needs.
Gerrit Gulden
EF4
I went ahead and launched the new colors and layout throughout my entire website. I will be replacing some items here and there, but the overall layout is done. I just couldnt imagine anything else added unless I do a complete redesign and from the 3 hours of changing css code on my gallery and blog alone, 5 hours total with my entire website, I dont think a redesign is possible.
I do agree that my website could be wider, I will play around with that and see what I can come up with. Being such a noob as I am, I will do the adjustments to my testsite area.
Do you guys think the colors work? What do you think would make the site jump out more? I will be redoing my front page content with more stuff aimed at my website rather then the Noaawatch graphic, etc.
What tweaks do you guys recommend?
-gerrit
I do agree that my website could be wider, I will play around with that and see what I can come up with. Being such a noob as I am, I will do the adjustments to my testsite area.
Do you guys think the colors work? What do you think would make the site jump out more? I will be redoing my front page content with more stuff aimed at my website rather then the Noaawatch graphic, etc.
What tweaks do you guys recommend?
-gerrit
Gerrit Gulden
EF4
Just finished widening my design. I went to 850 pixels wide. Didnt want to go too wide. Check it out and let me know what you think?
-gerrit
-gerrit
Jason Boggs
Looks good Gerrit, I like it a lot.
Gerrit Gulden
EF4
Thanks bro. It turned out be a speedy fix and the results couldnt be better. Im very pleased....
-gerrit
-gerrit
Jason Foster
Yeah, I like it.....great start for a launch. And with time, it only gets better. Just remember, it's all about the content too. Good quality content.
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