Web Design Forums

ggmike · 31-01-2006, 21:53

Hi guys, some of you will remember my last post about this which you can see here .

We took your advice and tried not to mess with the design too much, so I wanted to present our latest efforts and hopefully get some more feedback (good or bad).

Anyways... we've got 2 styles we've been playing with. Here goes:

Option 1

Option 2

NOTE - THIS HAS BEEN UPDATED. NEW LINKS ARE BELOW

Here's the new version:

Home Page

Sub-Page

What do you guys think?

jthomas · 01-02-2006, 01:44

mx · 01-02-2006, 05:58

1

not sure about the green and orange, but heyho

datahound · 01-02-2006, 08:28

both are good but i think the green area outlines should be the same green as the header section, tonally to me they don't look right.

liquidfusion · 01-02-2006, 09:24

Option 1 matey

ggmike · 01-02-2006, 15:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by max h

1

not sure about the green and orange, but heyho

What part of the Green and Orange doesn't mix? Are you talking about the 2 colors in general, or are you referring to the orange bars at the top or the orange mixed in with the green navigation?

mx · 02-02-2006, 05:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by ggmike

What part of the Green and Orange doesn't mix? Are you talking about the 2 colors in general, or are you referring to the orange bars at the top or the orange mixed in with the green navigation?

Both. on a second look I think it is more the orange bars at the top, but it just feels to me as though they don't sit particularly well together in that particular design.

ggmike · 06-02-2006, 19:28

Ok made a few changes to add some more depth and tie it all in together just a little bit better. Got rid of the orange bars at the top, but we kept the orange in the nav because these are our company colors and they "felt right" so hopefuly it's not too much of an eyesore.

Here's the new version:

Home Page

Sub-Page

What do you guys think?

Brown · 06-02-2006, 19:31

how are you planning on coding those scroll bars?

why does the client login need to be so prominent?

ggmike · 06-02-2006, 19:51

Scrollbars will be javascript / xhtml, client login doesn't need to be so prominent, but I put it there for 2 reasons:

1) I needed something to fill that space

2) This kind of highlights the fact that we are process driven and use extranet tools to manage our projects.

Any recommendations?

j_polo9 · 06-02-2006, 20:31

its a solid site, i like the header and the colours. Good corporate-ish site but not much happening.

mx · 06-02-2006, 20:33

a lot better.

I'd swap round the client login and the latest news boxes though.

pgo · 07-02-2006, 00:09

Liking them. One suggestion - try decreasing the width of the darker green stroke around the rounded rectangles. Feels a bit fat to me.

i3lance · 07-02-2006, 06:09

1. Nuff said

Brown · 07-02-2006, 08:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by ggmike

1) I needed something to fill that space

that's not a great reason now is it. have a search for some articles on information design, draw up some wireframes of the content that you *need* to have on each page and then design around that accordingly.

as a digital designer are creating an interface to information, if you're adding information for the hell of it, its either going to confuse the visitor or interrupt the natural narrative of the site.

ggmike · 07-02-2006, 13:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brown

that's not a great reason now is it. have a search for some articles on information design, draw up some wireframes of the content that you *need* to have on each page and then design around that accordingly.

as a digital designer are creating an interface to information, if you're adding information for the hell of it, its either going to confuse the visitor or interrupt the natural narrative of the site.

No, that's not a great reason, but I'm consciously breaking the rule because it communicate's something about the company that I want to make clear to new customers (that we are process driven). Also - I might replace this with something else down the line... just wanted to get this "done" so to speak and move on to building it.

One more thing, my biz partner wanted to see a "clean" version without inner shadows and gradients, so here it is:

http://www.rebornstudio.com/newdesign/newreborn3b.jpg

Do you guys prefer the "clean version" or the one with a "little more depth"?

BTW - Other comments and suggestions were fully appreciated and are being tried out at the moment. Thanks for all of the feedback guys!!

jthomas · 07-02-2006, 15:32

Loses it's "bam!" with the dull content boxes. You took the contrast away. Content blends together. I say Option 1 still. Keep the white in the content. Maybe lose the borders too, or at least make them thinner. Let the product ad take the stage, instead of your box designs.

davidvesty · 13-02-2006, 08:05

the usual look and feel of a website nowadays, looks like a million on CSS portals and I'm bored of it, the nav looks like vista site, the colours are not fab and why oh why do we have to have a leaf or a tree in headers - can we have a new wave soon please!

jthomas · 13-02-2006, 22:02

Well, if the sites in the "featured projects" section are originals by you, I'd say you're fine, and that you don't need to be concerned about "new waves." You seem to use a broad enough range of style. I still like option 1 the best, personally.

@davidvesty:
This wave has me curious. If this is design is a "wave", and you're tired of it, why ask for a new one? Something that comes to my mind is that attractive is attactive, especially to people who don't know to think as deep as wether it's a wave or not. This is personal opinion of course, and I don't mean any offense to your opinion. Is it time to move on yet? And what is a "new wave" that you, personally have gone to in new designs that you do, leaving this "old wave" behind? Just something out of the ordinary and unique? I'm not being sarcastic, I'm sincerely curious.

davidvesty · 14-02-2006, 09:45

JT::

FOR ME?? wave = design and web trends, its not so much apparent in print design but its everywhere and always will be, the ATTIK and VIR21 started one in the nineties with all the geometric shapes and extreme photoshop - then we saw fukin thousands, Designers republic started another with modern illustrations, again we saw it everywhere. I know its also driven by the technology we use EG: CSS, but surely we can use different imagery at least??? and maybe style the logo without using leafs as a topic which has nothing to do with the content of a portfolio or personal site.

I mean why leafs, I have seen so many sites that have a tree or a leaf in the top bar but they have nothing to do with anything organic or even green, its because they have seen it alot somewhere, no thought about why, just "I see a lot of these I think I have one". LOOK AT netdiver, they do top bars the way a design site should be, they have been designed as an individual piece of art and its always different, whether its typography or an illustration

I know design IS fashion and it is about trends and you are right attractive is attractive, but narrowing it down to a a subject matter like a bloody leaf is just straight up copying. And are we as designers not meant to innovate as well, its not just about being pretty

In my opinion web design especially is GUILTY of ripping off each other mainly due to the vast amount of reference out there (whether its visual or code) and self taught designers. This as you said is ALL personal opinion but I do feel strongly and when I do my college visits and lectures I say the same thing to them, "look at and use the trend yes! BUT AT LEAST put your own visual stamp on it! (if its a personnel project!)

sorry to go on but you did ask

31-01-2006, 21:53	#1 (permalink)
ggmike Registered User Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 16	Second attempt at site redesign Hi guys, some of you will remember my last post about this which you can see here . We took your advice and tried not to mess with the design too much, so I wanted to present our latest efforts and hopefully get some more feedback (good or bad). Anyways... we've got 2 styles we've been playing with. Here goes: Option 1 Option 2 NOTE - THIS HAS BEEN UPDATED. NEW LINKS ARE BELOW Here's the new version: Home Page Sub-Page What do you guys think? Last edited by ggmike : 06-02-2006 at 19:30.

06-02-2006, 19:28	#8 (permalink)
ggmike Registered User Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 16	Ok - One Last Revision Ok made a few changes to add some more depth and tie it all in together just a little bit better. Got rid of the orange bars at the top, but we kept the orange in the nav because these are our company colors and they "felt right" so hopefuly it's not too much of an eyesore. Here's the new version: Home Page Sub-Page What do you guys think?

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01-02-2006, 01:44	#2 (permalink)
jthomas coffee is not a crime Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Illinois, USA Posts: 455	1

01-02-2006, 05:58	#3 (permalink)
mx fucksocks™ Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: in the boosh Posts: 1,632	1 not sure about the green and orange, but heyho

01-02-2006, 08:28	#4 (permalink)
datahound Spare Parts Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Bracknell Forest Posts: 5,145	both are good but i think the green area outlines should be the same green as the header section, tonally to me they don't look right.

01-02-2006, 09:24	#5 (permalink)
liquidfusion Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 149	Option 1 matey

06-02-2006, 19:31	#9 (permalink)
Brown volkswagen yellow & gold Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: london, england. Posts: 6,147	how are you planning on coding those scroll bars? why does the client login need to be so prominent?

06-02-2006, 19:51	#10 (permalink)
ggmike Registered User Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 16	Scrollbars will be javascript / xhtml, client login doesn't need to be so prominent, but I put it there for 2 reasons: 1) I needed something to fill that space 2) This kind of highlights the fact that we are process driven and use extranet tools to manage our projects. Any recommendations?

06-02-2006, 20:31	#11 (permalink)
j_polo9 j_polo9 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NorCal Posts: 124	its a solid site, i like the header and the colours. Good corporate-ish site but not much happening.

06-02-2006, 20:33	#12 (permalink)
mx fucksocks™ Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: in the boosh Posts: 1,632	a lot better. I'd swap round the client login and the latest news boxes though.

07-02-2006, 00:09	#13 (permalink)
pgo Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 12,340	Liking them. One suggestion - try decreasing the width of the darker green stroke around the rounded rectangles. Feels a bit fat to me.

07-02-2006, 06:09	#14 (permalink)
i3lance Read between da lines! Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: UK, former Londoner Posts: 849	1. Nuff said

07-02-2006, 15:32	#17 (permalink)
jthomas coffee is not a crime Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Illinois, USA Posts: 455	Loses it's "bam!" with the dull content boxes. You took the contrast away. Content blends together. I say Option 1 still. Keep the white in the content. Maybe lose the borders too, or at least make them thinner. Let the product ad take the stage, instead of your box designs.

13-02-2006, 08:05	#18 (permalink)
davidvesty MrMulder Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Preston Posts: 124	the usual look and feel of a website nowadays, looks like a million on CSS portals and I'm bored of it, the nav looks like vista site, the colours are not fab and why oh why do we have to have a leaf or a tree in headers - can we have a new wave soon please!

13-02-2006, 22:02	#19 (permalink)
jthomas coffee is not a crime Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Illinois, USA Posts: 455	Well, if the sites in the "featured projects" section are originals by you, I'd say you're fine, and that you don't need to be concerned about "new waves." You seem to use a broad enough range of style. I still like option 1 the best, personally. @davidvesty: This wave has me curious. If this is design is a "wave", and you're tired of it, why ask for a new one? Something that comes to my mind is that attractive is attactive, especially to people who don't know to think as deep as wether it's a wave or not. This is personal opinion of course, and I don't mean any offense to your opinion. Is it time to move on yet? And what is a "new wave" that you, personally have gone to in new designs that you do, leaving this "old wave" behind? Just something out of the ordinary and unique? I'm not being sarcastic, I'm sincerely curious.

14-02-2006, 09:45	#20 (permalink)
davidvesty MrMulder Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Preston Posts: 124	JT:: FOR ME?? wave = design and web trends, its not so much apparent in print design but its everywhere and always will be, the ATTIK and VIR21 started one in the nineties with all the geometric shapes and extreme photoshop - then we saw fukin thousands, Designers republic started another with modern illustrations, again we saw it everywhere. I know its also driven by the technology we use EG: CSS, but surely we can use different imagery at least??? and maybe style the logo without using leafs as a topic which has nothing to do with the content of a portfolio or personal site. I mean why leafs, I have seen so many sites that have a tree or a leaf in the top bar but they have nothing to do with anything organic or even green, its because they have seen it alot somewhere, no thought about why, just "I see a lot of these I think I have one". LOOK AT netdiver, they do top bars the way a design site should be, they have been designed as an individual piece of art and its always different, whether its typography or an illustration I know design IS fashion and it is about trends and you are right attractive is attractive, but narrowing it down to a a subject matter like a bloody leaf is just straight up copying. And are we as designers not meant to innovate as well, its not just about being pretty In my opinion web design especially is GUILTY of ripping off each other mainly due to the vast amount of reference out there (whether its visual or code) and self taught designers. This as you said is ALL personal opinion but I do feel strongly and when I do my college visits and lectures I say the same thing to them, "look at and use the trend yes! BUT AT LEAST put your own visual stamp on it! (if its a personnel project!) sorry to go on but you did ask

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