Web Design Forums

jthomas · 07-02-2006, 18:23

I'd like to get a crit before I present this to them as a concept for their site, and before I start coding it. This is a re-design. I was asked to simplify the current website this company has. Be careful visiting that site. It's a blood site done majorly in...you guessed it...red. And here's the kicker, there's a heartbeat sound that plays EVERY TIME YOU CLICK A LINK!

Here's the re-design concept (jpg)

sub · 07-02-2006, 20:22

Sorry JT, but I prefer the original. I would say the re-design looks a hell of lot busier than the current website and although blue is a more approachable colour I think the red pretty much works with the concept.

pgo · 07-02-2006, 20:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by subcircle

Sorry JT, but I prefer the original. I would say the re-design looks a hell of lot busier than the current website and although blue is a more approachable colour I think the red pretty much works with the concept.

Seconded.

jthomas · 07-02-2006, 20:49

Beautiful. I'm glad I haven't started coding yet then. The real problem is trying to figure out how to donate blood on the original site. When you click "donate blood" it shoves a bunch of facts about blood in front of you. Most of their customers come to their site to figure out where to go to donate blood, or when a blood drive is coming through, not to recieve an education. You actually have to go 4 nav items deep to finally figure out how you can get your blood to these people.

Also, they are moving to a blue color theme for all print, and they want mostly blue on the site, with a touch of red.

So my primary goals were to tell the people that are there to donate blood how they can do so, right there on the front page, but also to provide some quick links for new comers to the site.

If you browse the original, it's jam-packed full of facts and paragraphs of who knows what. What's a good angle to approach something like this when simplifying is the goal?

I'll re-approach it. Thanks guys.

pgo · 07-02-2006, 23:18

If I were doing this, I'd keep the concept basically the same. It works. However, I'd size down that Flash banner as all the content and most of the navigation is below the fold.

Simplify the copy, simplify navigation. Read up on usability, etc.

jthomas · 07-02-2006, 23:37

Appreciated.

pgo · 08-02-2006, 21:29

Any time.

j_polo9 · 09-02-2006, 04:05

lol ur description almost scared me from looking. Despite a few problems on the current i like it. Yours looks good but it almost lacks focus. I like the feel of it though, its less depressing to look at. Yea i think if you could combine the good elements of the old site (layout, basic colour scheme, bg, menu) with some good elements of yours( ? mark and drop of blood, boxed in site, thick strokes separating sections, little text, etc.) it will look really nice.

pat · 09-02-2006, 11:35

Prefer the colours and graphics, but the content is worse than the original - get some more interesting fonts in there for header text.

jthomas · 09-02-2006, 14:54

Thanks guys. Here's some more info. I can't use a lot of the old stuff (flash, graphics, etc...). It belongs to the company that created it in the first place. They made a custom design. New goals are: CICBC would like to be able to update the page themselves. They want to do this so that they can stop paying $75/hour for updates. They have someone on staff that has used dreamweaver, and I have offered to train them. I could rip the old design off, but I'll probably just re-approach the one I have made. They don't need anything fancy to be able to update it themselves. They just want to update things like a news item every now and then. I don't think it would be too hard to deliver that for them.

I accept and agree with using the original for most of it, but I don't think I'll be able to. So, with that in mind, I'll just be coming up with a re-design, keeping the color theme of the new one. It has to be blues with a touch of red.

Agree with fonts. I'm not quite the font artist yet. Suggestions welcome.

Again, thanks for the insight.

07-02-2006, 18:23	#1 (permalink)
jthomas coffee is not a crime Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Illinois, USA Posts: 455	crit (with explanation) I'd like to get a crit before I present this to them as a concept for their site, and before I start coding it. This is a re-design. I was asked to simplify the current website this company has. Be careful visiting that site. It's a blood site done majorly in...you guessed it...red. And here's the kicker, there's a heartbeat sound that plays EVERY TIME YOU CLICK A LINK! Here's the re-design concept (jpg)

09-02-2006, 11:35	#9 (permalink)
pat jorge regula Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: B'ham/Leeds Posts: 4,860	Prefer the colours and graphics, but the content is worse than the original - get some more interesting fonts in there for header text. __________________

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07-02-2006, 20:22	#2 (permalink)
sub Shitcasket™ Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Brighton Posts: 4,263	Sorry JT, but I prefer the original. I would say the re-design looks a hell of lot busier than the current website and although blue is a more approachable colour I think the red pretty much works with the concept.

07-02-2006, 20:49	#4 (permalink)
jthomas coffee is not a crime Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Illinois, USA Posts: 455	Beautiful. I'm glad I haven't started coding yet then. The real problem is trying to figure out how to donate blood on the original site. When you click "donate blood" it shoves a bunch of facts about blood in front of you. Most of their customers come to their site to figure out where to go to donate blood, or when a blood drive is coming through, not to recieve an education. You actually have to go 4 nav items deep to finally figure out how you can get your blood to these people. Also, they are moving to a blue color theme for all print, and they want mostly blue on the site, with a touch of red. So my primary goals were to tell the people that are there to donate blood how they can do so, right there on the front page, but also to provide some quick links for new comers to the site. If you browse the original, it's jam-packed full of facts and paragraphs of who knows what. What's a good angle to approach something like this when simplifying is the goal? I'll re-approach it. Thanks guys.

07-02-2006, 23:18	#5 (permalink)
pgo Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 12,340	If I were doing this, I'd keep the concept basically the same. It works. However, I'd size down that Flash banner as all the content and most of the navigation is below the fold. Simplify the copy, simplify navigation. Read up on usability, etc.

07-02-2006, 23:37	#6 (permalink)
jthomas coffee is not a crime Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Illinois, USA Posts: 455	Appreciated.

08-02-2006, 21:29	#7 (permalink)
pgo Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 12,340	Any time.

09-02-2006, 04:05	#8 (permalink)
j_polo9 j_polo9 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NorCal Posts: 124	lol ur description almost scared me from looking. Despite a few problems on the current i like it. Yours looks good but it almost lacks focus. I like the feel of it though, its less depressing to look at. Yea i think if you could combine the good elements of the old site (layout, basic colour scheme, bg, menu) with some good elements of yours( ? mark and drop of blood, boxed in site, thick strokes separating sections, little text, etc.) it will look really nice.

09-02-2006, 14:54	#10 (permalink)
jthomas coffee is not a crime Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Illinois, USA Posts: 455	Thanks guys. Here's some more info. I can't use a lot of the old stuff (flash, graphics, etc...). It belongs to the company that created it in the first place. They made a custom design. New goals are: CICBC would like to be able to update the page themselves. They want to do this so that they can stop paying $75/hour for updates. They have someone on staff that has used dreamweaver, and I have offered to train them. I could rip the old design off, but I'll probably just re-approach the one I have made. They don't need anything fancy to be able to update it themselves. They just want to update things like a news item every now and then. I don't think it would be too hard to deliver that for them. I accept and agree with using the original for most of it, but I don't think I'll be able to. So, with that in mind, I'll just be coming up with a re-design, keeping the color theme of the new one. It has to be blues with a touch of red. Agree with fonts. I'm not quite the font artist yet. Suggestions welcome. Again, thanks for the insight.

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