Web Design Forums

e.boal · 12-03-2007, 18:39

I am in the process of building a website for a church.

This is the draft design im working at...any comments much appreciated!

emmajg · 12-03-2007, 18:47

There's much too much going on for my taste - a lot of features to take in, mixed with a lot of colour.

I would prefer to see the multi-colour on the navigation, but the colours toned down elsewhere - especially as you've chosen very bright tones. That could be considered a personal taste thing though.

e.boal · 12-03-2007, 18:53

This is of course, the homepage. They wanted the welcome feature to be quite clear. I matched the colour in the footer as the page was too top heavy. I am wondering if I should change the image repeat in the background at the top? Any suggestions?

emmajg · 12-03-2007, 19:17

It's not just the welcome message. Its the clash of navigation tabs, welcome message, events bar, site tools... its just a bit much.

I'm not sure what you mean about the image repeat?

bgw · 12-03-2007, 19:23

Too much colour. Its too much as you scroll down. The sidebars purple and blue heading backgrounds are a bit bright, and the 'coming events' purple and blue are much the same (the blue rows particularly).

EDIT: Forgot to give a positive. I like the layout and design, just those colours. Good stuff.

e.boal · 12-03-2007, 20:06

Glad the layout and design is ok! I have subsequently ditched the flashing on the menus. I figured it might be enough if the text mouseover colour was different for each one. The content is not so extraneous that it needs to be so differentiated I suppose.

I agree about the colours on the side bar and the headings. Perhaps the Quick Reference Guide and Coming Events should both be black? I do think the sidebar items should be a colour but perhaps a lighter palette? I am wondering if the welcome area should be a dark colour - good contrast!?

Emma, the image repeat I was referring to is the blue flash that runs across the screen at the top and frames the heading.

Cheers!

emmajg · 12-03-2007, 20:48

I think making them both black would be worth trying out. Maybe just try the sidebar items have a more muted tone of colour?

You could definitely try the welcome area as a darker colour. If you had the welcome area, quick reference and coming events the same (maybe a dark grey rather than black) it might spread more continuity on the page.

If you were going to anything with the image repeat maybe just remove it altogether. If you lifted the bar with 'bangor' so it was right at the top of the page, and then just had a grey background..

I agree with bgw though, I like the general layout and your use of icons, its just the colours I'm not comfortable with.

doodler · 13-03-2007, 00:28

Kill the blue at the top of the page and consider giving your site 150px more room to breathe. All you need is for your main content to fit on 800px wide if you're really conservative, or 900px if you'd like to ignore stupid old people.

Also cut down on really bright, saturated backgrounds unless your color contrast is perfect.

John Good · 13-03-2007, 00:48

a church ? design (particularly color scheme) seems inapropriate.
Pgo is the church pro here, ask him some tips.

u982744 · 13-03-2007, 06:10

its a do over in my books. and is it just me or is this image a crappy 32 colour gif? Or was the banding of colour all over the place intended???

steveb · 13-03-2007, 06:17

For a church, you say? Then it's God-awful.
But who cares? Churchgoers gobble up smeary tracts, horrible illiterate announcements about redemption etc so absolutely anything goes. It doesn't matter one whit what it looks like.

bender · 13-03-2007, 07:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by u982744

its a do over in my books. and is it just me or is this image a crappy 32 colour gif? Or was the banding of colour all over the place intended???

I believe the guy has his screen set at 16bits. Which is pretty damn dumb if he does design for a living.

e.boal · 13-03-2007, 07:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by bender

I believe the guy has his screen set at 16bits. Which is pretty damn dumb if he does design for a living.

Uh-huh...I believe that the limit for putting an image on here is 100kb and the only way I could get a Fireworks png to get on here was to convert is to GIF 128 so it would come down to 80kb! Dont patronise me.

Thank you all for your largely useful critique. Church websites are by and large (with the exception of a small few) badly designed. They wanted a site with a contemporary edge that was tidy and cheerful. I am working at implementing some of your suggestions.

e.boal · 13-03-2007, 07:18

Oh and by the way steveb...assuming you are a designer...your opinion about the content of a church website or no need for design is bullocks. You take a brief from your client and you give them the best site you can give them for what they pay you. A church is a client like any other.

For your interest I am a lawyer, not a designer (everyone needs an interest)

steveb · 13-03-2007, 07:22

My apologies -no personal offence intended.

e.boal · 13-03-2007, 07:25

None taken! Just saying my piece! I am working at the design to get it right and I can accept any criticism put my way!

u982744 · 13-03-2007, 07:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveb

My apologies -no personal offence intended.

As a rule I try to avoid upsetting lawyers as well...

e.boal · 13-03-2007, 07:33

We're not all bad!

u982744 · 13-03-2007, 08:15

hehe!

couldn't help it

bender · 13-03-2007, 08:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by e.boal

Uh-huh...I believe that the limit for putting an image on here is 100kb and the only way I could get a Fireworks png to get on here was to convert is to GIF 128 so it would come down to 80kb! Dont patronise me.

Ok, I understand. It would have been easier to simply use an image hosting service.

12-03-2007, 18:39	#1 (permalink)
e.boal Loveable loser. Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Newcastle Posts: 231	Critique I am in the process of building a website for a church. This is the draft design im working at...any comments much appreciated! Attached Thumbnails

13-03-2007, 00:48	#9 (permalink)
John Good + Join Date: May 2005 Location: Tropical Networks Posts: 1,424	a church ? design (particularly color scheme) seems inapropriate. Pgo is the church pro here, ask him some tips. __________________ Fonts are like cologne: A bad choice speaks louder than a good one. Justin Feinstein

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12-03-2007, 18:47	#2 (permalink)
emmajg Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: York/ London Posts: 48	There's much too much going on for my taste - a lot of features to take in, mixed with a lot of colour. I would prefer to see the multi-colour on the navigation, but the colours toned down elsewhere - especially as you've chosen very bright tones. That could be considered a personal taste thing though.

12-03-2007, 18:53	#3 (permalink)
e.boal Loveable loser. Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Newcastle Posts: 231	This is of course, the homepage. They wanted the welcome feature to be quite clear. I matched the colour in the footer as the page was too top heavy. I am wondering if I should change the image repeat in the background at the top? Any suggestions?

12-03-2007, 19:17	#4 (permalink)
emmajg Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: York/ London Posts: 48	It's not just the welcome message. Its the clash of navigation tabs, welcome message, events bar, site tools... its just a bit much. I'm not sure what you mean about the image repeat?

12-03-2007, 19:23	#5 (permalink)
bgw Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: scotland Posts: 47	Too much colour. Its too much as you scroll down. The sidebars purple and blue heading backgrounds are a bit bright, and the 'coming events' purple and blue are much the same (the blue rows particularly). EDIT: Forgot to give a positive. I like the layout and design, just those colours. Good stuff.

12-03-2007, 20:06	#6 (permalink)
e.boal Loveable loser. Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Newcastle Posts: 231	Glad the layout and design is ok! I have subsequently ditched the flashing on the menus. I figured it might be enough if the text mouseover colour was different for each one. The content is not so extraneous that it needs to be so differentiated I suppose. I agree about the colours on the side bar and the headings. Perhaps the Quick Reference Guide and Coming Events should both be black? I do think the sidebar items should be a colour but perhaps a lighter palette? I am wondering if the welcome area should be a dark colour - good contrast!? Emma, the image repeat I was referring to is the blue flash that runs across the screen at the top and frames the heading. Cheers!

12-03-2007, 20:48	#7 (permalink)
emmajg Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: York/ London Posts: 48	I think making them both black would be worth trying out. Maybe just try the sidebar items have a more muted tone of colour? You could definitely try the welcome area as a darker colour. If you had the welcome area, quick reference and coming events the same (maybe a dark grey rather than black) it might spread more continuity on the page. If you were going to anything with the image repeat maybe just remove it altogether. If you lifted the bar with 'bangor' so it was right at the top of the page, and then just had a grey background.. I agree with bgw though, I like the general layout and your use of icons, its just the colours I'm not comfortable with.

13-03-2007, 00:28	#8 (permalink)
doodler Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 62	Kill the blue at the top of the page and consider giving your site 150px more room to breathe. All you need is for your main content to fit on 800px wide if you're really conservative, or 900px if you'd like to ignore stupid old people. Also cut down on really bright, saturated backgrounds unless your color contrast is perfect.

13-03-2007, 06:10	#10 (permalink)
u982744 B&W Solutions Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Canberra Posts: 213	its a do over in my books. and is it just me or is this image a crappy 32 colour gif? Or was the banding of colour all over the place intended???

13-03-2007, 06:17	#11 (permalink)
steveb 389 ppm and rising Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Järvenpää, Finland Posts: 4,522	For a church, you say? Then it's God-awful. But who cares? Churchgoers gobble up smeary tracts, horrible illiterate announcements about redemption etc so absolutely anything goes. It doesn't matter one whit what it looks like.

13-03-2007, 07:18	#14 (permalink)
e.boal Loveable loser. Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Newcastle Posts: 231	Oh and by the way steveb...assuming you are a designer...your opinion about the content of a church website or no need for design is bullocks. You take a brief from your client and you give them the best site you can give them for what they pay you. A church is a client like any other. For your interest I am a lawyer, not a designer (everyone needs an interest)

13-03-2007, 07:22	#15 (permalink)
steveb 389 ppm and rising Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Järvenpää, Finland Posts: 4,522	My apologies -no personal offence intended.

13-03-2007, 07:25	#16 (permalink)
e.boal Loveable loser. Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Newcastle Posts: 231	None taken! Just saying my piece! I am working at the design to get it right and I can accept any criticism put my way!

13-03-2007, 07:33	#18 (permalink)
e.boal Loveable loser. Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Newcastle Posts: 231	We're not all bad!

13-03-2007, 08:15	#19 (permalink)
u982744 B&W Solutions Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Canberra Posts: 213	hehe! couldn't help it

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