Boomstein

What do you think of this new website I made:

bluedawnmedia.net

Shoot, I can take it.

alyCe

My first impression was that it was a bit messy, and I didn't 'get' what the site was about at all. I think you should go one of two ways: either make it more accessible and logic or make it even more mysterious and wierd. right now it looks, to be quite honest a little bit generic web 2.0. I think the header is too big in comparison to the rest of the site, try making it a bit smaller and more subtle. Also I think the dropshadow/outerglow-effect on the thumbnails are a bit too much, pick one and make it a bit more subtle.

Oh, and is there a reason why parts of the header seems to a be a flash-element?

But I would think more of the overal concept of the page rather than the details. I'd say either tone it down or up. There is nothing wrong about simple, and there is nothing wrong with creative, but this looks a bit "standard" if you get what I mean.

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glunge

Gino

My suggestions:

1. I would remove the all drop shadows which would instantly make the site look cleaner.

2. Move the navigation system under the portfolio up top somewhere.

3. Maybe add a tag line somewhere or a subheading to give people a quick idea of what the site is about.

Hope this helps!

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DESIGN BLOG // T SHIRT BLOG // ANIMAL PRINT SHIRTS

Boomstein

Thanks guys for those tips! I will look at the design again with those in mind. If anyone else has more input on this, you're welcome to share them.

I knew something was off with the design of this site, and it's not really clear what it's about, now is it? But how would you formulate this... The site isn't about one specific topic, but rather a collection of small informational bits most people would otherwise never find out about, with a focus on the image...

Or is that a usable introduction text by itself...?

Nathan

I agree about getting rid of some of the drop shadows, or at least lightening them considerably. I'm not sure how well the tans and purples in the header graphic work with the rest of the page, which is largely greys. Maybe consider adding more color elsewhere to tie it in, or going with a less earth-toned scheme for that graphic.

Boomstein

Alright, tried out a few things now, removed the shadow under the thumbs and replaced them with simple borders. I also resized the top header graphic a bit, it was too big indeed. And I added a short line to it stating what the site is about, in general, what the aim is.

As always your feedback is much appreciated.

Agilius

I liked the content are background and the header. The look professionally design and give the site a decent and interesting look. They really kept my attention, however the site's background it's to plain. It's almost as if the header would be from a site and the rest of the page would be from another site. There is no "linking" between the header and the content area in my opinion.

Good job with the design, but it needs a bit more work, try to do something with the sidebar border - the panel where you have the small thumbs of the pictures - and make the elements of the site stand out a bit more.

Good luck

Boomstein

Thanks for your input Agilius. I've been trying that, finding some way to connect the header to the content more, but it didn't work out quite well. Maybe I can come up with something overnight, and if not... The person I made this for is already very happy with it

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Against Boredom Even Gods Struggle In Vain -- F. Nietzsche

seanHodge

I believe this site would benefit from formating it like a photo blog. I suggest that you do some research in that area.

Its unusual to have photo only links. I also felt that there was no explanation of the site when I get there. A clear introduction message and formulating this site under something the user will expect will greatly improve it.

Stylistically, you could keep it the same. Just work on adding text explanation and formating the content.

Otherwise its an interesting topic and I think it would make a good blog. Good Job.

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Sean Hodge
AiBURN - Illustrator On Fire
Connection Cube - Graphic and Web Design Services

Boomstein

Thank you for your constructive critique Sean. I was already thinking of re-doing the way we display content, especially since the author of the site now also wants to put different types of content in it, not just the photos. Perhaps I will switch to a more classic way of displaying things, like you said, like a blog. Should you have any more tips, I'd be happy to read them

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Against Boredom Even Gods Struggle In Vain -- F. Nietzsche