Web Design blog from someone who is new to wordpress – feedback please

So what’s the link then? ??

Haha.. I am quite a blog today.. FIRST i realized that ityped HTML code in design mode on my ABOUT page, now i see that I forgot the link!!

Here’s the link

I was looking at other folks blogs, and I think I am going to keep the layout, but loose the banner image and the colors.. But i am REALLY open to ideas and suggestions..

PS. the distorted thumbnail images will be fixed too..

I dont know if ANYONE looks at my site, but i did a COMPLETE overhaul.. It still needs work, but it looks ENTIRE different, but a lot more “design friendly”

Looks okay but maybe a little less clutter and some more space maybe…

the layout is nice, but I find the design a bit overwhelming. You might try using more greyed out background colors, or more restrained elements in some places. The patterns are ornate — and nice to look at — but in combination with the high contrast black and white, it is too much.

I don’t care for the drop shadows on the side menu, and I don’t think they really go with the other elements.

I think overall you have a good sense of design in making the site exciting looking, but it’s not good to have design elements overwhelm the content.

The banner is fun and cool, btw.

thanks so much for your critique

StrangeAttractor, its interesting that you mention the box headers. i say this because other people have said that they like it and its a nice touch and brings it away from the basic box oulines.

I am also glad you like the banner.. I love doing designs like that..

as for background colors, i am confused, i am using VERY VERY subtle background colors (except the outside background) can you explain that alittle more??

as for background colors, i am confused, i am using VERY VERY subtle background colors (except the outside background) can you explain that alittle more??

Sorry, I shouldn’t have generalized. I meant THE background, the outside one. The contrast is very high and it’s a striking pattern, so it distracts from the content, in my opinion. I felt similarly about some of the borders, like the one used for the footer.

StrangeAttractor, its interesting that you mention the box headers. i say this because other people have said that they like it and its a nice touch and brings it away from the basic box oulines.

Well, they are nice looking for sure. It’s that I felt they didn’t go well with the rest of the design. However, since my main critique of the main background is that it is too bold and high contrast, it is possible that the side bar headers would look more in place if the background were toned down.

PS Please take my opinion — and all opinions — with a big grain of salt. It’s always easy to criticize. The overall design is very nice, and of high quality. So these things come down to matters of opinion. Ultimately, you have to go with your gut — what you think works well, not what others do.

(I have spent some time in writing workshops, watching writers water down their best writing in response to critiques, so I’m always wary of design-by-committee, which is sometimes what critique sessions turn into.)

I do really appreciate ALL solid critiques, and yours is a god one. Atleast its well thought out and not a just “I dont like the way it looks”

The bottom bar was something I added kind of for fun, but i put it at the footer because it will not be in your face, AND theres not much down there.

I didnt thing the outter BG was that bad because I made the patters white and then made it about 20% opaque in photoshop. I am wondering if it looks brighter on certain monitors becase on my monitor you can HARDLY see the design. You almost have to turn the screen to notice it.

I didnt thing the outter BG was that bad because I made the patters white and then made it about 20% opaque in photoshop. I am wondering if it looks brighter on certain monitors becase on my monitor you can HARDLY see the design. You almost have to turn the screen to notice it.

I use Photoshop a lot, and it does look like about 20% opacity to me — but on my monitor, that’s bright enough to be quite noticable.

Sigh — that’s something that’s always driven me crazy about web design — you really have no idea what it’s going to look like on someone else’s monitor. A client will say — that looks too (bright/dark/red/etc), because it looks that way on their monitor. I guess that’s why a lot of people go for a minimalist look…

And I never quite know how to set my own monitor up, optimally. Not that it matters, I guess. Someone else will have something different.

You can actually get a monitor calibrator from most of the printers websites. Millers Labs will send you their stuff for free i think. I dont THINK you need an account.

my husband is a photographer, and he has to calibrate so that the pictures print the way he sees them.. And he sells his pictures online, so when a customer sees them, they will say “Can you darken/lighten this a little” and he will say NO it looks perfect on my computer and thats all that matters ??

I guess youre right about the screen though..