My blog redesign

[built_by]

So I took some advice from the people here and fixed some column width issues and threw it on the web. I'm basically looking only for a critique on the main article pages (AKA the first pages you see).

http://www.forthesound.com/danfrohlich/

[foodpk]

What can I say, I really like it.
I'm a fan of simplicity (actually lack of complexity) and your the design works great I think because it's simple and focuses on the content. The colours work well too.
Only there's one thing I'd say seriously wrong with it, and that's the image that spans over the right sidebar. You see, when you juxtapose (fancy speak for putting something to the left or right of something else when the whole flow is vertical) something with a vivid or very interesting picture, that something loses its appeal and seems to have less contrast. In your case, that's the content itself. I just can't properly read the thing because my eyes just keep shifting right to the picture.
Check this out http://www.webdesignfromscratch.com/colour.cfm at the paragraph where it says avoid juxtapositioning vivid flat surfaces with photographic imagery. Well that works both ways, really.
Otherwise, I really like it.

[.michael]

Not bad.

I personally don't care for the background. As simple as it is, it is rather distracting.

Secondly—watch your spacing between the right side of your text columns & pictures. Keep it consistent and tight.

[o12ib.06]

Ok, you said it's a redesign, can we see the old version ? Because it's hard to comment upon it, I personally am not fan of it, but if I could compare it to the old version then, at least, I could tell if it god better or worse.

[built_by]

Ok, you said it's a redesign, can we see the old version ? Because it's hard to comment upon it, I personally am not fan of it, but if I could compare it to the old version then, at least, I could tell if it god better or worse.
unfortunately I dont, the old version has been taken completely offline. I'm not looking for a worse to better ratio or anything like that anyway. I know I like this version more, but I'm open to suggestions for changing parts of it.



What can I say, I really like it.
I'm a fan of simplicity (actually lack of complexity) and your the design works great I think because it's simple and focuses on the content. The colours work well too.
Only there's one thing I'd say seriously wrong with it, and that's the image that spans over the right sidebar. You see, when you juxtapose (fancy speak for putting something to the left or right of something else when the whole flow is vertical) something with a vivid or very interesting picture, that something loses its appeal and seems to have less contrast. In your case, that's the content itself. I just can't properly read the thing because my eyes just keep shifting right to the picture.
Check this out http://www.webdesignfromscratch.com/colour.cfm at the paragraph where it says avoid juxtapositioning vivid flat surfaces with photographic imagery. Well that works both ways, really.
Otherwise, I really like it. What picture to the right do your eyes shift to? The main image that stays the same on every page or the picture that changes with each article?

[foodpk]

The one that stays the same on each page. The planet atmosphere thingy.

[Jeff Wheeler]

I like the design, it’s excellent.

But why have you made everything an image, unnecessarily? You’re also using tables. This is a pretty simple design that could have very easily been implemented in XHTML/CSS, with much cleaner code.

[built_by]

I like the design, it’s excellent.

But why have you made everything an image, unnecessarily? You’re also using tables. This is a pretty simple design that could have very easily been implemented in XHTML/CSS, with much cleaner code.
I've been waiting for this question for awhile haha. that is because i have no knowledge of css or xhtml. I'm self taught and havent had time to learn and by the sound of it, it would take some time for me to learn it...am i correct in saying that? haha.


The one that stays the same on each page. The planet atmosphere thingy.
I was hoping you wouldn't say that, but I understand where your coming from. It can be distracting but after I really thought about it, I decided I really want to make that one of the main focuses of my site anyway. I'll have to think about it some more.

[foodpk]

I was hoping you wouldn't say that, but I understand where your coming from. It can be distracting but after I really thought about it, I decided I really want to make that one of the main focuses of my site anyway. I'll have to think about it some more.
Hehe, but the main focus of any site (especially a blog like site) should be on the content. Have you considered moving it up? For instance changing it to be on the top, like it is here http://www.mediatemple.net/webhosting/gs/
See how it works well in that mediatemple site? It adds visual appeal to the site, but doesn't get in the way of the content because it's not in the same horizontal level.

[built_by]

yeah i know what you mean. like I said, i'll have to think about this one. thanks for the advice.