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09-06-2008, 05:46 AM
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Re: Criticism?
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Posts: 2,071
Name: carl
Location: UK
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Hi,
I am no designer myself but for what its worth, (the Flash version wouldn't load so can only comment on the images) my initial thoughts when I looked at the images is that the text in red looked very "Tron" like, not being sarcastic its just thats what sprang to mind when I looked at them.
I also thought it may be a little too dark, too much black space if you know what I mean, out of the three I thought the 3-1 image looked the best.
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09-07-2008, 12:05 AM
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Re: Criticism?
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Posts: 2,071
Name: carl
Location: UK
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Hi
Please dont take this the wrong way but all the images look very, very similar, there are hardly any variations in font and colour, the layout changes a little but thats about it.
If you really are struggling with concepts, have you tried speaking to a freelance designer who could possible come up with a design for you? You would have to pay them for their time but it may be worth thinking about.
Alternatively try doing something along the lines of the sites you have bookmarket - I dont mean copy them but use them for inspiration, rather than altering what you already have as it seems you have lots of variations on 1 theme rather than 2 or 3 varaitions on a number of themes.
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09-07-2008, 12:32 AM
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Re: Criticism?
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Posts: 75
Name: Alex Grim
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You are absolutely correct. And yes, i have been seriously considering paying a freelance designer for front end *design* work, as i could handle the xhtml css php mysql js, etc, but the problem is finding one that is decent at design, and who doesn't charge an arm and a leg...
I'm still not going to give up on trying to improve my own design skills, though. I KNOW that eventually i will realize where i'm going wrong, and be able to think past it. For example, i am trying to create a "dark" and "futuristic" feel while maintaining the "professional" aspect. Well, it is not that it cannot be done, it is only that i cannot *envision* how it *should* be done, and so i end up creating disasterpieces.
For my personal websites, it would be almost adequate enough to literally "rip off" an existing design, and then modify the hell out of it until it becomes essentially "my own", and suits my needs and tastes; but for the Ionisis site, this could not be done, because i really cannot find a really *dead on* example of what i am envisioning.
Hell, even my own personal sites (see signature) lack design talent. I *hate* this damned "designer's block"! > 
Anyway, thanx for the tips.
Last edited by AlexGrim; 09-07-2008 at 12:37 AM..
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09-07-2008, 12:36 AM
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Re: Criticism?
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Posts: 2,071
Name: carl
Location: UK
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Forgot to mention, have you looked at any templates?
I believe some of the paid for templates look professional and aren't that expensive (from what I have read anyway)
BTW, I did look at your personal sites, they have a very similar theme to the one your trying to create. Have you tried creating something you wouldn't like? What I mean is just to get the creative juices flowing - design something completely different, a few of them.
Last edited by bakerc; 09-07-2008 at 12:39 AM..
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09-07-2008, 05:12 AM
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Re: Criticism?
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Posts: 75
Name: Alex Grim
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By joe, i think i've got it! I came up with this by FREAK accident. I was trying to do something almost completely different, but it kept going in a direction that i didn't want or like... until i tried experimenting with *textures*! 
I'm still *sure* that there is more that i can do for it before i start coding it, but i thought that i'd just throw the "work in progress" out there for some critique along the way. Thanx all.
http://Ionisis.com/images/Layout-8-1.jpg |
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09-07-2008, 05:20 AM
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Re: Criticism?
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Posts: 75
Name: Alex Grim
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bakerc
Have you tried creating something you wouldn't like? What I mean is just to get the creative juices flowing - design something completely different, a few of them.
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Actually, i will be redesigning all of my personal sites soon as well, and when i do, for some of them i will be making a theme that is different from my normal tastes. For example, MyRoladex.com is supposed to be a site for people to organize their info, etc. Well, most people who are organized enough to want to organize their stuff would prefer a more organized site!
My biggest f*ckup so far was the complicated menu system that i use across all my sites. I have over 1200 members, and probably had about 10,000 hits a day about 2 years ago, but as soon as i changed everything around, with my *genuis* menus, and inter-site navigation, etc, my traffic has stopped DEAD IN ITS TRACKS. I've just been too busy to "get with the times" and redesign since then, but when i do, i will have to keep in mind from now on that i'm building these sites for "them", not for ME (well, except for Wretched Playground, but that still needs redesigned anyway).
Thanx much for all of your tips, really. |
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09-07-2008, 05:56 AM
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Re: Criticism?
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Posts: 2,071
Name: carl
Location: UK
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I quite like the 8-1 layout, a little dark for me but thats what you were after 
One small suggestion would be to have the main body text a slighty (or a lot, up to you) different colour to the links. Like seperating an open plan house with different flooring |
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09-07-2008, 06:12 AM
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Re: Criticism?
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Posts: 75
Name: Alex Grim
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Actually, i was just noticing that the text is too dark when trying to skim over it, and so i was going to try to lighten it up a few shades.
I also put some background effects in, but i'm afraid they might take away from the foreground. I blurred the hell out of them so that they don't compete with the foreground for attention, and so the foreground stands out more. I'm liking it so far.
The image (in the link) should be updated again in about 5 mins.
Thanx again for the tips
Last edited by AlexGrim; 09-07-2008 at 06:23 AM..
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09-09-2008, 01:57 PM
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Re: Criticism?
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Posts: 163
Location: NYC
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on the flash version, the music control button on the lower left looks a lot like the umbrella corporation logo from the resident evil series. in fact, just now comparing it, it's the same and you just added a music note symbol in the middle. if anything, i would definitely change that.
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