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Design Critique

M

MadJuggla9

2[H]4U
Joined
Oct 9, 2002
Messages
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Time for a new site where I work. Its an ISP, repair shop. Id like to somehow incorporate more about it somewhere.

Interested in some recommendations for this website. Im pretty set on the left side (unfinished towards the bottom, but I have an idea whats going here). But I see room for improvement somewhere in the content area. Im going to try and save some width also. The general news will be daily RSS feeds at the bottom that require clicks in order to save bandwidth for our dialup customers since the graphics are rather heavy..

LMK your thoughts. Perhaps darker content background colors, etc.

http://chrisg.serveftp.com/crune_simple.jpg
 
In general, it's pretty good, but there are two areas that stand out as needing to be better:

1. The image in the middle ("Wireless Internet") is too WordArt-y for me. The curled and angled text just isn't working IMHO.
2. I'd suggest not using the white in the header background--just stick to the green and black
 
deansfurniture5 said:
In general, it's pretty good, but there are two areas that stand out as needing to be better:

1. The image in the middle ("Wireless Internet") is too WordArt-y for me. The curled and angled text just isn't working IMHO.
2. I'd suggest not using the white in the header background--just stick to the green and black
Click to expand...

I think most of the text there is too 'shadowy'. Im thinking of a spastic shape to grab attention without it looking amateur so I dont have to rely on all the shadow to make it stand out.

What White in the head background? Where the 3 links are or above it? Theres padding on the top of the page above the header if thats what you mean that won't be there in the final draft.

Thanks!
 
I think he may mean the white that appears as a sort of gradiant in your header image... I somewhat agree wit him if that's what he means, because especially with the white text it gets pretty bright...

I do like the the image, and overall design alot though. Very nice.
 
It's not to my tastes, but I can't say there is anything to complain about. I guess I'm just not a fan of three-column layouts. Looks plenty functional. It might be better to have that graphical "Search Google", be a form button that resembled the button on the weather thing. If any of these headlines are linked to more details, I guess my preference is that they be underlined. I tend to think buttons should look like buttons and links should look like links, probably from spending so much time having to think of accessibility stuff.
 
Updated version:
added a bit of transition color from the left side. Added google's logo, although i may in fact make it the search button (obviously putting the word search in there somewhere as suggested), changed up the header a tad, and redid the 'main attraction' about wireless. I also added a less subtle underline glow to each box to differentiate a little better for additional news boxes.

LMK any upside or downsides. Is the wireless interenet par ttoo much? After looking at the old I think I like it enough that if it needed change, id redo that part from scratch.

cru_simple.png
 
I would remove the weather.com and the google search modules. They make your page look like one of those generic websites filled with advertisements that you get one no one owns the domain. Other than that, I really like your latest version of the text in the center. Somehow it looks more "professional."
 
GotGoose said:
I would remove the weather.com and the google search modules. They make your page look like one of those generic websites filled with advertisements that you get one no one owns the domain. Other than that, I really like your latest version of the text in the center. Somehow it looks more "professional."
Click to expand...

Our customers like the news part (mostly older people), and we've recently had a lot of comments both in and out of store that our website would be there homepage if it were more universal. They want to be able to go there, check weather, read news, and search the net. Theres also a live radio broadcast that I think is useless that some of them can't do without.



Thanks for the comment ..... it always takes 10 times less work and time to make something more professional than it takes to make it look initially horrid for me.

I really appreciate the feedback.

Agenda:
1) straighten text above 'click for more info'
2) make a longer gradient from the left
3) see if I can get less gloss on the top header to still give it a non-monochrome look
 
I think it looks pretty good in the latest iteration. As others have mentioned, I think the top left is still a little too white. My only other "issue" would be having the navigation (Home, Tech Support, etc.) in the middle of the page. Are your users used to this or is this something new? I would say from an HCI point of view that users expect navigation to be on any of the extremes, not in the middle of a page.
 
What I would personally change:
1. White over your logo in the top left. Needs to go. A tiny bit along the little graphic "fin" in the back may work, but none of the whole foggy look.

2. UNDERLINE all links. No if's and's or but's about that one.

3. What's going under Wireless News? Looks like something that isn't expanded out all the way.

4. Banner ad on the right. Nuke it. What purpose does it serve???

5. Search the web box. I think people get the idea that you use Google with the logo, so simple "GO!" text would work on the button.

6. Navigation. Where is your navigation going to be on each page? Just a big no-no having it in the center. Needs to be moved either to the top or the left (or after getting rid of the banner ad on the right- put it there).

7. "Wireless Internet" looks better, although I think there is too much shadowing under the Internet part of it.
 
I think that offering internet services and PC repair under the same roof is a bad idea. They are separate services and should be treated as such and advertised separately IMO.
 
zacdl said:
What I would personally change:
1. White over your logo in the top left. Needs to go. A tiny bit along the little graphic "fin" in the back may work, but none of the whole foggy look.
2. UNDERLINE all links. No if's and's or but's about that one.
3. What's going under Wireless News? Looks like something that isn't expanded out all the way.
4. Banner ad on the right. Nuke it. What purpose does it serve???
5. Search the web box. I think people get the idea that you use Google with the logo, so simple "GO!" text would work on the button.
6. Navigation. Where is your navigation going to be on each page? Just a big no-no having it in the center. Needs to be moved either to the top or the left (or after getting rid of the banner ad on the right- put it there).
7. "Wireless Internet" looks better, although I think there is too much shadowing under the Internet part of it.
Click to expand...

1) Looks like ill work on it, too many people dislike it for my approval taste
2) horrid point. Generally good, and yes they could use placement, but these are most likely going to be images.
3) It will be just like the above section, I suppose I could lorem ipsum it, and add a few more bits of data into the image, but i didn't see a need
4) The purpose it serves is that our customers can see the weather, the banner is pretty self explanatory with the degrees sign right at the top, it is also the most wanted thing by many customers (previously stated) ;)
5) Point taken, just looked naked when i first tried it
6) The links will be in the same place on every page, each page will have general info as opposed to the large wireless header
7) Thanks you, I may lighten the opacity



Lethal said:
I think that offering internet services and PC repair under the same roof is a bad idea. They are separate services and should be treated as such and advertised separately IMO.
Click to expand...

Playing and eating don't go together but McDonalds sure had me playing as a kid and has me eating indoors now. If you think about it, it's a great idea:

1) If someone has internet with us and has a problem with their PC, we get called, more $$$ in the door for services/repairs
2) If someone brings in their computer, they are instantly visually notified that we sell internet and often ask about it
3) Over the thousands and thousands of calls I've taken for tech support, people ask if there is any high speed internet in town , another win for us. Plus we get many DSL customers since a land line is required for DSL and most people are converting to cell phones as their primary source.
4) No real reason to hide the fact that a single business offers 2 things at a single location, we don't need 2 rent payments, 2 electric payments, etc.

All of the small towns within a 30 mile radius do both also, maybe it's just a local thing, but it definately has more benefits that downfalls.

Ill give it another roundabout soon and post with the recommendations.
Thanks again!
 
MadJuggla9 said:
2) horrid point. Generally good, and yes they could use placement, but these are most likely going to be images.
4) The purpose it serves is that our customers can see the weather, the banner is pretty self explanatory with the degrees sign right at the top, it is also the most wanted thing by many customers (previously stated) ;)
6) The links will be in the same place on every page, each page will have general info as opposed to the large wireless header
Click to expand...
2. Horrid point? In all total and complete honesty- I have no idea if that is just header text, or a link. Links need to be underlined. It would cut down on confusion.
4. I guess the thing I should ask you: Are you a computer repair/Internet service, or the weather channel?
6. I still think the navigation needs to be reworked. I think the content on each page will look very unorganized having the navigation smack dab in the middle of it.
 
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