Potential Changes to Layout
I’m stuck. I need help to decide which of my two ‘new’ layouts I should work on further and which I should just chuck.
Edit (19:49): Thank you for your help so far. An overwhelming majority picked number two (over number one) and I’ve used the comments and suggestions to come up with this:
I got rid of the diagonal stripes (weren’t so sure about them myself) and instead of adding a drop-shadow (which is what’s pissing me off about the current layout: it looks like a crap attempt at web 2.0) I added a border to the sidebar. I also made the content area darker than the sidebar to try and bring more focus to the main text. Anyone want to add their thoughts?
Edit (27th Aug, 12:28): What do you do when you can’t decide between two layouts? Why, that’s right: you implement both. That way, people who want the old layout can use that, and people who want the new layout can use that. (Excuse any mess while I tidy up loose ends.)
Evelyn said:
On 26 Aug at 2:17 pm
the retro circles are pretty :] Color combination are great too. But I don’t like the diagonal stripes background. I think the dropshadow style of your current nav would look better. Just my 2 cents :] xx
Mira said:
On 26 Aug at 2:30 pm
I like the first one better. However, the second one is more original. PS-I’m on dial-up!
Tracy said:
On 26 Aug at 2:59 pm
#1 please. Allthough the page title and the circles are a bit much. Or maybe #2? Now I’m for #2. I’m horrible when it comes to making decisions.
Corinne said:
On 26 Aug at 3:10 pm
I like the first, but the title looks a little odd. The second one looks good, but I kind of feel like there should be something on the top.
Corinne said:
On 26 Aug at 3:10 pm
I like the first, but the title looks a little odd. The second one looks good, but I kind of feel like there should be something on the top.
Jenny said:
On 26 Aug at 3:13 pm
The second, orrrr, I’d choose the first if the header was ‘fixed’. :s
Sam said:
On 26 Aug at 3:15 pm
I like the second better, although I think the right side needs a tiny bit of something.. maybe a small cluster of little circles in the top right corner?
Anne said:
On 26 Aug at 3:19 pm
I like the second one. It’s more “different”.
Rosemarie said:
On 26 Aug at 3:22 pm
second one!
Shaun said:
On 26 Aug at 3:24 pm
Two, for the sake of doing something different. Although, I do still like one quite a bit.. hm.
khlodia said:
On 26 Aug at 3:26 pm
Both are nice, the first one is nice.
Aithnea said:
On 26 Aug at 3:30 pm
Personally I agree with those saying #2. It is just more orginal, you don’t see many designs with the graphic on the side like that and having it fixed is a great idea. I do agree with Evelyn about the diagnonal background. It takes away from the over all design making it look awkward (at least to me). The drop shadow you have now works much better.
Nikki-ann said:
On 26 Aug at 3:37 pm
I’d say go with layout #2! :)
Evelyn said:
On 26 Aug at 3:41 pm
uh i forgot to say, I like the second one better :D
Becka said:
On 26 Aug at 3:49 pm
I am diggin’ layout #2, I like the fixed left hand graphic. It would make for some prettness while scrolling. I think #1 has been done so much I would love to see #2 here. Well that is my 2cents. ;-)
Manda said:
On 26 Aug at 4:11 pm
I like the second on better ;)
Sarah said:
On 26 Aug at 4:27 pm
I prefer the second one, because I don’t often see layouts with the main image along the side, but seeing the main image across the top is very common.
Peter said:
On 26 Aug at 4:32 pm
I like the one you have! The new ones have too much going on in them specifically too much in the way of graphics, I like content set in a complimentary layout, not a dominating one. But then if you want a change…..???? Peter
Sasha said:
On 26 Aug at 4:36 pm
I prefer number 2. Seems more interesting and original, design-wise! :)
Renay said:
On 26 Aug at 4:36 pm
Yay I can come and wave my unpopular opinion around wheeee. There’s too much going on in both of them when I look at them. I would choose the first. The second is different but my eye is constantly drawn to the left side of my screen. And even though I would choose the first one, my eye does not know where to go–there’s still too much going on. The stripes for the background as well as the background of the header with the repetiton of the site name are just…distracting (to me). Also, maybe too many circles. It might work better if the bacground of the header was solid (or something?!), the site name stood out, and the circles didn’t go behind it that much. Okay I am done word vomiting now. *runs away to hide*
Alys said:
On 26 Aug at 4:42 pm
Everyone seems to be ‘digging’ the second one, put I would stick with the first. Yellow is my favourite colour but I’m not if it ‘goes’. Ignore me: I don’t know much about design either.
Tish said:
On 26 Aug at 4:49 pm
I love the second one, especially the pink and yellow used together. The first one just looks a little topheavy for my liking. For the second, I would suggest possibly adding a thin border around the content boxes (don’t really know what else to call them), slightly darker than the grey used for the background of them. The stripes distract me otherwise.
Melle said:
On 26 Aug at 4:53 pm
I prefer the second one, because it seems more original, everybody’s having a header image now (yeah, like me o_O).
Mumblies said:
On 26 Aug at 5:15 pm
Personally i prefer the first one, I do however find the black lines rather eyeboggling for my tired old eyes.
Trinity said:
On 26 Aug at 5:47 pm
I think I like the second one best, but I’m still having a hard time deciding. The only gripe I have about the first one is that I don’t care for the jemjabella.co.uk text over your retro circles. And overall, I like the idea of the striped background, but I’d tone down the contrast with that no matter which one you decide to use.
Frosty said:
On 26 Aug at 5:47 pm
Another for the second one–it’s a nice change, and I love your retro circles stuff. I’d say keep the drop shadow from this one with it though, it’d be a nice blend of this and the new layout.
Meggan said:
On 26 Aug at 6:02 pm
I like the second one better, but like Renay said, your eye constantly wants to look at the circles on the left – maybe if they were less saturated? I do like the second one better regardless, but it is rather bright. Also, I LOVE the diagonal repeated “jemjabella” thing in the background. Lovely touch. The other diagonal stripe thing is pretty contrast-y – maybe make the darker stripe less dark and that would help.
Shannon said:
On 26 Aug at 6:14 pm
I’m all for the second one. It’s more groovy. And I like the strips. The drop shadow starts to look 3rd-grade…-y after a while. Stripes are retro and cool.
Brenda said:
On 26 Aug at 6:27 pm
The structure of the first design seems much more safe and conventional, and somehow seems to portray your usual style better. The second one is more unusual. I kind of prefer that one because it makes your site stand out as compared to most sites that have header images. Although I feel that the colours of the circles ought to be toned down because they seem a wee bitt too bright. :P
Hannah said:
On 26 Aug at 6:49 pm
I kind of like the second one.
Stephanie said:
On 26 Aug at 6:52 pm
The first one seems more distracting to me th an the second, so I like the second better. The first seems so much more “in your face” than the second, and I seem to really prefer seeing your weblog entries all the way in the top… just nicer, I guess. Hm. I should think about that for my site. Mwahahahaha. Adding a vote for second.
Susie said:
On 26 Aug at 6:52 pm
The second one is my favourite. Definitely. Y-repeating image patterns are cool!
Trinity said:
On 26 Aug at 7:19 pm
I love the one you’ve come up with based on all the feedback. I think the only thing I would suggest now is to change the light pink font color of the dates to the yellow-y color since that light pink doesn’t seem to appear anywhere on the left side. I think that might balance out the boldness of the left a bit more, too.
Jem said:
On 26 Aug at 7:21 pm
Crap! I was supposed to do that anyway. Thanks Trinity :)
Kimmie said:
On 26 Aug at 9:12 pm
I defnitely love Number 2 more. I can’t say why though.
Stephanie said:
On 26 Aug at 9:26 pm
I find the bubbles distracting. They keep on dragging my eyes away from the text. I suppose I could get used to it, especially if I use cmd++ to increase the text size, but have you tried putting it on the other side, maybe? Of course, since I’m one of the few complaining about it, you don’t have to accommadate me. #2 is infinitely better than #1 anyway.
Tish said:
On 26 Aug at 9:41 pm
I think the changes you have made to #2 have perfected it. I really like that layout. I’m attatched to it now. All of your dark themes are making me think mine are too bright :P
Julie said:
On 26 Aug at 11:30 pm
I don’t know which one I like better. To be frank, what I would really like is something a bit lighter. P.S. The arrow at the bottom of the page, the one linking back to top, has an empty alt text. Shouldn’t it have something?
Belinda said:
On 26 Aug at 11:33 pm
I would say 2 too but I prefer the current layout as it stands. To many circles in the background kinda shakes the whole “simple but elegant” look.
Aithnea said:
On 27 Aug at 12:07 am
I love the layout you’ve done with all of the feedback Jem. It really makes the layout perfect.
Whitney said:
On 27 Aug at 12:19 am
To me, the circles on the side are too bright. They kind of take the focus off the blog despite the blog background being a darker colour. May I suggest a lighter yellow maybe? Just something less distracting.
Lori said:
On 27 Aug at 1:43 am
Hi definitely prefer #2. Great job on both though!
Rhiannon said:
On 27 Aug at 2:56 am
I saw both layouts up last night…I’m glad you went with number two. Personally, I can’t see anything wrong with it at all, you’ve done a good job.
Vera said:
On 27 Aug at 5:51 am
I know I’m late… but eh, just like everyone else, I prefer version 2. I’m not against the diagonal lines, but the “circles” look better on the side thn on top. Oh… and now you’;re going to start a thread at a message board denigrating me :P ?
Teresa said:
On 27 Aug at 8:35 am
I like the no dialongals, that made the background look too busy. I kind of like the main content area being a lighter grey than making it darker, just because my eyes wander to the lighter colors then the darker ones. Other than that, it’s looking good sweetie.
Ewa said:
On 27 Aug at 10:11 am
In my opinion the best is third layot :) It has all best things from first,and second ones. But to be honest – I would rather stay with the current layout – it seems to me to be more simple ;)
Mumblies said:
On 27 Aug at 11:30 am
I much prefer the third one over the other two Jem. It seems to be easier on the eyes with the stripes now :o) Also i like the jemjabella details on the left hand side.
Alys said:
On 27 Aug at 4:30 pm
I take back what I said: I really like the new layout.
Montoya said:
On 28 Aug at 1:13 pm
I don’t know why the text got smaller. It was fine before.
Claire said:
On 28 Aug at 5:30 pm
I like the third version the best out of the new ones, however like Montoya, I do prefer the larger text. And, I too agree with others who think the content column should be in the lighter grey (as opposed to the nav column) as my eyes are drawn to the lighter shade constantly whilst reading. [BTW, your nav column does strange things at smaller resolutions in IE. Just thought you might want to know.]
Lynn said:
On 29 Aug at 1:52 pm
I’m not sure why, but I personally prefer what you had before. It seems to pop out at me more, I suppose, and makes it easier to differentiate between the two. However, I like the new one…maybe I’ll switch back and forth. =D