Support » Your WordPress » BenSaunders.com – redesign #458521134

  • I think I’ve recovered from a particularly severe bout of redesign fever and have finally settled with a design I’m happy with:
    Ben Saunders.com
    From a design & usability point of view I’d love some feedback (especially the ‘I think x could be improved by adding/taking away y‘ type of feedback, rather than the ‘ooh, that’s pretty‘ type of feedback!)
    Cheers,
    Ben Saunders

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)
  • I’ve decided to stop saying ohh pretty or whatever when I don’t mean it, so I’ll be I’ve decided I’ll be Mr. Harsh-but-fair when it comes to a design point of view.
    Not completely proficient with the actual coding of everything, so I’ll be approaching it from a design point of view. I’ll raise good and bad points.
    So here’s the good points:
    1. I like the sub-dued colour scheme. Not in your face and follows the whole expedition notion of the blog. I like the choice of colours, good choice.
    2. I like the photo flash effect going with the changing of the specific pages, not necessary but I’ve got broadband and I liked the photos and I liked the effect, not sure what the effects are on dial-up.
    3. I like your search bar on the bottom.
    Things that could be touched up to make it that much better and just pretty all around perfect, or whatever 🙂
    1. Hmm size and font you’ve used for the main titles, is waay to big and doesn’t really attract any excitement. Sorry Arial just won’t cut the mustard to make things a bit more spicey where they’re needed.
    2. I do like the comments section, except I think that a bit of attention to detail will make it that much pro. For example where the explanation of the name, e-mail and site, they move across and under the actual box. Just seems a bit wrong to me. Something should be done to make it less jarring.
    3. The placement of the time seems a bit wrong to me, or at least stylistically it’s placed in the wrong place. Either get some sort of line seperating it from the post above or put it closer ie underneath the title of the post.
    4. Any plans on putting a before and after post buttons/functionality?
    5. Somehow, and this is really just a personnal thing I don’t feel the calender thingy on the left really fits in, but that’s a purely asthetic thing in my eyes.
    Just want to stress that I do like your site, but I think it’s time people where a bit more honest about these things. And since you asked :). Please don’t be offended by anything I’ve said, jst like I promise I won’t get offended if you don’t take any of what I said seriously 🙂

    I do try and be critical when I see something that doesn’t seem quite right – not only for me, but for ‘the audience’.
    Howver, I love these gray, muted styles. Truly, I’m going to find much to critique in this type of style.
    I would say that, in the navbar, the muting of the gray text is so close to the background that a rollover is needed for these old eyes to actually read it. The point size of your ‘blockquote’ text is so small, I’d probably skip it – or, use “Control +” in Firefox. Having to increase text size that way used to bother me – but, now I’m ‘trained’ to do it. So, not a big deal.
    You have ample white space. Navigation (except the gray text) is functional and easy to use. The design is a bit understated (which I like) and then, there is the flash. Well, it loaded in 2 secs. on my broadband. Although, in your site’s case (re: the posts you’ve made and content) it is not superfluous. The photos match the topics. Plus, when clicking the nav bar – you get a different picture at each screen. That’s cool. It renders equally well in Firefox and IE on my computer.
    I love – not just like – the style.
    This is, yet another of, the type of site style I’d like to see ‘zipped’ up and offered to the community. The theme alone – or with a ‘.fla’ file for adding your own photos – would be the ultimate kindness. ;o)
    Regardless of whether it is shared – still, the site is very nice. Congrats.

    correction: That should be:
    However, I love these gray, muted styles. Truly, I’m NOT going to find much to critique in this type of style.
    Sorry. :o)

    Thread Starter bensaunders

    (@bensaunders)

    Thanks guys – excellent stuff.
    I’ve already tweaked the comments section (thanks, Khaled) and will have a play around with before/after buttons, font sizes & the position of the ‘date stamp’.
    Robert – thanks for your feedback as well. I’ve swapped the blockquote text for a (larger) serif font – not sure yet if this works…
    As for zipping it up and sharing it? I’d never thought of that, but once it’s bug free, I’ll see what I can do…
    Cheers
    Ben

    Thank you, Ben. I appreciate your willingness to share it.
    I have students that are always looking for ‘new styles’ and they are not CSS ‘savvy’ … so contributions like yours to the WordPress community will just make them smile a mile wide! Plus, by looking at your CSS they’ll learn!
    Oh, the blockquotes in serif and larger size are great – I can read them now. :o)
    Thanks and take care.

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)
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