sorry but this is really ugly and not valid at all…
Thread Starter
deydas
(@deydas)
can you be a bit more technical rather than just plain abusing it.
In Firefox it looks like it’s been hacked to pieces by someone who was very angry with you.
I’m just going by what I see, but it’s a visually confusing site, and not in anyway elegant or creative. It feels, personally, like an early HTML page when browsers coudl do more than just view text.
Why did you feel the need to use Flash to create such an eysore of a menu? I think you could probably come up with something better in DHTML or Javascript. It’s plain awful.
The content is obviously a blog, so no issues there – I do appreciate the idea of your site being called Thinkpad, and that you have thought bubbles, but it looks like a kids wallpaper.
It’s obvious you have some ideas that you want to implement and wish to explore further, but I think the ideas are poorly executed. You may wish to reconsider the layout and design, and go for something elegant and simple.
In essence, a user visits a blog site for it to load quickly, not to wait for a bunch of flash to load before they can navigate, and to look at something easy on the eye, rather than something that may cause an epilietic fit (certain repeat patterns particular in B&W can cause epileptics to have seizures).
Hope that helps and I’m just trying to be honest here, so don’t kill me for it.
deydas,
I think you have a lot of elements in the page that you wish to use for your creative expression. However, I think that you should explore one or two common ones and save the others for other layouts. The thought bubbles work in relation to a blog called “Thinkpad” so go with that. You might think of ways to integrate the thought bubbles into the site rather than just a repeating b/g image. For example, they might work as a b/g image in the navigation menu. You could also work a bubble into your header graphic, too.
As for the Flash buttons, you have to realize that a LOT of people are still on dialup internet connections. The more code you throw at them, the longer it will take for them to view your site. The fastest way to lose visitors is to make them wait for the site to load. As well, many people, myself included, use a browser extension to prevent Flash from loading automatically. Many other people simply don’t have a Flash plugin for their browser at all.
My thoughts are that if you want a Flash-powered site, then build the whole thing in Flash, not just parts of it.
Pick some complementary colours and go with them, as well. You have white and greys and green there, and those colours just don’t go well together.
I would also use some padding around your post text to make some space between it and the navigation margin. Use of whitespace is key on creating something that looks neat and uncluttered.
Don’t get discouraged…keep plugging away and experimenting. Visit some sites that you like, and ask yourself what it is about those sites that appeal to you. Make some notes as you surf around, and then think about how you can apply those ideas to your own designs.
Most of all, don’t forget to have fun.
Whatever I wanted to say, Moose already mentioned.
I just want to say “Too much distraction spoils the read”
so visit your website from a user’s point of view. What part of the page should the user be attracted at first ? Think in every possible angle.
I am sure you will be able to do better designs ! 🙂
Moderator
James Huff
(@macmanx)
Volunteer Moderator
I agree with everyone here. Waaaaaayyyyyy too many elements.
Thread Starter
deydas
(@deydas)
ok i am changing it. i am gonna put up kubrick for the time being. thanks for your help.
