Constructive Critique on My Design, Please

by sunray
23 replies
  • WEB DESIGN
  • |
Hi, I'm looking for some contructive critique on the design I've made for my website:
Quantum Mind Success

At the moment it's still quite empty. The menu box in the left column will be much taller, when more menu elements will be added, and some elements will probably also be in the right column, but with no box there.

I'm thinking of making the background behind the page darker, maybe only a little lighter than black, with a shade of blue. Or should it remain as it is?

Also, is the front page animation too big in dimensions? Should it end with a menu selection? May the animation and the teasers remain on the same page as they are now, or is is better to choose one or the other?
#contructive #critique #design
  • Profile picture of the author websitedesign1
    Thanks for sharing..
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  • Profile picture of the author ArticlePenguin
    I actually really like it, but its a bit intense with all that purple. I am not sure what I could suggest to make it better, but it really sticks out and does a great job of conveying the theme. Thumbs up
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    • Profile picture of the author sunray
      Originally Posted by ArticlePenguin View Post

      I actually really like it, but its a bit intense with all that purple. I am not sure what I could suggest to make it better, but it really sticks out and does a great job of conveying the theme. Thumbs up
      Thanks
      Yes, I thought it too that it's probably a little intense. Making the background darker should solve the problem.
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  • Profile picture of the author 365Daysof
    From my perspective, it is far too purple. And by that I don't mean that you can't have a lot of purple, but that the way the purples are put together and the different colors (as opposed to shades and tints) of purple are too much.

    The animation is FAR too large in my opinion. I got to the page and wondered if it was empty. "Above the fold," the part of the site that people see without scrolling is valuable realty. I wouldn't waste it with something that does not communicate benefits and possibly sales.

    Then again, I'm assuming this is a mini-site, and not your primary source of income or satisfaction in life? If that's the case, you hardly need to make it the Taj Mahal of site.

    *smiles*
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    • Profile picture of the author sunray
      Originally Posted by 365Daysof View Post

      From my perspective, it is far too purple. And by that I don't mean that you can't have a lot of purple, but that the way the purples are put together and the different colors (as opposed to shades and tints) of purple are too much.

      The animation is FAR too large in my opinion. I got to the page and wondered if it was empty. "Above the fold," the part of the site that people see without scrolling is valuable realty. I wouldn't waste it with something that does not communicate benefits and possibly sales.

      Then again, I'm assuming this is a mini-site, and not your primary source of income or satisfaction in life? If that's the case, you hardly need to make it the Taj Mahal of site.

      *smiles*
      Thank you.
      It is a little too vivid, yes. I have to find a more bluish color for the background, I think. I also tried to make the background much darker, but that's not a good idea, everything fell apart.
      I already shrank the animation too. The Flash shuould be remade of course, at the moment it's just set in HTML, but yes, it's better that way.
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  • Profile picture of the author genhorrall
    I do have one suggestion. It is for the front page. I would slow down the fades in and out. I would have each of those last a few more seconds. I have done some research on the subject of your site. I am curious if you will be adding more information. I think it is the beginnings of a really good site and has a lot of potential.

    Like I said thought I would slow your fades down some though. It just goes a little fast.
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  • Profile picture of the author Semuel
    Great work there

    I Agree with 365days of, to many purple there. Try with black in the background with shade of dark gray (I think it will make the header stand out more). In the header try with white for the text or shape of yellow to orange (gradation, maybe you can add emboss effect with shadow).

    You can find some Good stock image with cheap price in fotolia, istockphoto, bigstockphoto, etc

    Good luck
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    • Profile picture of the author sunray
      Originally Posted by genhorrall View Post

      I do have one suggestion. It is for the front page. I would slow down the fades in and out. I would have each of those last a few more seconds. I have done some research on the subject of your site. I am curious if you will be adding more information. I think it is the beginnings of a really good site and has a lot of potential.

      Like I said thought I would slow your fades down some though. It just goes a little fast.
      Thank you. It's a good idea, I'll slow it down when I remake the Flash animation.

      Of course I'm going to add more information. At the moment even some of the articles already there are not finished, just filling the places. There are tons and tons of very valuable information on this subject available.


      Originally Posted by Semuel View Post

      Great work there

      I Agree with 365days of, to many purple there. Try with black in the background with shade of dark gray (I think it will make the header stand out more). In the header try with white for the text or shape of yellow to orange (gradation, maybe you can add emboss effect with shadow).

      You can find some Good stock image with cheap price in fotolia, istockphoto, bigstockphoto, etc

      Good luck
      Thank you. I changed the background to dark grey, and it's not bad like that. I think it solved the "too much purple" problem. When I tried yesterday with dark blue, it didn't work at all. I also tried today with green grey (something like #243023), but that didn't work either. Clean grey is better.

      Yellow, as the opposite color of blue, would look well, but by Feng Shui it's earth (yellow) stopping water (blue) and this would slow down the energy flow. Maybe I'll try to add some more white to make it more contrast.
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      • Profile picture of the author genhorrall
        Wow went back and looked at your site just now. I wanted to see how it was coming. Slowing those down really did a lot for making the focus go to each picture, but also gives you time to read what is on the page. Awesome. I think it is coming along nicely. And if you still feel you need tweaking after you start to get some page views, think about adding a survey to the site. Get the readers opinions on what they would like to see more of.

        Keep up the great work.
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  • Profile picture of the author EvaBrown
    I think you add and mix inappropriate colors. I think it will be better if you will remove you Flash animation and will make header slide-show using jQuery scripts. Also I suggest you to make usep pannel in the top and replace left side buttons there.
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  • Profile picture of the author pmp123
    The four text areas on home page should be equally allinged, right now they are off positioned.

    The heading title of these boxes should be h2 as you are using h1 for inner page headings so h2 here should be fine.

    Also the banner image has title "home" this should be replaced with Quantum Mind Success.

    Put something in the footer as well like copyright text and may be a secondary nav..
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  • Profile picture of the author pmp123
    The four text areas on home page should be equally allinged, right now they are off positioned.

    The heading title of these boxes should be h2 as you are using h1 for inner page headings so h2 here should be fine.

    Also the banner image has title "home" this should be replaced with Quantum Mind Success.

    Put something in the footer as well like copyright text and may be a secondary nav..
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  • Profile picture of the author sunray
    Originally Posted by EvaBrown View Post

    I think you add and mix inappropriate colors. I think it will be better if you will remove you Flash animation and will make header slide-show using jQuery scripts. Also I suggest you to make usep pannel in the top and replace left side buttons there.
    I want the design to have a vibrant and energetic feel to it, something a little "out of the ordinary". Otherwise it would be very simple to take a landscape image, an artist's painting etc, and let a software make a palette out of it.
    I thought of an animated header, and maybe I'm eventually going to make a fancy flash for it, if I happen to get an excellent idea for it.
    The menu should stay where it is, because there will be much more content on the site, and drop-downs at the top wouldn't be the best choice then because people simply won't search them through.

    Originally Posted by pmp123 View Post

    The four text areas on home page should be equally allinged, right now they are off positioned.

    The heading title of these boxes should be h2 as you are using h1 for inner page headings so h2 here should be fine.

    Also the banner image has title "home" this should be replaced with Quantum Mind Success.

    Put something in the footer as well like copyright text and may be a secondary nav..
    Teaser alignment was a excellent advice, they did look a little messy. An other thing I must keep in mind with them, is their length, which should be pretty much the same.

    The banner image alt tag and title I had forgot, thank you for reminding me!

    In the code teaser headings don’t have any h tag at all, only simple span style. I don’t know if it’s important to change it (it wouldn't be too easy, the Views module which controls it, is quite a rocket science), as the teasers change every time there is a new post promoted to the front page.
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    • Profile picture of the author 365Daysof
      Originally Posted by sunray View Post

      I want the design to have a vibrant and energetic feel to it, something a little "out of the ordinary". Otherwise it would be very simple to take a landscape image, an artist's painting etc, and let a software make a palette out of it.
      Well, there is out of the ordinary and there is "unattractive to your client base." Be careful which you choose.

      Right now, I have to agree that your colors are not working. You can have unexpected and still reach your market.

      What you have now is (in my opinion) distasteful to the eyes. The tan with purple does not work.

      The green inside navy will be VERY hard to read for the colorblind. They are difficult, even without that affliction. They are too similar in color and value.

      You have too many values of purple, and too many colors:

      Purple
      Tan
      Teal
      Green
      Orange
      Navy
      Plum

      *smiles*
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  • Profile picture of the author Promet Analyst
    Yes with a darker background page and animation ending with a menu selection. hmmm did you follow the colorwheel "opposites attract rule.." Just wondering
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  • Profile picture of the author commercee
    You might want to put an introduction above the Four types or smaller summaries to tell what your site is about or somekind of purpose.
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  • Profile picture of the author sunray
    I think I managed to balance the colors now. I only worry if it's a little too dark now?
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  • Profile picture of the author stormyweather
    I think the site looks a little dated . . . especially with the rough gradients on the left and the right margins.

    But I think you can angst for a long time over the colours and the slideshows etc and miss the point that this site has no call to action. What is it you want the people who visit it to do? A the moment it is hard work to know what the site is for. So if I arrive and I see the girl blowing dandelions, and the boy with ankle socks, and for some reason find myself relating to them, what am I supposed to do next?

    Lots of sites make this mistake getting hung up on the look and feel and forget to make the conversion.

    Liz
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  • Profile picture of the author vjboc
    I like it. There is a warmth to it. Do you have a fixed width on the site? If you would put a 90% or a 95% width It would show less of the dark prurple. Also I would add a with 1320px max width or so. Users with large screens opens the site too wide when width is set on a percentage. Good luck.
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