Preserved Topic: Ep. lost count: Sloloem makes an Interface.

http://punksoft.hypermart.net/imgs/SlolDes.gif
Begin shredding.

I dont really know what to say. I would lose the blur on the lettering. I will leave the slamming to the pros.

I would love to see it when it looks more done.

=<CarltonCig>=
Is my sig OK? <img border=0 align=absmiddle src="http://www.ozones.com/forum/smile.gif">

heheh
Too many jaggies and the colors clash, you should use less filters <img border=0 align=absmiddle src="http://www.ozones.com/forum/biggrin.gif">
(that's a joke, By the way)

The blur on the name looks out of place, as do the little diamonds.

I'm gonna use the little diamonds to scroll the content...and I like the blur...it keeps it from looking too...I think dull is the word I'm looking for.

• It's not optimized for 800x600 usage height wise, but that's a dynamic principle, and that's dandy-pandy-okay.
• I truly dislike the font slanted that way. It looks like a mistake.
• Dark blue, black and white are wonderful color combinations; however, white as a stroke along all the sides of the dark blue makes it look choppy and disoriented. I'd say lighten it to a light gray, say 70%.
• I have no idea what the little diamonds are for at the top and bottom--ergo, they make no sense as anything besides decoration, and therefore aren't especially useful. Furthermore, people are going to immediately assume that they are buttons for navigation, and you lose some of your audience from the get-go trying to click your static images.
• It's among the more boring layouts I've seen...and that is not necessarily a negative comment. It's simply not catching my eye as anything that I'd come back to visit.
• I'd like to see further development on this one, but before that, I'd like to know what it's going to be used for, so I can offer specific trade-oriented advice.

Okay Slo...

I like the fact that you are aiming toward lower res people, and slow modem folks too. The layout looks clean, and relatively graphics light. I also think that a desaturated blue on black is a decent colour idea, even if it is overdone online.

However:
The Exocet type Font doesn't match the scheme at all, it denotes a gothic feel with the blatant serifs, and it's more known uses (B Horror Films, Halloween Text).

The Backslant of the top of the design is usually looked at as showing a "braking" or slowing down process. It's one of those things that people just naturally associate. I'm not sure this is the picture you want people to get for your design site. On that note, the sharp angles for every slant seems to also be a bit primitive, kind of a "slap together" idea, instead of taking a moment to smooth out what should be more of a french curve.

I think, as a design site you might want to work on a logo of some sort. Simplistic, but useful, instead of the big Exocet lettering. It looks very primitive, as do the little triad bullets at the top and bottom of the content window. I'd suggest possibly taking the blue border off there, and just having the pixel or two white border. Clean and professional.

I have to agree with Carlton...the blur on the "logo" made me squint for a second, it seemed unnatural, and not very crisp. Doing a motion blur Behind the crisp lettering might work better if you still want to go that method.

Okay, I know it seems like a real tear down, but I really do hope it helps. As I noted at the top, there are some good ideas behind the site...so maybe we can watch you build on the good base.

<img border=0 align=absmiddle src="http://www.ozones.com/forum/smile.gif">

Peter




ICQ:# 10237808

it almost looks like you're trying to create a perspective with the borders.

i really don't know what to recommend... try making those borders all uniformly 3 or 4px wide... with a 1px white border around them. so all your lines would be 6px wide or whatnot, that might help out.

the diamonds and blur on the text aren't helping. i don't know if i'd slant the text like that either, even though it does follow the lines...

i dunno man.

cheers.mikey.milker

I dunno what to say. It would be better with, say, the words Sloloem Design not slanted.. and with Design on the same level as Sloloem. Maybe you could add some VERY light texture to it. Maybe get rid of the thick border around Content, so there is only one border. I still dunno what to say. Keep at it.


We see what we want to see, according to what we believe to be the truth.

Yeah, as I looked at it I thought about 86ing the border around content so it seems more integrated into the design, and I notice the way I have that blur does look kinda sloppy...but without it it seems boring. and I really don't want a plain B&W site...
and all the other lines are 7 pixel strokes, the content border was a 15 pixel...I'm gonna drop my scrolling content only idea and just make the entire page scroll...I'm also gonna add a bottom bar that goes in after the entire thing is done and slap a copyright in there...if you don't know what I'm talking about just wait for version 2.0

Version 2.0
http://punksoft.hypermart.net/imgs/SlolDes2.gif



[This message has been edited by Sloloem (edited 18-09-2000).]

I would go through and remake it in flash and add some animation.

One problem:
I don't have anything to make flash, nor do I know how.

Go here: http://www.macromedia.com/software/flash/trial/

At least try it, you might like it.

"At least try it, you might like it."

all i need to hear now is, "just go with it, only the first few inches hurt."

then my stay in the asylum will be officially complete.

cheers.mikey.milker

Do...I...want to...know?

Well, first I must say that I like the overall idea behind the design, and it is crisp. It looks almost like something someone would pay to have done for them...

The problem is, almost isn't good enough.

The problem is the perspective that is given. When I look at your "Sloloem Design" title I get dizzy, litterly. I do not think that you should have both the border and the lettering on a curve.

If you make the letters strait up and down I think that you would have something good.

Your worry about being boring is unwarented. You have come far from the first design you did (up top). Don't give up.

Make the letter clear, and perfectly readable. But do not let yourself down buy taking the simple easy way out.

I would recommend coming up with a neet graphic to put in that area. It is Sloloem Design so if you have a digital camera go take a picture of some skiing or something. Make it interesting. You could also take some screen shot of something in photoshop and mix it with some HTML code, I know that that may be cliche, but if you make it look good then you can not lose. Just don't kill a perfectly good design with a blur, and a slant that does not fit.

You have an awsome start, don't let go of it.

For God's sake my name has nothing to do with skiing...I hate skiing!

Hey mikey "just go with it, only the first few inches hurt." <img border=0 align=absmiddle src="http://www.ozones.com/forum/smile.gif">

http://punksoft.hypermart.net/imgs/SlolDes3a.gif
http://punksoft.hypermart.net/imgs/SlolDes3b.gif
which one should I continue on?

3a maybe. You are going to need to soffen, blur, and lower the contrast in the content and nav area so your eyes can happily read text. <img border=0 align=absmiddle src="http://www.ozones.com/forum/biggrin.gif"> Also, keep the bg inside the outermost border and put that interface on dark blue or black...


We see what we want to see, according to what we believe to be the truth.

Like this?
http://punksoft.hypermart.net/imgs/SlolDes3c.jpg
(edit:
http://punksoft.hypermart.net/imgs/SlolDes3d.jpg )



[This message has been edited by Sloloem (edited 19-09-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Sloloem (edited 19-09-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Sloloem (edited 19-09-2000).]

All I have to say is thank god there's no content in that page! Phew, that'd be impossible to read! ...I hope you understand my sarcasm.



[This message has been edited by twItch^ (edited 19-09-2000).]

kinda.. only more, i guess you are going to put white text on that page so it needs to be dark... that is better... i was wondering about the double white line border around the Content area... it confuses me...

kinda.. only more, i guess you are going to put white text on that page so it needs to be dark... that is better... i was wondering about the double white line border around the Content area... it confuses me...

What's with the Mikey-esque sig there, eye?
(I'm talking about that X.X.X) thing...

Oh, and that double white is just the same thing as the other outlines, but that layer's set to hard light.

Eyezaer: cool sig... *is a complete pyro too* The fire, is that made IRL or by photoshop? *guesses IRL* Who's that guy on the pic? you?

Heh, my mustache still grows in funny on the left side, remnants of a *very* bad burn playing with burning coffee-can lids as a child. (WWWHHH-ffft...! WWWHHH-ffft...!) Gotta be an old pyro to understand that one... :-)

Sloloem, I actually liked the 3b one better, with the busy pattern only in the top box. The rest of the piece with the big flat pannels of blue and black, maybe you could fill the blue panels with a very subtle blend from blue to darker blue, with possibly something similar but lighter in the button area? I like the subtle blends, they add a note of class without crushing you on bandwidth, and give a simple design a feeling of more "fullness", somehow.

Your pal, -doc-

well.. I am sorry to say that i didnt make that fire... PLEASE forgive me!!!!...I am only Human...(i think) it is a picture i took of me igniting hairspray... fun fun fun.....

Hey, coffee can lids? Frisbee? Sounds fun.. I wish it wasent raining now....

Sloloem: Personally I think your first try at the interface looked good. Most guys dont get anything remotely that good when they start out. Congratulations, you kept it simple! <img border=0 align=absmiddle src="http://www.ozones.com/forum/biggrin.gif"> Anyway, whoever said do it in flash ... why? I think it was netmosis, he says that a lot I think ... why?

OK, this is not optimized at all, weighing in at 81k, but illustrates my point with the addition of a couple of blends. I'd also look into muting that hard white border down, perhaps to a pale greyish-blue, nearly white, but not quite?
http://www.ozones.com/forum/examples/SlolDes3b_ozone.gif



Your pal, -doc-

Jestah: It was Nevex that posted the flash thing.

Doc: Cool beans, dude! I am having hella trouble posting and browsing the forum...I get tons of 500 errors.

Woah, Doc...what did you do with my carefully placed scrollbar? And I would really like it if someone'd TELL ME that I've become a trusty...
http://punksoft.hypermart.net/imgs/SlolDes4.jpg

hmm...if this is gonna be an interface its gotta do a lot of stuff, things would have to be jumping off my screen to keep me interested...i suggest turining this is into a half flash half image kinda thing...er whatever...i drank too much water to think straight(and the bathroom is so far away too...)...more dots...this font needs a pacman character....O...


www.netmosis.com - "we're on the leading edge of a false reality."

If you wanna do it in flash, I'll send you the .psd and YOU can make it flashy yourself...I don't know flash or the first thing of what to do or how to do it.

Eh, drank too much water and can't think straight? Is there a lot of different chemicals in the water in never never land?

I dont understand why Nevex and Netmosis think it should be done in flash. For a simple layout such as this, whats the point? I just hate flash sites that Netmosis describes as jumping off your screen. I never really found an overal need for them but to each there own. Using a little bit of JavaScript and CSS you can add some nifty things.

Sloloem, like we've been saying all along with you, keep it simple stupid (k.i.s.s not calling you stupid, its just what my 7th grade tech teacher taught us, and I try to follow that <img border=0 align=absmiddle src="http://www.ozones.com/forum/smile.gif"> You dont want to add to many effects that take away from the actual content of your website. I suggest a few simple rollovers and thats about it.

na, that page dosent need no flash... i dont like that double border of white... i dunno, i dont think it fits in... es looking much better-o.



(edit: oopsie.. messed up on the sigggie)

[This message has been edited by eyezaer (edited 21-09-2000).]

Whats wrong with doing it in flash?

nothing really, i just think that a simple sight like that dosent need Flash. Maybe my opinion will change when i start to learn flash...that could be any day now...



We see what we want to see, according to what we believe to be the truth.