Preserved Topic: New mockup (0002b) impressions requested (Page 1 of 1)

For your amusement, I present the new/improved mockup ... (inside joke from the 3D forum)

Still trying to get a half-assed decent web page design. Based on input in the last thread, I've made the page more complex, while still trying to keep it understated.

800x600 JPG (120k): Site mockup

I can lose the canvas texture. I like it, but I'm not sure if it fits the theme of the page.

My intent is to have the page built in PHP. There will be only one 'page', with different output based on the parameters passed. So clicking on the 'chess' link would take you back to the same page via the url 'www.daveingram.com/?page=galleryimage&image=chess'. Ideally, I'll be able to do the layout with DIVs in IE/NS 4.0 and later, and with tables in other browsers. I'm hoping Opera and such will be able to emulate IE and get the benifit of the layered form.

I like the texture background. Fits in just fine.

Style nit-pick ... I would have the menu triangles pointing in rather than out. I just feel they need to be pointing at something relevant and not just anywhere ...

I would suggest having your name included right below the Di logo. Never know how people will stumble across your site, so I like to idiot-proof the site identity.

Not much else to comment on, really. You a chess player or is that a link to a chess graphic? Just curious ... I play chess and all ...

BeeKay
Murphy's 50 Laws of Combat Operations
14. Never share a foxhole with someone braver than you.
31. If it's stupid and it works, it ain't stupid.

Oh, much nicer than your last one. I'd recommend implementing some of your signature shiney 3D stuff into it, provided you can do so without making it look cheesy. Stick with the texture, it looks nice. Hmm, i'm not crazy about the brown color on the left, I'd make it redder or something.

I'll be honest, Das. You know I respect you as an artist of the 3D calibur. You know that I respect your artist intentions and your skills in the realm of graphics-making.

However, that mockup is, without a doubt, not you. I see nothing in it that *is* you. It's a side-nav with some of your work. You've got canvas...It's a personal site, non? MAKE IT PERSONAL. That's one of my biggest pet peeves--when something is put up under the guise of being a personal site and shows nothing of the person.

Your art is better than that. It deserves something of a stronger frame. Go crazy with it, man. Don't limit yourself to flat areas with your work plastered on top of it... That's not you.


s t e p h e n

Updated image is here


BeeKay - thanks for the input. I've put the name of the site under the logo and reversed the triangles (among other changes). Good tips.


Slime - I decided the brown is, as you said, not quite right. Looking at various sites, I noticed I prefer ones with contrasting colors for the nav area and the body. I've changed the whole navbar to a blue theme.


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I'd appreciate any impressions on the newest mockup.

[This message has been edited by Das (edited 05-16-2001).]

Wow Twitch...

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[This message has been edited by Das (edited 05-16-2001).]

Bah. I hate it when people delete posts while I'm typing in a reply

Woah, calm down there. Twitch was basically just saying that he doesn't think your site is up to the potential he knows you have. I see what he's saying - you always show us these great 3D shiney things (that seems to be the usual stuff you show at least), but then this looks fairly flat, it's not what we're used to. Re-read twitch's post, trying your best not to let yourself become offended, twitch speaks his mind bluntly and it's easy to overreact sometimes. I think he has some good advice for you there.

And if you disagree, it's always best to silently ignore. =)

(btw, i do like the blue better than what you had before.)

Ok, Slime. I deleted all the confrontational bits.

/rant on

I still have problems with this whole "You can do better" attitude (not just twItch's post, I've been getting it from everybody). It sounds so condescending, like a teacher saying "try again, you're not working to your potential".

Apparently, everyone assumes that I must be able to do wondrous web designs, because I do neat little 3D images. Like a pro football player must be able to excel at ice hocky

To be clear: I suck at web design. Bad. You guys didn't even see what's been on that url for the last year. I want to get something up there that doesn't look like absolute crap. As I have time, I will probably improve the site.

I really don't need to hear "you can do much better". I can't. That last mockup is a good example of my skill level right now. It looks (a little) better than the previous ones because I'm improving as I go along. I'll eventually get better, if I don't just give up in disgust. What I need now is constructive criticism (like "try changing suchnsuch" or "suchnsuch tends to look kind of cheesy, you might want to avoid it"), not "you can do so much better".

/rant off

Oh, and apologies, twItch^. I shouldn't have flown off the handle at you. You hit one of my pet peeves

[This message has been edited by Das (edited 05-16-2001).]

~shrug~ lets get it on! And, of course, only for your amusement... here's my new/improved critique!

The duotone isn't really rich enough. What my eye wants to see is a little more saturation. The blue (desat + drker) mixes with the canvas (desat city) to create an all around desat image. You see the dilemma.

What I'd also love to see is a little typographical variation in the menuing system...or something. Say, something with a serif as a header, then the sans-serif for the body of the menu. That might make me feel more at ease, a little more complication put in. It could work. Play with it.

Finally, maybe just one...more...color... You've got two (three if you count the blue as two colors) colors going on, and my eye really wants to fill the void somewhere. If I were to extend the browser to my full resoluation (1600x1200) then I'm gonna be left with teeny-weeny content and an image with a menu slabbed on the side. You can see how that would leave my eyes looking for a little more.

Umm...there!


s t e p h e n

Dang, missed all the fireworks Ah well, i'll try to have fun anyway.

Ok Das, this one is definitely better, but my first thought is sort've along the lines of twitch's initial comment. It doesn't look like you. Not that it even has to be a hyper-personal site design that has your character flowing throughout it, but IMO it doesn't really look like what you do. 3D, in my mind, suggests a certain technical aspect, a more hard-edged/shiny/glossy kinda look; the page I see suggests a lot softer, more non-digital artform. My suggestion would be to look at using some forms, shapes, text, etc. that "says" 3D to you. Maybe do a cool header graphic with a 3D background or landscape or something, or a bg image for the naviation. Maybe each section has a little 3D icon, or there's a 3D character that's doing different things for each section. Design skills aside, you can definitely inject some creativity that makes the site look like it's about what it's about.

Hope that helps...

Chris

KAIROSinteractive

i have always believed that images make or break a web site.

that being said, i have seen you make glass buttons that make everyone drool because they kick the pants off of anything that can be done in photoshop.

web design has nothing to do with making good graphics. i thought the http://www.3dluvr.com site had been posted in this thread, but i dont see it now. i was blown away by the ship picture rendered in 3d for their monthly contest. however, if you look at the peoples galleries, their web sites arent that great.

try starting with a good image. then try to work it into a web site. i find it much harder to make a web site and force the images to become a part of it.

------
this rose has a thorn...

Ok, scrapping the paper motif (I like paper )

Going to E3 tomorrow, so I don't know when I'll have a new mockup for you guys to tear apart