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Designer Talk: Thoughts on my new design?

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      CommentAuthorJeremyD
    • CommentTimeApr 8th 2008
     
    Zilla 12

    I've been trying to move away from dark templates, but I caved in and made another :D

    So what do you think?
    • CommentAuthorXSQueen
    • CommentTimeApr 8th 2008
     
    Its nice .. overall I like it alot. A few suggestions (mostly due to personal preference) - the rss/search/faves/etc icons could be a little brighter - they look a like little colored blobs on my screen... :( Additionally, even in the screenshot, the edges don;t seem to align symmetrically - is this intended? It is a very nice layout overall and I like the unusual corners (how did you do that? ;) but those are the things that caught my attention ... Good luck - its a great design! bakie
  3.  
    yeah i got much the same feeling about the icons... even if they'll brighten on hover, i think they should be a little more noticeable from the outset

    but other than that, i like it a lot! i get a very industrial vibe from it.... the angled corners, the microchip header..... all in all a job well done.
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      CommentAuthorNickyD
    • CommentTimeApr 8th 2008
     
    Jeremy, the text in the right column is too small, and I have 20/20 vision. I would increase it a pinch. Overall, it looks great. I like dark templates.
    • CommentAuthorJames
    • CommentTimeApr 8th 2008
     
    I agree with XSQueen regarding the icons, they could be a little bigger and brighter; and NickyD the text is a little small.

    The font could be a little softer (I'm not a fan of "square" fonts) and I would use Verdana or something similar.

    On a more positive note, I like the borders - the angled look is different! Overall I think you've done a good job!

    bakiebakie
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      CommentAuthorJeremyD
    • CommentTimeApr 8th 2008 edited by JeremyD on the 08th April 2008 at 17:32:59 EDT
     
    alright I lightened up the icons (went from a 80% transparent color overlay to a 60%), enlarged the font and repositioned most of the stuff in the right side.

    as for the inconsistencies with the widths of the lines...I have no idea when that started to happen, but I'll definitely fix it before I code it up.

    Image updated.
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      CommentAuthorNickyD
    • CommentTimeApr 8th 2008
     
    Looks better.
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      CommentAuthorgnome
    • CommentTimeApr 8th 2008
     
    Colour would be nice.
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      CommentAuthorJeremyD
    • CommentTimeApr 8th 2008
     
    defeats the purpose of a dark template.
    • CommentAuthorXSQueen
    • CommentTimeApr 9th 2008
     
    Better ;) Will things "brighten" a bit on mouseover/hover? I know the point is a darker template but one of the things that I personally love about dark templates is how well they contrast with a little bit of brightness ;) Just a personal opinion obviously but having the icons get bright and be a nice sharp contrast on hover would really make a statement IMHO :) Otherwise I really do like it ... very industrial ... and you can always keep the colors to grays blue and greens to keep that industrial/dark/dirge look!bigsmile
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      CommentAuthorJeremyD
    • CommentTimeApr 9th 2008
     
    I'd love to make the hover on the icons bright up, but I have no idea how I would do that with just css. I'm sure I could figure it out (I've got like 30 CSS websites bookmarked. one of them is bound to have a way), but anyone here got any ideas?
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      CommentAuthorarwen54
    • CommentTimeApr 9th 2008
     
    this is a very nice design, Jeremy. I love the angled corners smile
    • CommentAuthorSkyshadow
    • CommentTimeApr 9th 2008 edited by Skyshadow on the 09th April 2008 at 15:18:21 EDT
     
    That's really neat, at first it seemed to remind me of something I had seen on a sci-fi computer screen - then it hit me, is the design inspired by a SIM Card or SD Card you find in mobile phone?

    The only thing that didn't look right IMHO was the way the navigation elements on the right seem to 'double border' with the right most edge of the template.

    I would try add some colour for even more contrast, maybe a dark green faded PCB in the background, or make the posts appear as the contacts on a sim card or circuit board.

    edit: re icons - maybe just specify a different, lighter image for that class' hover attribute.
    • CommentAuthorbluecafe
    • CommentTimeApr 9th 2008
     
    This would be a nice theme for openreaction, wouldn't it? They don't have a new design yet ... (they obviously not only disliked the contest contributions but the work of their designer, too ... ;))
  15.  
    Posted By: JeremyDI'd love to make the hover on the icons bright up, but I have no idea how I would do that with just css.

    To lighten the icons with only CSS, I'd ditch the opacity and use this nifty little trick which uses negative background-positions on hover.
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      CommentAuthorJeremyD
    • CommentTimeApr 13th 2008
     
    Posted By: bluecafeThis would be a nice theme for openreaction, wouldn't it? They don't have a new design yet ... (they obviously not only disliked the contest contributions but the work of their designer, too ... ;))


    lol I doubt they'd like mine too much if they didn't like everyone else


    Posted By: acousticsam
    Posted By: JeremyD I'd love to make the hover on the icons bright up, but I have no idea how I would do that with just css.

    To lighten the icons with only CSS, I'd ditch the opacity and use this nifty little trick which uses negative background-positions on hover.


    I'll make sure to take a look at that. I have no idea when I'm going to get around to coding this thing. I've been busy with school and a little freelance i picked up last week. Maybe I'll do something with it tomorrow.

    Any other advice, guys?

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