Argh, Choose Please.. - between 4 possible layouts -_-
HmmZ
Jul 3 2005, 06:00 PM
Wich layout would best present a 'professional' webdesign company
Layout 1: Uses a simple design, HTML and PHP(Not W3C validated), with self-coded news system and projects page
Layout 2: More complex design, HTML only (W3C validated), uses a simple 2 color scheme
Layout 3: Originally my portfolio site, HTML and PHP(Not W3C validated), selfcoded news system and very simple design concept
Layout 4: Latest website, uses a new type of coding (it's full div coded with PS CS2 Slicing), with a special div scroller wich holds off that nasty "regular" scrollbar.
Wich one? I can't choose and im tired of showing you guys new design concepts everytime, and you guys are prolly getting tired of it too...now is your chance..to get rid of me
What I like: I like its overall simplicity. The navigation is simple, and the news system is simple. However, it's a webdesign company, so shouldn't it be more graphics-oriented?
What I don't like: You used tables. If you ever have a really big page, it would take forever to load. Use CSS for tables instead. And if you don't know how to do this, there are a bunch of tutorials out there that will show you. ----------- Layout 2:
What I like: The banner. At first, it looked like Flash, but I realized that it's not, and that's what's cool about it. Your visitors don't need flash to view it. I also like the simple/standard navigation on the left, so your visitors can easily find the page that they're looking for.
What I don't like: You used a frame. Instead of using frames, use PHP includes. It's similar to frames because if you edit the include file, then all the pages that use the include will change. Also, you'll get a higher search engine ranking if you steer away from frames. ----------- Layout 3:
What I like: Sweet navigation buttons.
What I don't like: Lack of colors and graphics. If it's a portofolio site, then you should really spice it up. Show off your skills. Don't go with the standard black-on-white design. Also, kill the tables and iframe. CSS is the way to go. ------------ Layout 4:
What I like: The background. Nice little scanline action you have going on. I also like its simplicity. Also, you did not choose tables or frames on this one. Good choice.
What I don't like: The background. It makes your navigation on the side hard to read. It also makes the copyright text at the bottom look weird. I also don't like the content/news area. Perhaps you could make its background match the rest of the site....
Overall, I think you should go with number 3 because it has potential. Once you work on it a little more, I think it could really look awesome!
i would go for layout #1... but just the header and footer part. the midsection of the page needs some tweaking. the right column text flows over the "imagined" margin set by the header and footer. maybe splice the header and footer better and fix how the columns are coded. also the menu part is a bit small. the "creations" written on the header is also a bit unreadable.
i'm using firefox, at 1024x768 while testing your layouts.
The first one looks very good, and it employs a nice color scheme, but the "Looking for a company..." part on the right side looks a bit off, and goes outside of the border of the images. It'd look probably better if that didn't go past the right edge of the images and didn't look like it was interfering with the news.
The second is overall good but maybe a little bit distracting with the gifs. Interesting colors, but maybe not the most web design company-y.
Third looks professional with the simple color scheme but flashy logo and image mouseovers. The emoticons make it seem less professional, though; when you see a professional website, it usually doesn't have them.
The last one has potential, but it depends where you go with it. The horizontal lines are interesting, but make the images in the top left look a little off. I wouldn't use Times New Roman, either. Last, the scrollbar thing is a neat idea and it shows off your skill, but it's a bit annoying having to scroll down with the normal bar to get to your scrollbar.
Overall, I'd say go with the third one. It's got a good scheme and a simple layout, but still shows that you're good at webdesign.
I think that Layout One is the best, either one or two.
If you choose layout one though, there's a secruity issue that you would want to be worried about and try to fix.. I'll PM it to you if you don't know what it is.
Thanks for the quick and well-commented feedback guys, i love the way noone really chooses just 1 layout, but the heade rof that 1, the footer of that 1, the color scheme of the other...
Overall, i would say most people like the base of layout 3, for now, it will do and ill work further on that 1, i saw someone liked my anaimated navigation buttons, so ill work further on it, also the header will be replaced with something more suitable. And as snil suggested, ill be changing some of the source to divs, i found out with my last site that it's a great feature.
Thanks again for the feedback, i really appreciated it.
P.S. Rejected, thanks for bringing up the security issue, i know what you mean, i was a complete newb (still am) with function bases php, so it shows with the issue.
Out of the four layout, I liked number 1 the best. Fairly simple, although the text in the navigation menu is a bit small. Apart from that, I'm glad to see you've kept the same colour scheme. Layouts 3 and 4 also look very promising (at least the background has some potential).
I agree that the header and footer bars from the first layout look excellent and could be applied to any of the other designs. Layout 3 is also incredibly good. If you could somehow combine those two layouts you would have a great design for a site.
The first layout just seemed a bit boring to me. The second layou was my favorit the graphics are cool esp since is a web design site. The other two designs arnt too great, and i mean that as just looks i am not in any way a codies expert; i am a totaly n00b
I like layout 3 best and layout 2 2nd best. Layout 3 is more graphic-ey and I dont realy like the colors of layout 2 as much. If its a graphic company than the site should have a real fancy layout. Both are good though.
Granted, I'm still kinda new here and I am not sure how many times you have created different templates for your website and asked opinions on it. But I couldn't imagine why it would really matter what everyone else thinks... It's your site, right? After all is said and done, you are really the one left to make the decision. You just had more input into which one pleased the majority more.
I say if you don't like your own design, scrap it! Getting suggestions for improvement is great, but asking what you should use as a template for your own website is a little fruitless. Don't ya think?
None of them... just kidding. I would go for layout one simply because it is simple, fast loading and eyes-friendly meaning userfriendly. Even though many people have access to broadband but loading time of any website remains a big issue. Therefore, website must be simple and fast loading at first.
However, one cannot compromise everything just because he wants fast loading site. Looks and desings also are important. In this case the first one would have won the race. Others contain much images and it took a while to open up the pages.
The third one, I suppose this looks like msn dot com layout type - the kind of website I least liked, atleast according to my taste and flavour.
The second choice will be the second layout but i wouldn't let the main background (content background) remain as black. It just don't match, but the overall layout is good, minor changes can be made easily, specially the color combinations.
I just finished up the layout and finally have it about how I want it, I expect I should be able to
start putting in the informative pages pretty quickly now that that's over with. I haven't
even put in the link buttons yet on the 2nd page but you can get an idea of what the basic look of
the site will be anyway. I heard from some graphic designers that the dark blue doesn't fit
in but frankly I like it that way and I'm doing it to express myself through it, so if it
suffers a few points in color cohesiveness as a result, so be it. Anyway, what'r...
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the midsection of the page needs some tweaking. the right column text flows over the "imagined" margin set by the header and footer. maybe splice the header and footer better and fix how the columns are coded. 
also the menu part is a bit small. the "creations" written on the header is also a bit unreadable.
