Website Design Critiques?

[Bennett 🚀]

I don't know if this is allowed here, but I made a website design today, and wanted to see if it was any good.

ichristmas.comuf.com/owodesign/

Thanks to those who critique!

[Kami]

it's ok. kind of plain. ^^ though the background i'm not a fan of.
well executed, but i think it could use a bit more oomph.

[Bennett 🚀]

I don't know how to give it more oomph This is my first design. I was making it simple, do it'd load fast.

[Graham]

Jun 27, 2010 12:14:25 GMT -8 Bennett 🚀 said:

I don't know how to give it more oomph This is my first design. I was making it simple, do it'd load fast.

It will load fast, because there's very little to load - you've done the right thing by including the css in an external sheet, but there's no other technologies for it to load so it will be quick.

For more 'oomph', i would look at lighter, more positive colours - the background detracts from the main content too much in my view.

[Bennett 🚀]

I don't see what's wrong with the stripe in the bg. It has all the colors from the template.. just a little darker.

[sneer]

You may be using all the same colours, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't draw the eye away from the main content. They're too thick and bright to not look at when you're trying to read. I'd make the stripes smaller and more faded if you're insistent on stripes. Right now they're just too clunky, and so bold that they continuously call attention to themselves.

[dude]

Jun 27, 2010 14:12:34 GMT -8 Bennett 🚀 said:

I don't see what's wrong with the stripe in the bg. It has all the colors from the template.. just a little darker.

But it's never a good thing when the background of a page is aesthetically dominant over the content itself - then it's just distracting you from the function of the page rather than complimenting it. Other than the bg, what's there is fine it's just that there's not too much to critique.

[Bennett 🚀]

I'm thinking of moving the menu to the right of the content instead.. and then put a head/base image on top and bottom.

Thing is, i hate CSS when it comes to width and stuff..

[iDunk]

I'm not sure that I agree with your color pallets. :-\ IMO, your main text needs to be a bit more visible (read: contrast) from the background it sits on.

[Bennett 🚀]

Lol, I'm so used to making PB skins

[Lugubrious]

Always make the focal point, in this case the text, the most important and distinctive thing on the page. When I see your page, the text blends in with the table it is in. The background is the only exciting thing. This is the opposite of what the goal of design is. I can hardly see the text against the background. Also, try not to make the foreground have a distinct color that matches the background. To my eye, it looks off.

[Bennett 🚀]

I'm doing the wrapper color in the stripe, so it looks like the stripes are coming from behind it

[Zath]

The first theme, as has been said, the bg is too dominant. It's almost like the main content is in the way and you want to look for the background.
The red theme is a no-no. Black on various shades of red just doesn't work.
The green balance is a bit better. I like green, maybe a throw back to the early days of computers.
The background is still dominant over the content.

[Candice]

As it's been said before, the background is far too strong. It strains my eyes after a while, which makes me want to turn away from your site, not continue to look at it.

The red theme is even worse actually. The background takes away from the main content, you don't want to do that.

As for the green one, same problem. Your background is too dominant, draws too much attention away from the main content.

Maybe if you darkened out the background or something so it's in the background, not your main focal point as it is now, it wouldn't be too bad. As it is right now, it strains my eyes.

[Anselm]

On a website, you really want to draw peoples' eyes to the logo; while mine focus there sort of, that background (as has been said by others) is too distracting. Striped by all means yes, just leave the bright colours for the main part. Perhaps if you use the background colour (the one around the main box) and something slightly away from that, so the difference is notable but not too notable.

The only other thing I think needs changing is the text colour - it isn't the most readable - not sure what would be better, try them out (well, bright purple could be worse ).

Red I simply don't think works at all. Too bright. Green's a bit better, but still not really getting there.

Good start though better than my first web layout, oh dear that was bad