by how » Mon Mar 22, 2004 7:06 pm
HELLO,
Your web-page design is extremely pleasant; understandable, and easy to navigate. You have given considerable thought where things should go and how they should look. It's paid off.
I only experienced one glitch. I have a Mac with Safari. The font size is a little small for me to enjoy reading and when I enlarged it in my browser I found a small problem. In the "Professional Web Tracking" box the "Pricing" box overlapped the boxes above it (Info, Demo, Signup.) This is a problem I have seen discussed in tutorials and forums, however I don't understand it. I can only report the effect.
The left navigation bar has irregular dark green boarders. I don't know if that was intentional or a mistake waiting to be fixed. If it's intentional, I would consider changing it; it's distracting. As a visitor to your site, I shouldn't be thinking about the boarders. So, why am I?
The "create new counter account" box is missing a dark green boarder on the right. The "News" and "Member info" below it lays flush left with a wider green boarder to the right. It is hard to make recommendations as I am unsure of your intention. All things considered, I am curious about the odd sized boarders and I might consider keeping them in a cleaned up form. The top box could be completed with a right hand boarder.
Regardless of that, I propose you create a mirror effect on the right hand navigation bar. In effect I am saying that you need to link the right and left visually. I like the dark green boarders. Keep them in some form. I propose you draw a dark green line clear across across the top joining the two sides. Then space the "GoStats Provides..." heading down a few <br>s. Another consideration is to center the "News" and "Member Info" boxes to have equal sized boarders. Mirror the dark green boarders on the right hand side as best you can.
My forte is color theory and I am behooved to tweak colors constantly. I also notice color irregularities. Let me first say that I am impressed with your color pallet. It is professional and neat looking. Uncluttered, it adds to your information.
The first thing I noted was the top banner greens and the side bar boarders. I have already admitted I like them. On close examination, I find that the banner green is slightly darker than the green on your big "G" logo. This is subtle and brilliant. It causes the Logo green to stand out. Web designers take note. A similar effect is created by the brushed effect on the boarders above and below the banner logo. This is an excellent framing job, and I would hate to see you loose it's best features.
What I find truly curious is the oddly dark green font color for your top navigation bar. (New Account | contact ...) It is hex color #224422. The green is too dark to be distinguishable from the black spacer bars. "|" I propose you use a slightly lighter green, one that is still dark but distinguishable as green. #164b16, and #225422 are possibilities. I would also encourage you to use this green for the font color of your banner style heading, "GoStats provides live web-site usage tracking/reporting & web hit counters." That may be the single most important piece of information to new visitors, It deserves a distinguished color.
Let me note that I approve of your restraint in the use of fonts.
I would consider changing your background body color from white to the beige color used in your "Professional Web Tracking" box. The body color of these boxes can then be changed to white; that way the slightly darker background color will recede causing these boxes to pop out.
Curiously, I also found a difference in the sea green color used for the body of your side bars and the "Free Web Tracking" box. Where the banner created a subtle accent, this difference is sloppy and may prove to be distracting in some browsers. Again, I don't know your intention. All I can say is that is looks sloppy to me. I propose that you choose one color of sea green and stick with it where ever it is used.
Of course, I have a color preference. #e7fce7 sea-green. This works with a new color I propose for your beige, #fcfce7. Another color in this pallet is grey #e7e7fc, you may find it useful in your designs.
Now, let's discuss complementary colors. Normally I like to keep a pallet down to 5 colors, at tops. You have the boarder Dark Green, The sea green, the Dark font green, white and black. You are working in monochrome. Even though you are working in greens, 20 different greens would be too much.
White and black are colors, of course. Assuming that white, black and grey are neutral colors, many folks use them indiscriminately. Good web design needs a primary focus color. In your case it could be Green (and shades there of) It's okay to use a predominance of white & black. But realize that this will shift the focus of your pallet: it will become a black & white pallet with green accents. For your site, using a beige body color will not shift your pallet away from green, but rather enhance it.
Making a color scheme predominately one color is good design. Pages that are half and half (half white and half green, say) tend to look choppier then sites with a predominate color.
Your monochromatic scheme is upset by the changing ad banner and the Google search ads. There is nothing that can be done to change these elements. However, I would be curious to see the ad banner against the beige background to see if that would soften the effect. Place all of the GoStats data below that like now, but dropped down another <br> space. The ad banner looks squeezed in; it could use elbow room.
Let's study your monochrome design. (I am considering the beige as a green in this scheme) I would like you to consider a few accent colors which I believe will give your site a needed snap. The first color suggestion is a no brainer to me. Dark Blue #225294. (steady color options are: #3333cc, #3300cc, #330099) Pick only one blue to use.
Blue falls close to your green monochrome. Also the Ads by google use blue. I propose you use this blue sparingly. Because of the proximity to the Google Ad, I could see this blue as the font color for the two columns of type in the lower center. "The Professional Web Tracking ..." and "You nee a way to ..."
This next selection of colors is something to have on hand and to use very sparingly. The colors are: pink #ffb6ff, coral #ffb6b6, beige #ffffb6, and periwinkle #b6b6ff. This is your Chromatic pallet for sea green #e7fce7.
These colors will add a necessary spark to your site. I propose you use them for the mouse over color for the boxes in the center, namely: "Info, Demo, Signup & Pricing." Also they would work well for Special features or items that need an accent. And do employ them for bars and lines in graphs.
Your counter, I find it odd that GoStats doesn't have a custom GoStats counter. Or at least one that falls within your color pallet. And I would not be offended if it were larger. It does seem to be embarrassingly small for a site like your own. Almost like you are not proud of what you do.
In a side note, something I just noticed. Above the center boxes you suggest "If you don't have a website check the Top Sites list." First this sentence is an aside, and I feel it would make more sense in it's own paragraph. (or one <br> at least.)
On a critical note the sentence is vague. I don't understand why it's there and who you anticipate it will help. I assume that the majority who visit GoStats do have a website, and that you also want them to check out the top websites. This segway, "If you don't..." only directs a small percent of folks. And to be honest, I have a web site and I will take your implied advice: the Top Sites list is for people who don't.
If you wish to direct your general visitor to your top sites, then note it and explain why. "Check out the Top Sites list to see our members' most visited sites." I honestly don't know why the top sites category exists; you do and this line should explain that.
If you mean to direct novice web designers who are curious about starting a web page using GoStats, than tell me why that person should go the the Top Sites list. "If you don't have a website, you'll find the finest inspiration at our Top Sites list." Again, only you know why you are directing folks without a website to your Top Sites list.
In conclusion, your site has a healthy and straight forward appeal which is refreshing in an internet cluttered with fussy design. It is serviceable and direct.
Your choice of color pallet is pleasant, but perhaps a little too safe and boring. Some of the subtle differences in color are weak design and should be made more obvious or dropped all together. A unified color pallet will enhance an all ready strong design scheme. Accent color will add visual interest and appeal.
'sall for now,
Robt.
ps. if you do decide to try any of my ideas, please send me a capture so I can see how it turned out.
)
