Ahhkay, I really DON'T consider myself a web designer. At one time I thought maybe, but I have realized I'm terrible at design. In the recent months, you have all converted me here. So I have redone my website with valid XHTML 1.0 and total Table-less CSS layout. But my design skills are terrible. So, here's the new design (With some filler latin, I haven't worked on content yet. I want to get a final design first.)
Still much more work to go into it, but *deep breathe* I want all of your opinion. What can I do to make it better? Like I said, I'm not really creative, I enjoy the coding aspect more than the design. Hence the title, A Web Developer's Haven. I love PHP and web technologies. This is mon personal website, where I will showcase some of my scripts, post links to cool places, the usual kind of stuff. I'm not a professional designer (thank god), so I figured it best to ask some real ones. Whaddya think?
Its valid and all but its pretty darned basic looking. Put it in a centered box and give it some flanking menus make it white and then give it a fancy fish, butterly or something else on the banner until it looks exactly like http://www.ryanbrill.com
I would say center the banner maybe. Instead of using the links like that use an unordered list as it is a list of links with this you might able to make some boxes with some nice roll overs or something. And yes like peo says put it in a centered container box.
Ach, Peo, you would even mention Ryan's and mine website in the same post? I visit it constantly for design ideas, but I'm just not that good, sadly. But, you say put me content in a centered box? Should it have a different background? Should the links (in this unordered list) be in a seperate, side menu?
EDIT: How do I customize list bullets? Like Ryan's? I have to make my own, but then what?
Originally posted by MstrBob
EDIT: How do I customize list bullets? Like Ryan's? I have to make my own, but then what?
ul {list-style-image: url(image.gif)}
to make it an image.
Wow... I'm actually the one with the answer to the question for once.
edit: Then Peo beats me to it.
Anyway, like everyone else said, your design is simple. The only comment I have that hasn't been said is a black background isn't a good idea. Black backgrounds along with brightly colored backgrounds that burn your eyes are the new fad among Neopets users In other words, unless you add more color to the rest of your page, black is both depressing and unprofessional looking. Do a dark grey possibly. Something other than black please
"But Jesus looked at them and said, With men this is impossible, but all things are possible with God." -Matthew 19:26
I like black. Black is good for some sites. I would not use it on a business site, but for a personal site maybe. I am a fan of dark colors because they are eay to look at... dont hurt the old eye balls when I am using the machine with my lights off. Blues and Greys are the real professional colors that you will see everywhere. I personally like some dark greens. One day I think I will experiment with green silver and grey.
I used to like black, most of my site's layouts were dark and with black backgrounds. But now that I've discovered the wonder that is color and brightness and realized that not all Harry Potter sites have to be dark to be appealing, I hate black. Its like when I used to hang around the 'Show off your board' forum at Hyperboards. Their old default skin wasn't ugly, but after seeing a hundred people come in the forum thinking that their forum was so cool still with the default skin, you start to loathe the sight of the thing.
Last edited by Arqueete; 06-17-2004 at 09:48 PM.
"But Jesus looked at them and said, With men this is impossible, but all things are possible with God." -Matthew 19:26
Its a forum provider's support forum's version of Website Reviews.
Yes, HP 3 was good. I didn't know if I'd like the new director, Alfonzo Cuaron, but now that I've seen the movie I think he's better than Columbus for Harry Potter. Columbus' happy-clappy filming style might have been good for movie one, but as things start focusing more on the plot than the magical world and begin getting darker they needed someone new. Though the next movie has yet another new director whose name I don't remember, and they're squeezing a 700-page book into a two-hour movie, so that one has a large potential for not turning out so well.
Yeah, I know way too much about what I'm talking about. I own a Harry Potter RPG, I can't help it
"But Jesus looked at them and said, With men this is impossible, but all things are possible with God." -Matthew 19:26
Okay, I've changed it around. Tell me what you all think, Better? Worse? Right track? Wrong Track? Thank you guys for the help, as I said, design is not my forte.
yes. Better. Go with what you want but this layout has more depth then the last. But its your site, whatever you want... as long as it looks idential to something on www.csszengarden.com
As it all valid im suprised you havent got one of thoose w3c buttons.
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In other words, unless you add more color to the rest of your page, black is both depressing and unprofessional looking. Do a dark grey possibly. Something other than black please 
The other two were lameish.
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