Please help me stylish this future website

[AndyB78]

Hello all!

First off, I don't know if this is the right place to post this request. If not so, please let me know.

This is not really a site feedback request because all I have is a pre-image of the future site.

I would really need your suggestions on improving the looks in order to produce a professional, clean design.

The company works in the field of naval design and naval parts manufacture. Please feel free to comment on:
- the colour scheme (I wish to lighten it)
- the layout
- whatever you feel that needs to be addressed.

Please bear in mind that this is the scaled down version (from 1024 down to 600 pixels - I didn't know what is this forum's policy regarding size).

Thank you!

Best regards!

[AndyB78]

Hello all!

First off, I don't know if this is the right place to post this request. If not so, please let me know.

This is not really a site feedback request because all I have is a pre-image of the future site.

I would really need your suggestions on improving the looks in order to produce a professional, clean design.

The company works in the field of naval design and naval parts manufacture. Please feel free to comment on:
- the colour scheme (I wish to lighten it)
- the layout
- whatever you feel that needs to be addressed.

Please bear in mind that this is the scaled down version (from 1024 down to 600 pixels - I didn't know what is this forum's policy regarding size).

Thank you!

Best regards!

[raynerj]

hello Galatz,

Welcome to talkgraphics. I am not sure if this is the right place either, but it seems like the best possible place.

I agree with you about the dark blue and white for two reasons.
1. The page will not print well. If you have print background turned on, it will suck the life out of your ink cartridges faster than dracula at a slumber party. If you have print background turned off (the default)pinting white (does not print) on white paper is very hard to read (looks like a polar bear in a snow storm).

2. Most people are used to seeing black lettering on a white background. Back on white is high contrast, but can cause eye strain very easy.A pastel background is easy on the eyes and easy to read.

Some web sites like to make their clients scroll and scroll, others like to devote very little area to the acutal meat of the site. From the look of this design, the designer is from the latter school of thought. Between your top logo/navigation bar and the address on the bottom you have left less than 50% for acutal content.

If you make this page a frame site with the top and bottom bars fixed, your customer will be scrolling for days if you say anything more than "hi".

[AndyB78]

Hello John!

Thank you for your funny comments (gave me a good laugh).

1. Regarding the print, I feel quite irrelevant bc this is (or will be) just a website.

2. The design is for 1024x768 and the first page content occupies all the real estate. Other then that the other pages are of comparable hights.
I am thinking that maybe I should do it for 800x600 (even if from my 21" seems quite nasty).

Thank you again!

I'll see how I can incorporate your suggestions in the design.

Kindest regards!

PS: Galatz is my location

[raynerj]

AndyB78,

You are most welcome. I felt in a goofy mood when I was trying to help you.

I have know idea why I used your location for your name... Duh... If I only had a brain...

[Albacore]

Andy do not fully listen to JohnR as a recent study on web colours showed that men like blue or black backgrounds when viewing wb pages. As for his remarks about printing the easiest soloution if you think that this page would be printed by customers is to have a printer friendly page. That meams making another page just with the text and no background and then linking that page to your orginal with a printer logo or a text link.

As your market is business based I see no reason not to have the larger screen res.. How many office machines have you seen running on 800 x 600 not very many at all, aim your res. on what you think your customer uses.

[Egg Bramhill]

Andy
I would be extremely careful re designing a site for a 1024 screen resolution only. If the client requests this then fine, but point out how the site will appear to a visitor using an 800 x 600 monitor. To me horizontal scroll bars are a complete turn off. To have to scroll to view a menu item or to read text is almost criminal.
Notice on the 800 x 600 mock up below, just how much of your header eats into the real eastate of the screen, leaving virtually no real estate for content, as correctly pointed out by John.
I can't agree with Albacores point re screen resolution use. Take a look here to view resolution stats. It gives nearly 40% of users still running 800 x 600 resolutions. I don't believe business users tend to be further advanced in updating systems than home users, probably less so in fact.
If the client requests a specific resolution, then offer to do 2 sites at different resolutions, not forgetting to charge him for your additional work.
Egg

[raynerj]

"I don't believe business users tend to be further advanced in updating systems than home users, probably less so in fact."

Hello Again Andy,

I was just reading Egg's post and it brought to mind one little reason why at least 40% of the people run at 600X800. The majority of the money/job/clients in the work are held by baby boomers and older. These folks do not have the best eyes. For instance, My father in law who makes a heck of a lot more money than I, has a 19" screen running at 800 X 600. Claims he can't read it at any higher resolution.

Think about your market... If you are building the site to appease kids, 1024 is probably same. If you are going after money... 800 X 600 is the design size. Personally, I design for 640 and maybe 800, but never higher.

[AndyB78]

Hello!

I am really sorry for such a delay but I had to move all the customers that I host to a Germany based server. It took a lot of time and enough problems have occured. Now I am back to designing.

Anyway, meantime I have semi-developed (it's not finished - first of all I need a footer) a new look (not that I abondoned the old one). Would you care to comment on this one?



Thanks to all those that take a look and especially give me their comments.

Best regards!

[raynerj]

Fade the top graphic into the background so it will not look weird at 1024 or higher, but still look good at 800.