So . . . I am building a website called www.cocktailrecipes.co.nz it will be run by a custom CMS so the design has to be perfect before I send it off to my programmer. The problem is . . . I am by no means a talented designer - can you creatively gifted individuals out there please offer me some advice on the design (I have attached below) At the moment it seems way too blue and preeschoolish but not sure what I should do to change it - any help would be great. Constructive criticism only please. Best Regards, Jared Gravatt
The black text on the dark blue background is not the easiest to read. I'd tone it down a bit Remove the space between Responsible and Drinking...I assume that should be one link and not look like 2?
Not that bad.... use some styles for those menu items and links ( mouseover etc ). When you make HTML it looks better.
If it was me, I'd stick with maybe 2 shades of blue accent, and have smaller, 2-5 pixel separators. Your navigation should have more padding on the left & could use some piazzas; navigation styling should stand out. And if you're going with all the separators, the body should have a solid border.
if you want to use a dark color, it's may be good if you select a dark color of that banner you have in the top of the page , else it's fine
No offense, but it looks a little "cheap". Why do you need a custom CMS? And for most recipe sites, there is no sidebar on the right as it draws the visitor's attention. The rest of it is pretty nice, but I agree that it is a bit dark.
I personally do not put much emphasis on design and appearance -- I care most about quality of content, accessibility for people with disabilities and ease of navigation. With the above in mind, the only thing I don't like about your page is the black text on the dark blue background -- it is very hard for me to read with my diminished vision. James
All the text is way to bold. The blue should definitely be changed. I would suggest going with a more neutral color scheme. Take a look at the link below. Its not the same exact type of site. However... it could give you some idea of which direction to take. http://www.taylorandnorton.com/ Hope this helps
Let me give you a piece of advice: Colors: I would suggest that you finalize your logo first (Very important) - You cannot create a nice website if you do not know the color of your logo Once you created your logo - Use your logo's colors to blend in to your website - I would suggest 2 colors that will represent your website and your logo Do NOT USE strong colors like RED, BLUE, GREEN instead use a light colored RED , etc. Study web design, go outside on the park, city (especially at night) you'll see beautiful colors that you can take advantage when creating websites or suggesting a color for your website Learn photography, grab that dusty digital camera and start shooting everywhere
Too many spots for advertising in my opinion. I can definitely appreciate monetizing your website, but at a certain point when the advertisements start to overpower the actual website content, it is a trigger for me to leave that page and probably not return.