Taste Crisis

[binidj]

The Fox and I are having a disagreement. Now usually when I ask him to look at one of my website designs his advice is sound and I end up taking it ... this time however I just can't. So I come to you as discerning members of the human race to see if you can help resolve this issue.

My preferred layout is here but the Fox feels that the lines are too stark (whereas I quite like the contrast).

His preferrred layout is here and whilst I'm quite proud of it as a technical achievement, I really don't like the appearance.

A couple of points to bear in mind:

1. If you use Opera or Safari you won't see much difference between the two ... this is just another instance of those browsers not handling code the way they should but at least this time the site isn't broken because if it!


2. Neither design has been shown to the client yet so it's entirely possible that they'll ask for a complete redesign.

Comments

[renniek.livejournal.com]

I prefer the first - but then I do tend to prefer clean, simple designs

[mfl.livejournal.com]

Much prefer the first, just don't like the horizontal fading out.
Hope its ok to comment since i think we've met maybe twice?

[binidj.livejournal.com]

Of course it's ok to comment, happy to have your input (especially as you agreed with me *tee hee*)

[nyarbaggytep.livejournal.com]

I think the first one looks better.
Sorry Fox.

[oldnick.livejournal.com]

First one definitely - the second one (when viewed with Firefox 2) the combination of fade-out and vertical scroll bar makes too many bars...

1: main box - graduation not really showing
2: scroll bad - darker grey
3: further bar of main box - still not graduated
4: noticeable white line
5: main box - now graduating fully.

The left end's not so bad, but still is too stepped for a decent fade, and still has the too-white bar.

[binidj.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'd noticed that rogue white bar in Firefox (it doesn't appear in IE) but decided not to devote too long to correcting it until I'd reached a decision about whether or not I was going to pursue that style.

[invisible-al.livejournal.com]

Yes in Firefox 2 the second one's 'fade out' looks rather broken...aha I've spotted what the problem is the fade only works correctly on certain sizes of monitor I'm on 1280x1024 and when I shrink my browser window down it works as intended. I get a similar effect with the background picture tiling in the first design, think if you made that image wider it should sort that.

Design wise I prefer the 1st one, the simple lines are better of the two designs, but I am a big fan of simplicity.

One question as regards content, in the final site will there be a site map and a link to streetmap.co.uk and maps.google.co.uk? Google maps has some decent satellite imagry of the area so that could be useful to link to.

[binidj.livejournal.com]

Oh bugger! Just switched my monitor to 1280x1024 and I see what you mean ... nasty! I do think you're correct though, increasing the width of the background image should resolve that particular problem, though I may also need to make some changes to the heading and navigation placement to make sure they don't go off the edge if I also stop the background tiling.

Well at least that's taught me to work in a higher screen resolution!

don't know how much my opinion counts...

[ed-fortune.livejournal.com]

I prefer candlstoneb. It's simple, straight forward and looks decent in opera, IE and Avant. The gradiant does nothing for me and the design of b put me in more in mind of travel brochure.

[yapman.livejournal.com]

Once I resize the window to see the grading properly, I see where you're going on the second one, but the scroll bar just doesn't work inside a faded text box. I think it has potential, but you'd have to come up with a nicer way of scrolling the text.

[anatosuchus.livejournal.com]

It's the first one for me, I always prefer a clean layout. I can also confirm jfs's comments about the vertical bars in the fade under firefox (on Linux in my case).

[anatosuchus.livejournal.com]

Sorry, oldnick's comments. Not sure why I managed to misattribute that one.

[jfs.livejournal.com]

Cos you know I'd have agreed with you both, for much the same reason.

:-)

[sack-boy.livejournal.com]

Over all number 1 is nicer, but I think that the horizontal placement of the navigation links "feels" nicer on number 2. Possibly.

[justtom.livejournal.com]

I don't know you (probably), but the 1st one's scroll bars contrast really heavily with the fairly mellow feeling of the page as a whole, taking them to a dark grey or something rather than the black would help, also might make it seem less angular as per the Fox's gripes (presumably).

[jayphoenix.livejournal.com]

I prefer option b (tne non-faded infomation box) but would echo two sentiments from above:

1. change the outline and arrow colour on the scroller to something less stark.

2. move the link text over more as it does look better on the Fox's preferred layout.

[furzepig.livejournal.com]

First of all I wasn't sure about either of them. thenm I realised you'd cleverly done a variable width design and I'd gotten it extended beyond your intended width, which made the background photo repeat (any way to make it degrade more gracefully for different window sizes?). At the right width, it looked much more lovely. :-)

I like the first one best too. The second - whilst clever in the gradient department - just doesn't hang right visually for me.

Just a minor question/niggle though - have you tried the inner frame with the same thin black border as the bar? My feeling is that it may help balance it a little more, so the scrollbar is part of the whole box. I could do a mock up to demonstrate tomorrow if I'm making no sense and you're interested.

[binidj.livejournal.com]

Gold star for noticing it was a variable width design! Following on from your suggestion I did try an outline for the text box but it really didn't work that well. The solution which I have used for Internet Explorer should make it less intrusive.

[swiftblade.livejournal.com]

Much as I hate being in the majority, I agree that the first one is better. Clean and crisp.

[averylaterabbit.livejournal.com]

My opinion (please bear in mind i'm not up on inter net speak.

I prefer the first scroll bar box thingy. the fading on the second one is in my opinion to fussy for such a busy background of the bushes and although would look great on something simpler, not here.

I do think that the black is too stark for the top (i know me saying that about black, who knew)but in this case it is too strong. as the background is sky how about either white or cream or a sandy colour similar to the ground at the bottom left, bringing it together.

[binidj.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I love the idea of changing the title colour to something more earthy ... I'll take a look at that.

[averylaterabbit.livejournal.com]

or dark brown

[colonel-maxim.livejournal.com]

Of the two, I vote for Option One. It looks less ... messy.

[velvet-the-cat.livejournal.com]

Just in case it hadn't got enough votes yet, I pitch in for number 1 too.

From the non-geek perspective, it just looks cleaner 'n' nicer to look at. :o)

[silks-ic.livejournal.com]

The first one for definate

Lovely picture of Candlestone by the way - makes me wanna be there stabbing people and shaking sand out of my boots/tent/hair