As you’ve probably noticed, the look of this page has been updated. What do you think of the new look? (Please leave your opinion in the comments for this entry. For reference, here’s the old look.)
Put a +2, +1, 0, -1, or -2 at top of your comment indicating how you feel. FYI This entry written by Will Gayther – I wrote the software that runs this weblog, and did most of the redesign.What Do You Think Of The New Weblog Look?
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I can't even find the maroon and yellow or a sidebar as referenced in some of the previous comments. I'm using Safari 1.0, though, and unable to upgrade due to still being on Mac OS 10.2. (I suppose I could try Firefox...)
Ben, that's a brilliant suggestion... I'm off to a conference and won't be able to implement until later, but keep 'em coming if you can!
One final thought. The Comment link for each post expands to show comments, which is not like a traditional link. Instead it operates like the left navbar's headers, which expand with the + character. I suggest adding + button next to the Comments link in each post because it performs the same expantion function within the page. Users might be confused by that blue link that doesn't operate in a standard way.
-2 for comment formatting. My previous comment had returns that disappeared and made one ugly paragraph. Boo hiss boo hiss!
+1.
Good:
- Colors and navigation bar, especially the + expanding buttons.
- Nice light dashed line beneath categories in the navbar.
Suggestions:
- Heavier definition between comments, perhaps with a bigger vertical space.
- The bullets don't help me locate comments.
- Error in the navbar's Weblog field: Recent Comments and Categories open alone, as if they're a seperate frame without the other page elements.
- Left aligned text is good, but make the "Literacy Weblog" banner and the navbar "Dennis G. Jerz" text left aligned, too.
Browser:
- Mac OSX Camino works.
- Safari has the same problem Lisa described.
Regarding Jerz's comment:
"I sometimes have to restart my computer or clear the cache in order to reload the new style sheet."
Dennis, that is very funny.
Using Safari, on the Mac, runing OS X, the left hand column of links lies on top of the central text area, obscuring it. Email me if you'd like a screen shot. It's fine in IE on the Mac.
Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. (If there's anyone out there who's been shy so far, I'd love to hear from you.)
MisterBS, as I understand it, IE doesn't always reload the stylesheet even after it's been changed. I sometimes have to restart my computer or clear the cache in order to reload the new style sheet.
I'll agree with several of the above: move to an all-blue scheme, consider altering the bkgrnd blue--it does look lavender on Firefox/Win2k. I like the cleaner look, but am not entirely nuts that the left menus are completely collapsed. I wonder if there are primary/secondary levels of subordination you can sort things into, improving both navigation and visual organization. Also, the CSS didn't load automatically, so I was wondering, "What blues?" at first.
-1
At least for the color. The remnants of the old burgundy/yellow don't blend with the new, and the light blue looks like lavendar to my system. Purer blue with navy added, perhaps?
+1
Organization is cleaner. I agree that it looked a little busy before, but maybe the look was professorial?
+1--I actually really like it. Yes, I think that a different accent color on the side bar could be more effective (than the maroon), but I would be careful with implementing an entirely blue design (since blue can effect readability--especially on a computer like mine, where the colors are somewhat skewed on the tiny plasma screen). I feel like the old design was a little busy--what with menus and lines running everywhere, and this one seems to be easier on the eyes. I don't think, from a usability standpoint, the menus on the sidebar create a problem. The headings are pretty explanatory, and most internet users understand the idea behind the plus symbol. The one change that I would make would to be to better integrate the colors from the "Links" section to the colors used on the other sections of the sidebar--it would add continuity to the page. Or, maybe try changing the maroon to a blue-r red, or use some red on the main part of the page, so as to bring the colors from the side into the page.