It is time... (Full Version)

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Seventh -> It is time... (8/25/2006 15:08:33)

For a preview, that is. The all-new Seventh Hill design.

But, before you critique this creation, here are a couple of things you should know.

1. Footer doesn't work...yet. Still working on the pages it links to (other than the home page).
2. On the contact page the email address has a different ending (@shgllc.org). We will be switching over to that domain. People kept forgetting the second 'H' in www.7thhill.com and we found this easier to remember...for 'them'. And I got tired of spelling it over and over and over.
3. There are no actual pictures in the portfolios, just filler. I'm resizing/cropping stuff to make it fit.

That's all I can think of as I've been up for 24hrs. So, whaddaya waitin' for? Get to critiquing! [;)]




womble -> RE: It is time... (8/25/2006 15:27:00)

Seventh - that is NICE! Womble likey muchley! [img]http://ecanus.net/smileys/grin_blue.gif[/img]

I wasn't sure about the brown and blue at first, but I think it works really well and the whole layout's nice and simple and uncluttered, and your description of the design process really made me smile.

My only slight negative about the whole thing is that though I really like the style of the top of the page, the shade of blue somehow makes it feel like a banner ad until you get used to the site. Does that make any sense?



Tailslide -> RE: It is time... (8/25/2006 15:37:12)

I really love the design - it's beautiful! I did a mockup last week with similar colours (not as pretty though) but it was turned down unfortunately. I absolutely love the colour scheme.

The only things I can point out are fairly picky - but I'll point them out anyway 'cos you've asked and 'cos I'm picky!

I'd definitely add in an a:focus effect to all your navigation and links etc along with your hover and active rules so that you get the same effect from keyboard navigation as from hovering.

I'd give your main navigation list items a background colour (that lovely blue maybe) so that with images off they show up nicely.

I'd make the links in your footer a list too - that way you don't need all the non-breaking spaces etc.

I think that the central top and bottom scroll on the homepage doesn't show up too well against the #f7f5ed colour - I guess it's hard with it being so thin a line - not sure if you can make it look less jaggy against the darker background?

Finally - you get a page shift in FF because of the scrollbar/no scrollbar thing when the page content is short. I tend to add in 

html { min-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 1px; }


Which forces a vertical scrollbar on all FF pages and does away with the page shift - but that might just be me being a total control freak.

Beautiful site - I hope you're really proud.

edit: thought of something else - possibly better to have a blank alt attribute on the decorative scroll divider thingy - it's just for pretty really and it would prevent it being read out on a screen reader (and i'm specifying a blank attribute rather than leaving it off - if you see what I mean).
alt=""



Seventh -> RE: It is time... (8/25/2006 15:56:18)

quote:

ORIGINAL: womble
Seventh - that is NICE! Womble likey muchley! [img]http://ecanus.net/smileys/grin_blue.gif[/img]

I wasn't sure about the brown and blue at first, but I think it works really well and the whole layout's nice and simple and uncluttered, and your description of the design process really made me smile.

My only slight negative about the whole thing is that though I really like the style of the top of the page, the shade of blue somehow makes it feel like a banner ad until you get used to the site. Does that make any sense?

Glad you liked it. I still need to tighten up the copy but I'm exhausted. And I cannot work efficiently when I'm like this. [&:] And the top page thingy...hmmmmm... is it the brown section at the top that makes you think that? Because I never thought of it that way. Thanks though. I'm going to have to think hard about that one.



Seventh -> RE: It is time... (8/25/2006 16:05:34)

Tailslide, I wouldn't have it any other way. So let me 'pick' back. [8D]

1. a:focus - completely forgot about this.
2. main nav background - good idea. Though I'm still working on alt stylesheets.
3. footer as a list - it's already done in a separate file. I was going back and forth about whether to use text or images. Text won.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Tailslide
I think that the central top and bottom scroll on the homepage doesn't show up too well against the #f7f5ed colour - I guess it's hard with it being so thin a line - not sure if you can make it look less jaggy against the darker background?


4. I don't follow. Are you talking about the divider at the top and bottom? The whole middle section? I'm a little lost here. (READ: Lack of sleep.)

5. FF scrollbar - Now you tell me. Thanks for that one.

6. Alt text on images - I took it out and put it back in. Another sign I need some rest. Thanks for the reminder.



Tailslide -> RE: It is time... (8/25/2006 16:18:04)

The scrolls that I was on about are the ones above and below the central circular shape on the homepage. I think that the bits that extend up or down into the main background colour just look slighly jaggedy. I don't think it'd be that noticeable except that all the other graphics are so smooth and pretty - so it's your own fault! [:D]




womble -> RE: It is time... (8/25/2006 16:30:04)

I'm not sure what it is - whether it's that shade of blue or the fact that it's such a contrast with the browns. I'm wondering if adding a little of the brown shades into the page top would tie it in to the rest of the design more - the other things is that from an accessibility viewpoint, there isn't a lot of contrast between the white text and blue background. I had a little play in PSP on a screenshot (result attached below), but then after I'd done that it seemed a little too brown. Hmmmmm...I don't know. It just feels a little 'detached' from the rest of the site right now. Please feel free to slap me if I'm not making any sense. [;)]

<edit>
Mental note to self: MUST learn to type quicker before Tail nips in and makes it look like I've lost the plot and am rambling on about something else entirely. [:D]

Duh! Piccies tend to work best if you remember to attach them!
</edit>

[image]local://upfiles/14943/8B2E097C4FB545AD8B8836DB2D4064C6.jpg[/image]



jaybee -> RE: It is time... (8/25/2006 16:58:20)

Nice, very nice.

If you're going to use :focus, don't forget to put :active in as well for IE6 which ignores focus and randomly applies active instead whenever it feels like it. [:@]

Yes, I fully intend to carry a grudge over that for ever more.




Seventh -> RE: It is time... (8/26/2006 5:03:44)

quote:

I think that the bits that extend up or down into the main background colour just look slighly jaggedy.


Got it. Now I see what you're talking about. Did I mention that I was exhausted?

Anyway, it looks that way because it is a Transparent GIF on a white background. Hence the jaggedy top and bottom. Will correct that now that I'm refreshed.

Thanks for being particular. That's why I love this forum.



Seventh -> RE: It is time... (8/26/2006 5:25:48)

quote:

ORIGINAL: womble

I'm not sure what it is - whether it's that shade of blue or the fact that it's such a contrast with the browns. I'm wondering if adding a little of the brown shades into the page top would tie it in to the rest of the design more - the other things is that from an accessibility viewpoint, there isn't a lot of contrast between the white text and blue background. I had a little play in PSP on a screenshot (result attached below), but then after I'd done that it seemed a little too brown. Hmmmmm...I don't know. It just feels a little 'detached' from the rest of the site right now. Please feel free to slap me if I'm not making any sense. [;)]



Womble. First off, I'm not gonna slap you. I may pinch you, but I'll never slap you.[8D]

Second, believe it or not I tried putting more brown into and, to be honest, it was just too much as your screenshot proves it (at least to me).

Third, I agree to a certain point about the contrast on the navigation text (white on blue), yet the only solution I visually have now is to make it bold to stand out more. But it looks a little weird to me that way.

Fourth, 'detached'? Great! That's exactly what I was going for. I think of it more as a design separation. And, as you said before, you get used to it. I did. I guess you can say it grew on me when I first created it.

Fifth, thanks for your responses. They've helped me to look at the site through new eyes.[sm=yupi3ti.gif]



Seventh -> RE: It is time... (8/26/2006 5:28:11)

quote:

ORIGINAL: jaybee
Nice, very nice.

Thank you.

quote:

ORIGINAL: jaybee
If you're going to use :focus, don't forget to put :active in as well for IE6 which ignores focus and randomly applies active instead whenever it feels like it. [:@]

Yes, I fully intend to carry a grudge over that for ever more.


I was just reading about that in another forum. And feel free to carry a grudge for as long as you need to. [;)]



anderskorte -> RE: It is time... (8/26/2006 5:55:58)

I'm a little dumbfounded. That's a lot better than I had thought.

The frontpage hits hardly. The common “usability” layouts are very boring, so this one immediately catches attention as something unique. The colors aren't bad either, it's not sky blue but it's not Slashdot either. You go straight to the business rather than showing catchy slogans or images of businessmen shaking hands (or some other similar clichés).

The only problem is the logo, which (although a well contrasting color) doesn't stand out well enough. It just somehow doesn't. You should put forth the company name and the logo just a bit more, don't you think?

Anyway, it's a design that is memorable, a positive experience for someone who is searching for a trustworthy design service.

Based on the website, I think your business is going to be a success, there's no doubt about that.



Seventh -> RE: It is time... (8/26/2006 19:06:50)

quote:

I'm a little dumbfounded. That's a lot better than I had thought.


Not quite sure how to take that, but my mom always said to just say thank you. So, thanks![:D]



lisa0721 -> RE: It is time... (9/25/2006 20:07:25)

I think it's beautiful just the way it is. I'm a huge fan of aqua and brown, and the orange logo really makes it stand out.

Excellent work! [:)]



Seventh -> RE: It is time... (9/26/2006 8:59:57)


quote:

ORIGINAL: lisa0721

I think it's beautiful just the way it is. I'm a huge fan of aqua and brown, and the orange logo really makes it stand out.

Excellent work! [:)]



Hmmm, I know you. [:D]



jaybee -> RE: It is time... (9/26/2006 11:23:15)

Well that's pretty obvious. A fly-by spam just to tell you how wonderful you are. What are the chances of that?

50 squillion to 1.

actually, I took another look and just noticed something. Your tag line.... redefining simple....

that could be taken the wrong way. [:D]



Seventh -> RE: It is time... (9/26/2006 19:05:22)

quote:

ORIGINAL: jaybee

Well that's pretty obvious. A fly-by spam just to tell you how wonderful you are. What are the chances of that? 50 squillion to 1. actually, I took another look and just noticed something. Your tag line.... redefining simple....that could be taken the wrong way. [:D]


Hello, jaybee. Actually she's a pretty nice lady. Last week I was running some changes through Browsershots and, as I'm sure some of us do, she happened to notice the layout on there. She sent me a nice email saying how she liked it. I replied with thanks and asked her where she had seen it and she said Browsershots. And she just sent me a PM stating that she had put my site in her favorites (pause while I say "Cool" to myself) and that she had subsequently lost it. She did a search for it and found the link here. I'm back in her favor! Yeah, baby. We've been chatting back and forth ever since.

So what did we learn folks? If someone really likes something they'll search for it. And they'll also become a member of a forum I will not mention.[;)]

As far as the tag line, it brings up more questions from potential clients. Nike's tag line could be taken in so many ways: Just Do It! I sure will. Oh, wait, that's not what you meant? Shoes!?! Ewwww. Oh, you want me to buy shoes. Then why don't you say "Just Buy It!"



jaybee -> RE: It is time... (9/27/2006 9:43:30)

I'm just checking how much you paid her. [;)]



Seventh -> RE: It is time... (9/27/2006 17:30:54)


quote:

ORIGINAL: jaybee

I'm just checking how much you paid her. [;)]


A little under 3 million.[8D]



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