Which layout should I use?

[Razorblade]

Well my old site www.cultanime.com is being revamped. From the ground up. It'll be pimped into an uber-community. I haven't put any work into the site itself in a few years, so its way outdated. Since I'm working on a revamp I though I might as well do a new layout. Thing is, my design imagination is dry in this period, and I've gotten a fair amount of positive feedback on the old (current) layout. So I have started work on revamping the old one and making an all new one, and now I need opinions as to what i should do.

I've started minor revamping stuff here:

http://www.outsid3rs.com/temp/cultanime/index.php

no big difference as you can see, but it's far from done. And then there is the new layout I'm working on:

http://www.outsid3rs.com/temp/cultanime/layout9.html

http://www.outsid3rs.com/temp/cultanime/layout9_2.html (Logged in)

http://www.outsid3rs.com/temp/cultanime/layout9_3.html (Forums)

I used some of the old color scheme since I got good feedback on the colors of the old one. But I mixed it up with a bit more color, and less shadowed layers. I still haven't started on designing the actually content, but that doesn't matter right now. Whichever I choose the feature stuff will remain, meaning, just because you see login and members function in the new layout doesn't mean they wont be present in the revamping of the old.

The green and red icon will be animated glowing icons (No, not that super fast flashing thing that's really annoying. More subtle blinking)

The stock image in the top left will also be a random image that will change every time you load a new page.

I was also thinking about the fact that whichever layout I choose it will have to reflect the actually site, which will be very much and deeply community oriented. When I look at the old layout I don't get the feeling that it's a community. But the new layout has sort of a groovy style which if done right can really work as a community.

But then again, whatever I think is irrelevant right now. I just wanna hear your opinions, and which you think I should go with. Or if I need to go back to the drawing board (I really hope not).

Edited July 14, 2007 by Razorblade

[Berserk87]

i like the 2nd layout more (Y)

[Daniel Tablas]

As an anime site owner, I have become aware of how graphic design plays a part in the anime community. First of all, you have done a decent job on your new design, but I get the feeling it's just not enough. A 'revamp' to me is something that will contrast the old design completely. To me, you still need have a long way to go. First of all, find a new colour scheme, just become people liked the old colour scheme, doesn't mean they wont like another. If you want to go darker, choose some colours that go well together (such as my sig) or if you want to go lighter choose strong vibrant colours that stand on in white.

If you are still planning on keeping this design, here are some things you should do:

- Get rid of the green/red buttons, and even if it's subtle blinking some people might still find it annoying.

- The design looks really unbalanced, the right boxes on where the navigation/content is present looks heavier and different than the left navigation.

- Try finding a way on how to end the left bar nicely, right now it looks cut off, like the page hasn't finished loading.

- You really need to fill in that navigation bar, users wont sign up if they don't see much content.

- The red isn't necessary for the "Sign Out" link, it isn't even necessary for the "PMs, Comments" etc just as long as you make it stand out with putting it into a bold setting or something similar.

- The green in the banner should really be changed into another shade, that's a really nasty green.

- The text, add an outline to it, it's really hard to see "Cult Anime" into it.

- Remove that light thing in the banner , I forgot what those things are called :p .

- I just noticed this: Remove the Chii background ( I know she's hot, but dude let it go ;) )

That's all the advice I can give you from now, I really do hope you go for something more different looking than your last one though. Good luck mate :).

Edit: I think this is my longest post on Neowin so far :s

[Mathachew Veteran]

At first glance, the site is pretty narrow. The solid gray box at the bottom almost looks out of place when up against the light gray on the right side, and the dots on the left. And go over dadan's comments. He's got some good points listed.

[Razorblade]

At first glance, the site is pretty narrow. The solid gray box at the bottom almost looks out of place when up against the light gray on the right side, and the dots on the left. And go over dadan's comments. He's got some good points listed.

The layout in the images are made in minimum width. When I make the layout it will autofit the screen with some margin on the sides. but incase a user has 800x600 the minimum width will be as you see it on the images.

I separated the bottom from the content in that way, as I see the bottom of a webpage as being separate (or at least in this case) from the content being presented above it.

As an anime site owner, I have become aware of how graphic design plays a part in the anime community. First of all, you have done a decent job on your new design, but I get the feeling it's just not enough. A 'revamp' to me is something that will contrast the old design completely. To me, you still need have a long way to go. First of all, find a new colour scheme, just become people liked the old colour scheme, doesn't mean they wont like another. If you want to go darker, choose some colours that go well together (such as my sig) or if you want to go lighter choose strong vibrant colours that stand on in white.

If you are still planning on keeping this design, here are some things you should do:

- Get rid of the green/red buttons, and even if it's subtle blinking some people might still find it annoying.

- The design looks really unbalanced, the right boxes on where the navigation/content is present looks heavier and different than the left navigation.

- Try finding a way on how to end the left bar nicely, right now it looks cut off, like the page hasn't finished loading.

- You really need to fill in that navigation bar, users wont sign up if they don't see much content.

- The red isn't necessary for the "Sign Out" link, it isn't even necessary for the "PMs, Comments" etc just as long as you make it stand out with putting it into a bold setting or something similar.

- The green in the banner should really be changed into another shade, that's a really nasty green.

- The text, add an outline to it, it's really hard to see "Cult Anime" into it.

- Remove that light thing in the banner , I forgot what those things are called :p .

- I just noticed this: Remove the Chii background ( I know she's hot, but dude let it go ;) )

That's all the advice I can give you from now, I really do hope you go for something more different looking than your last one though. Good luck mate :).

Edit: I think this is my longest post on Neowin so far :s

Well you and I obviously have very different styles :p (just as an example I looked at Anime Four as reference, and felt the design was nothing I would use for a website of my own, as it feel very incomplete... But that's me :p)

I made a conscious choice to bring back the colors from the previous layout, not only because I got positive feedback, but also because I personally like them. I also personally like the green in the banner, but have not received as good feedback on it as the others, so I see your point there :p... However, it's a bit difficult to find another color that would look good there. Especially seeing as I like the one it has now :p.

- I'll consider that. But I don't really see the point. If someone find slightly, and barely noticeable animation (fading color in several frames) annoying. Then I would imagine that such people would hate all around programs like MSN, or advertisements in website (as we all do :p), flash animation and so on. The point being. if people bare such greater eye-catchers, a small, barely noticeable green button, would probably not make any difference :p... But, I will consider it.

- Yes, that was also a conscious decision. I would personally find it very dull if both navigations were the same. And both of them present very different type of navigations (one is alternative, interactive (I will be using javascript (if available) to allow the user to minimize them) and community oriented, and the other are site links pointing to site content). The left has a darker shade and the right has a brighter shade, but to even it out I placed the content in the right in darker (also shaded and rounded) boxes. Again, I personally find it to work :p

- I do not in any sense find it makes me feel like the pages hasn't finished loading. I think that's most obvious by the fact that if it had continued, it would cross the text beneath it :p. However, I do get the sense that the line next to the links (the dotted one) is out of place, and I should probably do something about that.

- The content itself is in the links. I cannot add more links to content that is already linked. I can see how you feel it's kind of empty. But trust me, there is a Lot of content, but I believe in clean navigation, meaning I shouldn't present more than is relevant to link. I suppose I could add sub-links, but that would also be kind of pointless, as then the head links would be useless. I tried sub-links before on another site. It looked good, but from a usability point of view, it just didn't belong there. It would if the sub-pages were separated and large enough, but as far as I have planned the website, they wont be.

- Point taken, it is very distractive. I'll probably change that.

- Mentioned this in a text above.

- - I'm combining these two into one, as one is the direct cause of the other :p... the effect is called Lens. And I will probably remove it. Thanks.

- Awe come on! I think it's cute! It's so obscure, no one will be bothered, I promise!... Pleeease? :blush:

[Daniel Tablas]

Glad you took the time to reply to my post, and read some of my suggestions (Y)

In the end, it's all about a matter of personal preference, there is always someone that won't like the design as much as others but hey, you gotta live with it. I really wish you good luck, and I hope it all turns well :p

[Razorblade]

Hehe, thanks a lot for your help :)

Yeah, in the end it's all about taste. And as we all know, taste is individual. The best we can do as webdesigners is to try to make it appealing to as big of an audience as possible. In general the layout I made, while in no way perfect, is considered good and eye pleasing. And I can't ask for much more. The point to this thread was to see if I should use it or the old one. And the most, almost all, agreed that the new one is better. So I will probably go ahead and use it :)

[DreadBoat89]

i personally dont think that either design can get away with being a anime-oriented website design... maybe something more corporate... but not for an anime community. sorry