Alternate design for client

[EOBeav]

Several of you have already seen museum site design #1.

Could you please compare with museum site design #2 and offer comments? My client wanted to see an alternate design that utilized the museum's logo.

Note: Content on both right now is just dummy text to fill empty space.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

[EOBeav]

Comments, anybody? I'm bumping this one because it seems that it took forever to get it posted. Then, when it finally made it onto the reviews page, it ended up clear down at the bottom of the list. Not sure why that happened.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

The Beav

[ses5909]

I really prefer the first layout to the second. It jusr suits the site content SO much better.

The only way I can think to improve on the first design would be to put a brown layer over the design rather than a grey one. Either way, the grey looks better in my opinion.

[proGFX]

I like the first design as opposed to the other. It flows nicely with what will be the sites content and reflects it well. Perhaps you could incorporate the logo into the first design somehow? Maybe in the introduction text or down at the bottom in the empty space next to the hours and admission stuff under Come See Us.

Nice Work!

[unknowngiver]

the first layout is kool

[Halo-13]

I would say #1 over #2 for sure. I can see some ways you can include the logo on the #1 site. In the header is self or perhaps above the menu or above the the main text like proGFX suggested. Maybe replace the words 'Umatilla County Historical Society' with the logo.

I think there is a bit too much of the light color. Maybe try a different color in the main section like white or change the overall back ground color to the dark red.

Viewed with Firefox 1.0.3 -- looks good
Viewed with IE 6.0 -------- looks good
Viewed with Netscape 7.2 - looks good

Other than that I think it looks great. Very consistant and easy to read. Great work!

Cheers!

[p3nnywise]

I prefer the first layout over the second. The colors are better imo. The only thing I would change (and I'm probably being nitpicky) would be to smooth the rounded areas of your design. I see the jaggy pixels and they just kind of leap out at me. If you could fix that on the first design I'd say go with it. I think it's great layout and color scheme.

[topher]

Hey Beav,

Big question: is the "Heritage Station" logo at the top of #2 the museum's logo - like the graphic they use on their printed materails, etc? 'Cause if it is, it must be somewhere on the hp...And if it IS their logo, that's why you were requested to produce a second comp incorporating it.

I think why #1 gets such a strong approval is that it incorporates a richly-detailed photograph at the top. However not having the organizations logo up there too is not a good idea.

But since the logo doesn't quite fit the aspect ratio of your page (too narrow), it's now a good question; how to make it not seem "loney" in all that white space as in #2.

I'd probably mod #1 by putting the logo at the top of the main content area, (in place of the text "Umatilla County Historical Society") and keep the nice pic at the top of the page.

In #2 I think having four colors (red, orange, brown and white) in the main nav bar is too many - or the white (the bg of the page really) is too stark. However, I'm not sure what might be a better choice. Maybe keep red as the bg of the bar - would that tie it all together better? Don't know...

I think indenting the first line of your paragraphs isn't necessary as you have plenty of leading between the paragraphs, (either indent or space, not both). And it certainly isn't necessary to indent if there's only one paragraph below a header, like in the placeholders on the News page. The purpose of indenting is to say "hey, we're switching gears here a little!", and space does that too.

Thanks for letting me review your site - looks like a fun assignment!

-topher

[EOBeav]

Thanks for the great comments topher. I am going to try to incorporate the logo into design #1, as it seems to be the favorite of my client. We also thought of putting it where it says "Umatilla County Historical Society", but I think the smallest text on the logo is in danger of becoming too small at that point. We will likely put it at the bottom of the page on site #1.

I've had other comments about indenting, some think they're not necessary, others think they look great. I tend to agree with you, though, now that I look at it.

My impression of site #2 is that I think the colors make it a little too "in your face" for this particular client's needs. This is a very, very conservative organization: Basically, a lot of families that have been in the area for 100+ years. That's not a bad thing, it's just something I need to consider when putting this project together for them.

Thanks also to everybody else for your great comments.

[meka2003]

I like the #2 better. Its more ALIVE! looking

[Go4outsourcing]

I like first layout better. The color matches your site theme and the layout works perfect with IE, firefox,netscape. The second layout is too bright and doesn't match your colors.

[MBScott]

I like the second one better. In the first, I think the picture is muddy and unclear, but I like their logo in the second.

The people who are paying: which one do they like?

Missy

[skateshopper]

To my eyes, the pages are very, very similar and both nice and crisp. Good job.

[DrawingArt]

I love second more way more. It uses more eye catching colors and cleaner look. Very nice work with menu also that is awsome. On the first one I don't like colors and header.