design prefrence question

[Wipeout]

hey there,

I'm curious as to the opinion of some of you. Is it "boring" or mundane for someone to use the same layout for several different sites? I have a layout that I like the style of, but don't really like the idea of using it on several of the sites I work on (most of the sites are for myself). Do you think it's appropreate to create a new design for every site you do, or is an uniformity a good thing? I just worry that if someone goes to I site that I've done and then browses to my site, which uses the same layout, that it'll look funny.

[Aes]

My rule of thumb: mix it up!

Keep each site uniform throughout that site. However, make each site different from the other sites.

That's just my personal preference. Having too much of the same thing can definitely have detrimental effects though.

[Maelstrom]

I agree with Aes however you will notice standard designs are common but their implementations are different. Header/footer, content in center and toc at side.

Pretty common layout. If you change up the graphics and 'design' the same layout can be quite different.

[Wipeout]

yeah, each page has it's own unique color scheme, but the "feel" of the layout is identical (same HTML). Mixing it up is good, I agree.

Thanks for the response.

[geiger]

amen. you can't use the same exact design twice, though. you just can't

[paroxysm]

I tend to do different layouts for the different pages of a same site. But with similar images and colours. Thus not too confusing for the readers. And not boring too. I get bored easily. Sometimes with myself. Heh.

[guysmy]

You want your site to be consistant visually, yet too much continuity will bore them.

I don't see a problem with using a similar design over a few sites...just call it the "____ network" link them all together and there you go, you've got your own mini-network. (eat that lycos)

Many corporate all look the same to me anyway.

[mma117]

i think it always depends on the purpose of the site

isn't it