Designers block: need help

[anthony_irl]

Hi all,

I'm having a spot of designers block at the moment and find that I need to turn to you guys for a spot of help. I'm developing a template for my new site design and although I have developed what I think is a good design, I'm struggling to finish it off. It's been a struggle to get as far as I have and the fruits of labour can be viewed here. What I need from you (if ya can spare a few minutes) is advice on what links colours to use and also what you think of the overall design. I need link colours which can work with the two different div background colours but also complement the existing color scheme.

If you view what I have at the moment, the navbar on the left and the top section will be on every page of the site. The right section and the weblog section are just for the index page. If you could offer any assistance I would be really grateful as I'm stuck at the moment and am gonna have even less time to work on it with the resumption of my college studies next week. Thanks in advance.

Cheers,

Anthony.

[superbrava]

http://www.coolhomepages.com helps me alot. actually, i have "designers block" right now, i've had it alot lately..

[siusai]

http://www.nolimitmedia.com/ is a good site too.

[Scud]

a grande chai, a brownie, and some sheets of paper always help me out. Get out of the house and away from your computer. Go sit in a hallway or at a table at the mall. Just start doodling on said paper and keep at it.

Eventually something you spew out will spark an idea. Or maybe somethign you see.

[ordinaryspace]

I have designers block all the time! But there is help.

These guys are great!

http://www.templatemonster.com/

Helped me out big time!!

hope this helps



Advisor edit - removed affiliate link

Sean

[anam]

Originally posted by ordinaryspace
I have designers block all the time! But there is help.

These guys are great!

http://www.templatemonster.com/

FYI, affiliate links are not allowed in the forums.

Anthony, just some general notes, from someone who has near-permanent design block anymore I have no formal training at all in any kind of design theories/practices and no graphical background to speak of beyond my fiddling around with assorted programs. I've realized that playing around is often just frustrating and discouraging for me and that that alone isn't getting me very far. I really need to train my own eye as best I can and *then* bring that to the programs.

To get some spark back in choosing colors, I've started looking to a different source for inspiration -- home magazines and books. You know, the ones with all the gorgeously done up rooms and houses. Find a photo of a room that instinctively appeals to you, then examine it more closely to see how color and color combinations play their part in that. If being strict about the 216 web-safe colors, you can still get the general idea and then apply it to that chart to get an approximation. I am finding it a good exercise on how colors play off each other and what they evoke.

I am also making a real deliberate examination now of print advertising I come across, again dealing with colors but also considering their use of "white space". Often what *isn't* there makes an even greater impact than what is. These are just a couple of tips that have begun to help me pry the rusty lock off my dormant creativity, and also has really opened up to me the outside possibilities for inspiration that those of us too stuck in our computers often may not consider.

Best of luck! :-




Advisor edit - removed affiliate link from quote

Sean

[iTec]

Originally posted by anam
I've started looking to a different source for inspiration -- home magazines and books. You know, the ones with all the gorgeously done up rooms and houses. Find a photo of a room that instinctively appeals to you, then examine it more closely to see how color and color combinations play their part in that.

I do this all the time, my parents are renovating so the mags are everywhere here.

[billiousness]

I love these sites for design inspiration....
http://www.designpicks.com/
http://www.cwd.dk/
http://www.thebestdesigns.com/
http://www.designaddict.com/
http://www.wowwebdesigns.com/

I also enjoy sketching on paper how a design may work also sometimes I read through what I want to or need to acheive and then I go for a walk in a nice park or the beach and then by getting away from everything it helps me come back refreshed and with a better perspective.