Review: Personal Homepage Template

[chicgeek]

Thanks greatly to all who helped me so far. If you're still around or if you're a fresh set of eyes, I'd love a second look from you!

I updated my template. I will use a 2 column for all pages, except for my blog where I will use a third column on the right (with no vertical line as divider).


Changes:

increased width
altered logo
navigation style
alterations to .gallery values

________________________


My initial post:

I've been playing around with a possible template for a personal website.
After all these years I've never gotten around to actually building a site for 
more than just my blog. The site will be simple, containing six main sections as 
outlined in the main navigation on the left. 

I would appreciate the following:
- any advice and constructive criticism on the design as a whole, 
as well as suggestions for improvement.
- insight on whether I should utilize the 2- or 3-column format. If I use a third 
column, it will contain a blogroll as well as section-specific links and files. If I 
do not, I will have to find a way to incorporate this content into my design or 
content other ways.
Two Column Layout


Three Column Layout


Thanks in advance. :)

[Nicole]

Love the overall design

I'd go with the two column. The site has a very "clean" look and I think the three column layout makes it too "busy".

[KeithCash]

Good Design; go with two column

[chicgeek]

Here's a question for your two column votes:

Where would I put the extra blog content? Archive links and all that.

[Nicole]

That's a good question


Maybe if you just keep the third column, but separate it a different way? Something about that third line just bothers me. It doesn't look right with three of them on the page.

[Cosmos]

My suggestion :

Use 3 column layout and put a different background color to column 1 and 3.

[chicgeek]

Hmm... I just don't want to to be too blocky. I kind of like my fading-to-nothingness lines.

Would using the three-column just for the blog page be blasphemous? I'm just having trouble figuring out where to put the "blog controls".

[Nicole]

I think it could work having the three columns just for the blog.

[fedor_316]

To be honest, I like the two column - I really like the design too, very clean and simple. Well done.

[chicgeek]

Thanks.

I actually coded it for another site I published, http://www.conspirato.ca/, but liked it so much that I repeated it (generally) for myself.

I think I will do the following:

I think I will do the following:
- add another page as index, short about me and my site blurbs.
- use 2 column throughout, and some version of 3 column for the blog page.
- blogroll only on blog page, maybe use some friends-only posts for "professionalism"'s sake.

[SEOclown]

I like the 3 column design myself. Maybe make it a little wider, and use the 3 column for the homepage and 2 column for the inner pages.

[chicgeek]

I was just thinking the same thing: I can and will make it wider. We've moved on from 800, or at least I have.

If I use the 2 column for most of the site, I am pondering making it narrow, to match the width of the left column of the 3-col style. (and the width of the web buttons that I'm for some reason compelled to use..)

[chicgeek]

Originally Posted by chicgeek

Thanks greatly to all who helped me so far. If you're still around or if you're a fresh set of eyes, I'd love a second look from you!

I updated my template. I will use a 2 column for all pages, except for my blog where I will use a third column on the right (with no vertical line as divider).

Changes:

increased width
altered logo
navigation style
alterations to .gallery values

"Thanks greatly to all who helped me so far. If you're still around or if you're a fresh set of eyes, I'd love a second look from you!"

[Nicole]

It looks great! I have no further suggestions

I especially like how you jazzed up the logo.

[chicgeek]

Thank you! Logo still not too plain? I'm actually surprised at how nicely the secondary font turned out for that.

I've received other suggestions. Feel free to argue with me - I may yet be convinced otherwise:

- Add a footer. I don't think I'm going to. I dont think I need it. Besides, with the code I used, and no guarantee that my content will extend a full page, I can't ensure that it will stay sitting at the bottom of the content.
- Tooltips for my gallery images. To light the way for those that don't know where they are going. I might just use titles for my images that will show up in IE and FF when the mouse is rest over the graphics. Or I may stylize these
- Do something with the whitespace to the right of my logo. I'm not sure what, though. I don't think I want my contact info in that location. The image bar is graphical enough... To start, I could make it narrower. I could do anything with it, as it is one larger graphic. Suggestions, please.
- Reducing gallery saturation. I may when I recreate the images. (They're the wrong size, currently.) It was suggested that they be sepia tone until hovered, but I don't want to make two graphics for every gallery link. Nor do I want to use FF and IE filters.

Finally, general organization. It will be seven main pages:

- home: picture, short bio and maybe headlines from my last (public) blog entries, current projects, upcoming performances, etc.
- /blog: i'm not yet sure how to do this, but I've been somewhat investigating RSS-to-HTML codes like I implemented last summer. I'd rather not have to switch from blogger for fear of losing old entries when exporting.
- /resume: General work and education resume, outlines of skills, .pdfs and .docs for download, possibly web- and music-specific versions as well.
- /music: skills, interests, previous memberships and qualifications.
- /portfolio: examples web and print designs, description of clients, tasks, testimonials.
- /fancies: wishlist in gallery button format, as shown in template.
- /links: links in gallery button format, as shown in template.

Good? Bad?

[malinusmaximus]

Very generic template, great for a beginner.
To be quite honest with you i think its a terrible template.
Its clean yes and would be a great page for what your doing but its just so generic.
Im sure everyones seen a template just like this before.
I dont want to ruffle your feathers and dont mean to sound mean its just my opinion.

[chicgeek]

Simplicity doesn't indicate amateurism. It's not a matter of requiring a new an innovative template so much as using a simple template and styling it well.

No worries, no ruffled feathers, but what would your rendition be?

[malinusmaximus]

This is true, You may not be an amateur thats just how it came off to me at first glance.
<mod edit>

[DaveyBoy]

A nice template Laura, a little too basic for my tastes but I know ur a girl of simple pleasures. Well, really you're just simple.

I always prefer 2-column layouts over 3-column variants, although it may be hard to display all your info without that 3rd column.

I like it

[workingwebsolutions]

Like the two column design nice work