Edited: New logo, comments and opinions badly needed!

[EvryDayImShufln]

Latest edit - Saturday, April 29th: I'll put up my latest post here so you don't have to go to page 2 to see it:

Hi all,

Thanks again for your patience with me in the past! A lot of you mentioned that the logo left something to be desired, and I've started to work on some new ideas a few days ago to remake it.

I've made a mashup of 3 new logo styles (one with colour, one without, one with a varied bar) as compared to the current logo which is on the bottom. Feel free to bash away, if that's what you feel, no holds barred! I'd just like to know which you prefer.

Thanks!

 

[Laird Knox]

I wouldn't visit it.

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[Hansr]

Honest answer:

Wouldn't visit it.
Overall design and scheme okay, but don't like the blue in the logo nor the ugly menu bar.
Hate the domain name.

 

[EvryDayImShufln]

I wouldn't visit it.

Huh? You serious (about the warning that is!)? weird, its a super inoffensive site in every which way.

Thanks for your opinions so far! Plz keep em coming!

If other people also arent a fan of the menu bar color: what colors do you think you prefer? I find working on this stuff dulls my perceptions to what is nice or not after awhile!

 

[HarryPot]

This are the points you could improve:

- The logo isn't very nice. It looks pixelated and needs some more design. You need something more serious and professional. That logo doesn't look like something "men want". It's more childish. (Definitely loose the numbers and letters mix).

- In my 13" MB the width of the site is too big. Normally I prefer sites with a width of 900px, the ones I make I normally use 800px.

- I would remove the big box of comments and Twitter, Facebook, Google, Digg, StumbleUpon, etc. I would only leave a nice box comments interface, and just Twitter and Facebook.

- The Navigation Bar could use some work. It needs some border at the beginning and at the end.

- Color wise, I would use more sober colors. Maybe a combination of dark grays and different shades of browns. I like the vibrant green, but I'm not sure it goes with your page objective "cool things men want".

These are the things I like:

- I like the big photos!

- I like the white space and the gray border. (Maybe a little bit darker if you go for different colors).

- The general layout of the articles.

 

[EvryDayImShufln]

This are the points you could improve:

- The logo isn't very nice. It looks pixelated and needs some more design. You need something more serious and professional. That logo doesn't look like something "men want". It's more childish. (Definitely loose the numbers and letters mix).

- In my 13" MB the width of the site is too big. Normally I prefer sites with a width of 900px, the ones I make I normally use 800px.

- I would remove the big box of comments and Twitter, Facebook, Google, Digg, StumbleUpon, etc. I would only leave a nice box comments interface, and just Twitter and Facebook.

- The Navigation Bar could use some work. It needs some border at the beginning and at the end.

- Color wise, I would use more sober colors. Maybe a combination of dark grays and different shades of browns. I like the vibrant green, but I'm not sure it goes with your page objective "cool things men want".

These are the things I like:

- I like the big photos!

- I like the white space and the gray border. (Maybe a little bit darker if you go for different colors).

- The general layout of the articles.

Thanks a lot for your very constructive comments!

Logo: I changed the logo colour scheme to a darker and more serious combination.

Nav bar: I agree, I'm hoping I can find a way to change it since blogger doesn't give many options (and their one awesome layout cant support custom website logos).

Width: very good point, I'll adjust this tomorrow to something closer in the range you said.

Social stuff: yeah it is pretty cluttered... options with blogger are limited but I'll see what I can pull off here to minimize the mess!

I really appreciate you taking the time. Thanks again, and if you are so inclined feel free to check out the changes I've already made!

 

[HarryPot]

Logo: I changed the logo colour scheme to a darker and more serious combination.

Nav bar: I agree, I'm hoping I can find a way to change it since blogger doesn't give many options (and their one awesome layout cant support custom website logos).

Width: very good point, I'll adjust this tomorrow to something closer in the range you said.

Social stuff: yeah it is pretty cluttered... options with blogger are limited but I'll see what I can pull off here to minimize the mess!

- I think the colors really improved the appearance. The navbar looks almost black, maybe use a slightly less dark gray. Or is it black?

- I still don't like the logo. If you are just beginning and have the intention of eventually taking your blog one step further (maybe having your own server and a custom made webpage design, etc.), I would really suggest changing the logo.

How much can you edit? Can you introduce HTML or CSS manually?

And I'll repeat it. Loose the numbers and letters. Imagine someone asks you for your blog URL. How would you say it? What's the pronunciation? If you say "www.discover.com" you'll have a difficult time saying that the i = 1, the o = 0 and the e = 3. (Jut typing d1sc0v3r is quite difficult for the first time.)

Some other things you could improve:

- The text right below your logo is very wide. It gets lost and it's difficult to read. Maybe just give it the width of your logo.

- Try using caps for your page titles. Things for Guys, instead of "things for guys". D1sc0v3r, instead of d1sc0v3r.

 

[Laird Knox]

Huh? You serious (about the warning that is!)? weird, its a super inoffensive site in every which way.

Thanks for your opinions so far! Plz keep em coming!

If other people also arent a fan of the menu bar color: what colors do you think you prefer? I find working on this stuff dulls my perceptions to what is nice or not after awhile!

Yup, that's what Websense said when I clicked on your site. Might want to check with them as to why you are black listed.

 

[Gleestacy]

Just two big things. 1. The logo, change that. 2. Take out the section where it shows your followers, it took my browser a while to load and isn't very attractive.

All else looks fine except for maybe a few (minor) things.

 

[Tomorrow]

- Would you visit such a website?
- Do you like the concept (I know its not a new one)?
- Thoughts on the color scheme and design
- Thoughts on the domain name - I paid 1$ for it, don't worry I wont be sad ?
- The logo?

Interesting idea for a website, good concept, colors and design work (meaning they don't intrude, I had to look back at the site to see what the colors were).

The domain name (and by extension, the logo) are really, really bad, IMO. It's not something that's easy to type, and it looks like something a 1337 14-year-old would come up with to make himself look cool. I would recommend spending another dollar on a more grown-up (or at least professional) sounding name for the site. The concept and presentation are great, and they deserve a better name.

 

[Since OS-6]

Interesting idea for a website, good concept, colors and design work (meaning they don't intrude, I had to look back at the site to see what the colors were).

The domain name (and by extension, the logo) are really, really bad, IMO. It's not something that's easy to type, and it looks like something a 1337 14-year-old would come up with to make himself look cool. I would recommend spending another dollar on a more grown-up (or at least professional) sounding name for the site. The concept and presentation are great, and they deserve a better name.

I agree about layout and colour, you didnt try too hard with them. They are almost invisible ( which is good ). Big tick for the big photos ( nothing WORSE than having to frick about getting a decent view of a product ).

Got to agree about the name / logo. Loose 'em.

And just an idea...
Instead of "D1sc0v3r is a blog dedicated to finding cool things men want - like gear, clothes, gadgets, phones & more. We sort, weed and categorize so you don't have to! "

What about something like " Finding cool things men want, cos men like to buy, not shop "

Plus, I give you marks for having the guts to ask for feed back like this. Keep at it.

Steve

 

[EvryDayImShufln]

Interesting idea for a website, good concept, colors and design work (meaning they don't intrude, I had to look back at the site to see what the colors were).

The domain name (and by extension, the logo) are really, really bad, IMO. It's not something that's easy to type, and it looks like something a 1337 14-year-old would come up with to make himself look cool. I would recommend spending another dollar on a more grown-up (or at least professional) sounding name for the site. The concept and presentation are great, and they deserve a better name.

It's unbelievable how difficult it is to find a decent .com domain name! I prefer .com for simplicity's sake, but I'll probably start looking at other ones soon. Found one that might be good, expiring in a week, so we'll see!

Thanks a lot for your comments!

I agree about layout and colour, you didnt try too hard with them. They are almost invisible ( which is good ). Big tick for the big photos ( nothing WORSE than having to frick about getting a decent view of a product ).

Got to agree about the name / logo. Loose 'em.

And just an idea...
Instead of "D1sc0v3r is a blog dedicated to finding cool things men want - like gear, clothes, gadgets, phones & more. We sort, weed and categorize so you don't have to! "

What about something like " Finding cool things men want, cos men like to buy, not shop "

Plus, I give you marks for having the guts to ask for feed back like this. Keep at it.

Steve

Great suggestion! Thanks so much!! I feel bad just ripping you off like that though.. You sure you don't mind (about your quote that is, though I would likely rework it a little)?

I made a couple of changes based on comments you guys have given me. Removed some of the social networking buttons like digg and SU. Tomorrow, I'm going to try and simplify it to twitter and fb only as mentioned earlier.

I also reduced the width slightly. Unfortunately not as much as I wanted to (to 980 pixels instead of 900) as the side bar and photos would clash at smaller sizes than this. Better than nothing for now, I guess.

So yes, the domain name will be changing in the coming days/weeks! But do you guys like the actual look of the logo (pretend it said something other than d1sc0v3r ??

 

[EvryDayImShufln]

Ok, acquired 2 domain names today... coming up with decent ones is much more difficult than I expected. I opened a poll, to see which you prefer, if you are so inclined to answer (it's anonymous).

Thanks!

 

[imswimmin]

Personally, I wouldn't justify the text. The irregular spacing between words makes reading a little awkward. It isn't really a major issue; just a small issue of mine. Good Luck with your website!

 

[MightyMac007]

Great Start!

I say remove the line of text under the title and move the headers/content up right beneath the title bar.

Or

Add the headers (Gear, Phones, Cars, etc...) on to the title bar so you can the content up higher on the page. I think you can consolidate some of your headers (i.e. Gadgets and Phones. To me these can be one and same) and then you could fit them next to gearHungry and get right to the content :-D

I know not everyone is working on an 13" MacBook Pro, but it would be nice to see the first picture completely when launching the site.

Just my .02 and I'm no professional, just a little OCD

 

[EvryDayImShufln]

Personally, I wouldn't justify the text. The irregular spacing between words makes reading a little awkward. It isn't really a major issue; just a small issue of mine. Good Luck with your website!

Hey, thanks for the kind words! I'm just wondering though: I didn't justify the text, and it doesn't appear to be to me! I wonder if there are browser incompatibilities? Are you on safari?

I say remove the line of text under the title and move the headers/content up right beneath the title bar.

Or

Add the headers (Gear, Phones, Cars, etc...) on to the title bar so you can the content up higher on the page. I think you can consolidate some of your headers (i.e. Gadgets and Phones. To me these can be one and same) and then you could fit them next to gearHungry and get right to the content :-D

I know not everyone is working on an 13" MacBook Pro, but it would be nice to see the first picture completely when launching the site.

Just my .02 and I'm no professional, just a little OCD

Hey, well I took your comments to heart. I wanted to free up some space and found a great way to do that! I merged the header bar with my menu bar and saved a good 80 or so vertical pixels! It gives the blog a much cleaner look, so thanks a lot for the (inspiring) comments! If you end up checking back here, plz tell me what you think! I didn't get rid of the description yet but plan on figuring out something creative to do with it.

Also, I acquired another domain name, this time its called: geareater.com
I'd like to add it to the poll but it doesn't appear like I can. Any comments on this name?

Thanks to all who've helped me really redirect the design of this site! Unfortunately due to all the changes I didn't get to make any new posts today but will get on that tomorrow afternoon

 

[jtara]

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Does WebSense identify the potentially damaging content? Some script on the page? Maybe they don't like the domain name, LOL! I mean, it IS a script-kiddy type domain name, just sayin'...

The design is actually not bad. I'd try rounded corners on the blue boxes, I think it would fit better with the "soft" visual look of the site.

That said, I don't get why so many people think the world needs another site in such a well-covered area. Does the world really need another "gizmos for men" site? Is there something here that isn't already covered ad-infinitum?

(Again, I'm not a designer, just reacting as a user.)

Oh, just noticed the third iteration on the domain name. Just to show that I'm not all negative:

GREAT JOB ON THE DOMAIN NAME! (gearhungry.com)

You took the comments to heart, apparently had a brief fling with a better, but not great domain name (geareater.com) and managed to get a GREAT one! I'm amazed you managed to snag that one. Curious, were you able to get it for registration fee only, or did you have to buy it?

See, it's NOT that hard to find a great domain name!

BTW, drop the private registration. Get a P.O. box and VOIP number if you want some degree of privacy. While not many people will run a "whois" as I did, it's a red-flag that says "scammy". There's no reason for a site of that innocuous nature to have private registration, and leave that scammy taste for those who check-up on ownership.

If nothing else, you should make money on the domain name. If things don't work out, put it up on SEDO for a fixed-price of a couple thousand. Let it sit for a few months and you'd be surprised.

 

[EvryDayImShufln]

Does WebSense identify the potentially damaging content? Some script on the page? Maybe they don't like the domain name, LOL! I mean, it IS a script-kiddy type domain name, just sayin'...

The design is actually not bad. I'd try rounded corners on the blue boxes, I think it would fit better with the "soft" visual look of the site.

That said, I don't get why so many people think the world needs another site in such a well-covered area. Does the world really need another "gizmos for men" site? Is there something here that isn't already covered ad-infinitum?

(Again, I'm not a designer, just reacting as a user.)

Oh, just noticed the third iteration on the domain name. Just to show that I'm not all negative:

GREAT JOB ON THE DOMAIN NAME! (gearhungry.com)

You took the comments to heart, apparently had a brief fling with a better, but not great domain name (geareater.com) and managed to get a GREAT one! I'm amazed you managed to snag that one. Curious, were you able to get it for registration fee only, or did you have to buy it?

See, it's NOT that hard to find a great domain name!

BTW, drop the private registration. Get a P.O. box and VOIP number if you want some degree of privacy. While not many people will run a "whois" as I did, it's a red-flag that says "scammy". There's no reason for a site of that innocuous nature to have private registration, and leave that scammy taste for those who check-up on ownership.

If nothing else, you should make money on the domain name. If things don't work out, put it up on SEDO for a fixed-price of a couple thousand. Let it sit for a few months and you'd be surprised.

Thanks for the comments!
The domain was unregistered and I don't believe it was ever registered (at least, none that I found). Cost me all of 6$ for the year! I was checking expired domains on some site and I gotta tell you, a lot of them are really, really bad. Couldn't find anything even remotely useable that was unregistered, and buying one for hundreds of dollars might not be in my best interest seeing as how this may not play out in the long run.

I see what you're saying about the private registration.. I just don't want my name out online. Hell, I haven't even shown this site to my friends. I'd like to keep it to myself for now. If you're telling me this could affect how the search engines or other traffic generators perceive my site, then maybe I'll reconsider.

You're right that a lot of these sites exist, and I follow a few of them myself. But a lot of them are either very specific (showing only gadgets for example), or they're cluttered with stuff I can't imagine anyone wouldn't realistically consider buying.

Right now, I can't say I've really set out concrete expectations for it. We'll see where it goes and I'll hopefully have fun doing it. I'd like it to succeed because I feel a need to do something more valuable with my day to day life and time, in between studying for weeks on end and cramming for exams!

Note: if anybody has a website with a somewhat related nature and wants me to link them on a post and would reciprocate, plz PM me!

 

[Poncho]

Well I really like it and might visit it a lot but I really HATE the colour of the logo (it's insipid, but I like the name) and I can't stand the justified text and the fact that you use hyphens and not en rules and that there is a gap between phones & more and the exclamation mark.

Call me Mr Picky.

 

[Consultant]

Looks to be an imitation of Gizmodo.

 

[Apple OC]

looks pretty good ... good luck.

 

[Laird Knox]

Does WebSense identify the potentially damaging content? Some script on the page? Maybe they don't like the domain name, LOL! I mean, it IS a script-kiddy type domain name, just sayin'...

WebSense doesn't give me any more useful information. I'm sure there is a nice log on some machine controlled by IT though.

The other day I was able to get to the new domain name just fine but now it is also being blocked by WebSense. EvryDayImShufln, sounds like it might be time to take a good look at the server. There might be something there you don't want.

 

[EvryDayImShufln]

WebSense doesn't give me any more useful information. I'm sure there is a nice log on some machine controlled by IT though.

The other day I was able to get to the new domain name just fine but now it is also being blocked by WebSense. EvryDayImShufln, sounds like it might be time to take a good look at the server. There might be something there you don't want.

Hey! Thanks for all your comments, guys!

About the logo color: what color would you prefer? Seriously most of the guys gear sites are just black and white... I wanted a little bit of color in mine. I can change it easily but haven't thought of a better color so far but I'm open to try suggestions.

Btw the server is google! This blog is based off blogger and I've uploaded nothing myself, so I think WebSense is just bugging out or something. I'll try to look into this soon though because that's definitely not what I want people seeing (considering the site is super innocuous!).

I'm going to try and address more comments soon, had a super busy final exam-filled day so will be back here tomorrow with updates and stuff!

 

[iksretep]

I actually like it, but it will take work to get it out there...

I like the simple design... hopefully you won't have too much advertising distraction in the future although some will be a must.

Unlike some here I did not get any error or warning msgs trying to view the site.

Good luck getting it out there, I know A LOT people who visit uncrate dot com which looks like your site... with enough content you could convert some of them...

Speaking of suggestions, IMO it wouldn't be bad to have more visible links to the manufacturer or a place where you can buy the item. I'm not gonna say copy uncrate but their links just pop a little better

Good luck!

 

[Laird Knox]

Hey! Thanks for all your comments, guys!

About the logo color: what color would you prefer? Seriously most of the guys gear sites are just black and white... I wanted a little bit of color in mine. I can change it easily but haven't thought of a better color so far but I'm open to try suggestions.

Btw the server is google! This blog is based off blogger and I've uploaded nothing myself, so I think WebSense is just bugging out or something. I'll try to look into this soon though because that's definitely not what I want people seeing (considering the site is super innocuous!).

I'm going to try and address more comments soon, had a super busy final exam-filled day so will be back here tomorrow with updates and stuff!

I believe the way Websense works is that it sends out definitions like a virus program. If so then there is probably a way on their web site to get your URL reviewed and taken off the black list. I know our local IT can override those settings but there isn't any reason they would have tracked down your web site.