Which design to use?

[Aperture]

Hi, I am considering redesigning my website and wanted your opinions. The one with the butterfly is my current design. If I go with the second one, the loading times would be much better and would be HTML based so more users would be able to access it. Any ideas on the designs appreciated.

Happy Holidays!

 

[besler3035]

Choose the second one hands down. Looks much cleaner and the fonts are much more appealing to the eye. Plus I like the whole scribbly thing behind the black - adds a little style but keeps the minimalist look.

 

[Benjamin]

I would go with the new design, but lets see some shots of something other then a splash screen.

 

[JSchwage]

I'd have to go with the new one. Blue is my favorite color when it comes to web design. It's also a much cleaner and simpler design.

 

[camomac]

go with the blue one.

i don't like the links on the butterfly one, they make me dizzy. i really don't like that effect.

 

[plumers]

Go with the new one. More simple.

Hey, what font did you use for the old ones? and the new one please?

 

[Aperture]

Go with the new one. More simple.

Hey, what font did you use for the old ones? and the new one please?

I used "Eurostile" as the font. It should be installed on your Mac by default.

& Thanks everyone for your help. I'm going to go with the new design, I just have to actually code it all! That was just a mockup in PS.

Happy Holidays!

 

[Aperture]

I've been busy & haven't had a chance to post any more pictures. Here are a few more designs I made.. critiqe appreciated!

 

[Nekkid Fish]

Definately the second one! Very professional and clean!

HUGz! Jules

 

[wmmk]

I've been busy & haven't had a chance to post any more pictures. Here are a few more designs I made.. critiqe appreciated!

cool, but the r in schaefer on the blog logo looks like an h. considering you are my age, I can't believe how good you are at design. where'd you learn all that stuff? or are you just a natural?

 

[apfhex]

If I go with the second one, the loading times would be much better and would be HTML based so more users would be able to access it.

I do think the second one's pretty nice, but I would choose it anyway if it meant HTML over whatever you're using that isn't (Flash?).

One thing... does it have to be contained in such a small box? Or maybe it's all relative. I think the background you have with the swirly shapes is kinda distracting though.

Font choice works, but the anti-aliasing looks kind of funky. What are you using to create your images?

 

[Aperture]

cool, but the r in schaefer on the blog logo looks like an h. considering you are my age, I can't believe how good you are at design. where'd you learn all that stuff? or are you just a natural?

The "R" was meant to look like a faucet. If you didn't pickup on it, I guess it needs more work. Thanks for the nice words! Truthfully, (not trying to sound cocky or anything) I've never read/researched/etc anything on design. Photography, HTML, but not design. So, I guess i'm just lucky. You're much better with coding though.

I do think the second one's pretty nice, but I would choose it anyway if it meant HTML over whatever you're using that isn't (Flash?).

One thing... does it have to be contained in such a small box? Or maybe it's all relative. I think the background you have with the swirly shapes is kinda distracting though.

Font choice works, but the anti-aliasing looks kind of funky. What are you using to create your images?

Yeah, I'm trying to make it 100% HTML based. The other one was completely image based, there was no text or anything. I'll probably tone the swirly stuff down a bit before I finish the site. I'm using Photoshop (in CS2) for my graphics.

Thanks to everyone else for the replies so far!

 

[dpaanlka]

I might be totally off here, but it looks like (in the butterfly version) you are trying to get the appearance of a reflection of the navigation words? The effect to me is really more of a "damn my contact lens fell out" in that example.

You should try flipping the "reflected" versions upside down, to make it look like a reflection. With that modification, I probably would go with the old one.

 

[apple1984]

The new one is very nice. It adds a lot of professionalism and sort of a suave atmosphere to the design. If it decreases load times, all the better.

 

[dpaanlka]

To be frank, I really don't like either of them, but I like the new one least. I don't see what it has to do with photography, it just seems like endless squiggly lines trying with all their effort to be hip and modern.

I'd stick with the old design, just tweak it. It actually looks like a portfolio to me.

 

[Aperture]

To be frank, I really don't like either of them, but I like the new one least. I don't see what it has to do with photography, it just seems like endless squiggly lines trying with all their effort to be hip and modern.

Makes sense. I think if I decide to go with the 2nd one, I need to take care of those squiggly lines. Maybe replace them with something else or completely dump them. Or at least tone them down.

One side of me is telling me to go with the new one, and the other...

hmm. dpaanlka made some good points; I'm not sure what to do.

 

[ChrisWB]

If your website is about photography, show it. Have the first page a person sees include a photo you have taken. The exotic patterns are nice, but fluff. They don't tell me anything about your ability as a photographer.