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Hello and welcome to Websites Made Simple. I'm Danny Foo and this is my Malaysia website design blog. I also co-founded a registered Malaysia website design company; Simpleet Solutions.
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Blog Design Workshop

Remember the many times I’ve mentioned that this blog design is still in the workshop, but pending release? Well, it’s still in the workshop without much improvements made. Why is it stuck? Why doesn’t Danny want to release something more exciting to us?

Well, it’s honestly not that I don’t want to. Trust me, I myself am actually scratching my head wondering why I haven’t turn the designs into development. So before I end up coming up with another design and stalling myself in the workshop any longer, I’m going to release current designs for feedback.

This design was the previous design I had before I migrated over to MovableType 3.2 At that time I was happily enjoying version 3.17 and was eagerly waiting like other MT users for the latest version release. This 3-column layout design was built on a table foundation before I CSS-fied the thing. It was meant to be a simple personal blog of my own or back then, I was a 2nd generation blogger.

My first try of a redesign for the blog together with an updates of my current projects. This design looked like it was coming out right but the biggest problem I’d face with this design would be the portrait picture. Because that would be placed in the body background, there’ll be many tendencies of it being covered by another panel below Recent Projects. It might be just me that the navigation bar just doesn’t seem to gel with the overall look and feel of the design.

As usual, the design was coming out fine in the beginning stages. This template was to keep it very clean and only put focus on certain items like the sidebar. The brown color theme was a better choice to use compared to an overwhelming orange later. Though I might be a fan of orange, I think too much of it would probably drive the visitor crazy later. This template was really becoming the start of the representational feel I needed for Websites Made Simple. Does anyone else feel that those buttons are actually sight for sore eyes for some reason.
This one I made last month if I recall correctly. Many times I’ve advised other web designer to watch the minimum margin of a viewer using the 800×600 resolution on a 15″ monitor. Well, anyone can turn a disdvantage into an advantage like what I’m trying to do here. While I get an official portfolio website up, this template prioritizes my work than my blog. On a 15″ monitor utilizing the 800×600 resolution, visitors will know my latest project firstly before reading my blog.

Well, there you have it. Four blog template designs for me to actually use but all of it that I feel still isn’t there yet. Instead of me going back into Photoshop and creating more revisions, I’d really like to hear whatever feedback you might have now.

Be more than my audience or reader and tell me what you think.

Posted by Danny Foo on October 11, 2005 | Filed Under My Work | |

Comments

9 Responses to “Blog Design Workshop”

Response #1 by kew on October 11th, 2005

Dude, all these design, you do them where first? on PPT? or some other application? or directly on the site?
Response #2 by Danny Foo on October 11th, 2005

What is PPT?

Anyway, all of them are only Photoshop templates right now.
Response #3 by alvin on October 11th, 2005

how come your illustrated head get bigger after each template?

i mean the last one is like ‘wow, that’s a huge Danny Foo kepala right there’.
Response #4 by dave on October 11th, 2005

Its not even a “design”. It just layout. Sorry to say that but putting a big head up there just doesn’t work.
Response #5 by Danny Foo on October 11th, 2005

At least I know the head doesn’t work now. Thanks for that.

@dave
What is a ‘design’ to you? Is http://www.subtraction.com a design or a layout to you? Please explain your reasons.
Cheers.
Response #6 by Jonathan on October 12th, 2005

I dont’ see anything wrong with a big “kepala” in a webpage.. jut that the way you placed it seems.. out of place IMO… not blending in with the rest of the page.. it coule be used as sort of a background for the header, extending a little bit down to the content area or the sidebar..
Response #7 by fAtt on October 12th, 2005

i agreed with Dave. Whats with the head ???

Looks more like you are advertising your potrait..hehehe..no offense
Response #8 by Danny Foo on October 12th, 2005

I suppose me staring at my viewers is creating quite an impact. But fAtt is the only one so far understanding what the head is for.

Yes, it is meant to advertise myself. However, since I’ve not seen anyone else doing it, I suppose a big head is rather too strong an impression. *sigh*
Response #9 by muidlatif on October 12th, 2005

Hi Danny..how r u doing? Lama tak masuk… revamp your blog? interesting. Stay in touch bro..
cheers.