Improvise Media

Here's the updated layout:

Improvise Media

It's a relatively simple layout... surely you could create it using XHTML 1.0.

The text isn't padded in enough. It's too close to the borders. Give it some room to breathe.

Rather than black borders, have you tried using softer colours, like one of the lighter blues? The hard black is a little jarring (to the design, not the eyes). Speaking of black lines, there's a thick black line running across your "special" box, oh, about four-fifths down. Can't tell if it's a code problem or the image itself.

I see no headings. Sure, you have no real content up yet, but you should be able to create a style convention for the real thing in the dummy text itself. The "Navigation" style is no good. Don't simply italicise to make a heading. Try a larger font too.

I like the header image. It creates interest. I'd like to see what other visuals you add as the look develops. The logo doesn't look particularly unique, and it isn't predominant either. Maybe it'll pan out as you add content and improve the rest of the design.

There's not much else to say as there's not really anything to look at. I prefer to start off with some content and create a design around it. It's easier, for me, to grow an image starting with content than to squeeze content into a manufactured layout (XHTML helps in this regard too).

Overall template looks good. Nice sophisticated, elegant colour scheme. Header graphic is the right idea. Could use work on what is actually used for the background there.

Work needs to be done on placement and sizing of text items. Base font size is too small. The lighter box with the text in it seems very oddly placed. As if it's floating in nothing. I would take out the box and put the text on the background there. Probably moving up the orange bit. Navigation shouldn't be where it is. Very odd place to put navigation. Navigation should also be self-evident. You shouldn't have to put a header there to tell people what it is. I think a horizontal navigation bar going under the log section might be a good alternative in this case. Logo is a good start - i like the big I but the other text is too small in comparison.

The big problem is that I have no idea what this site is about just by looking at it. By "Improvise Media" I'm guessing this is a design company of some sort but I'm not sure. Maybe music related somehow. (I'm also not sure that "improvise" would be a good message to send but that's another issue).

Thanks for the comments. I was talking with my partner and we're going to re-do the logo (make the I more prominant and change the "mprovise Media" text to something a little less bland [different font, bigger]).

Abhi: I need to re-code the layout, anyway, as it doesn't look right at all in Konquerer. I'll use XHTML. I've never had the time to look at XHTML, but from what I can tell tags w/out a closing tag (ex ) just add a slash to the tag (ex ). Tables are no, right?

I'll mess with the border, too. I meant too, but forgot (I need to start writing things down). I'll add a 4px padding instead of 2px.

Concerning the logo: I've noticed how many sites/companies logos start out bland/common and progress as they go. I was having trouble coming up with a logo idea for our site and Tyler (my partner) suggested the I.

I'm personally more of a coder than a designer, so I code THEN design (normally). This is my first time doing it in the other order. I'm gunna start doing it in the Design-Code order so I can know how the layout will work with the code. I'm most likely going to write a PHP Class to use for layout managment.

Finding a background for the header took me at least 2 weeks. There aren't many stock photos that have to do with music that are panoramic... so they don't work good for header images. Thanks for the compliments, though!

I don't know exactly how we're going to deal with content, just a genearl idea. I'll be increasing the font-size with the re-code. I'll figure something out for the white-box... would making it wider do anything?

I'll put the nav under the "log" as you put it (thats the orange bar, I'm assuming?).

I'll be re-doing the logo, too. Making the I more prominent, as well as re-doing the "mprovise Media" text.

Thanks for the comments, guys and gals! I'll post again after I change what I said I will.

I understand this is still in the process of creation (not even development). It's usually more productive to get through most of the creative process, come up with *a* look that your think is promising and then have the masses here comment on developing it. Anyway...

XHTML includes the rule for having a /> for single tags. But be careful not to use that for all empty tags -- ones like should remain verbose, as they can potentially contain things. Tables are allowed but ideally only for displaying tabluar data (not for layout). But it's not illegal to slip the odd table for layout with XHTML Transitional, say. Most layouts, though, can easily do without tables.

Okay. I read the XHTML stuff at w3schools and got a lot out of it (such as the stuff, and now I understand why the /> has a space in front of it). The only part of the layout I can't wrap my mind around without tables is the top-left containing the logo. It spans down 2 whole rows and the top section of a third and it just wasn't working without tables. I'll probably keep that tables.

I've started working on the XHTML design now... so I should have it up by tomorrow. I have some AP homework to do, so that calls priority.