Design Advice for Why Wait Webs
luminousnerd.com (166 points) | Tue, 2008-09-30 18:38Hey guys,
I was thinking about how some people didn't see my design as clean. To me it looks pretty clean but then I started thinking about the textured background, it might make the page which is actually really simple and, well, clean, look busy and cluttered. Optical illusion I guess. So anyway I wanna know what you guys think, should I leave it like it is or change it to a solid color background?
Current: http://www.whywaitwebs.com
Solid color: http://www.whywaitwebs.com/solidbg.png
Edit - New texture option: http://www.whywaitwebs.com/lightbg.png
And another question while you're here, if you wouldn't mind. Do you think that using a PNG with transparency for my logo is a bad idea? I am seeing more and more of it, but I'm pretty sure IE6 will still display with a white box instead of the transparency? Anyway so I'm wondering if it would be unwise to use a transparent PNG (the thought was that I could easily update just the background file for holidays and such)
Thanks,
Jt Hollister
www.whywaitwebs.com
"Your time is limited, don't waste it living someone else's life."
-Steve Jobs






You're right about IE6. It doesn't support transparency. I'd stick with transparent gif if that concerns you.
----
Natobasso
dirtandrust.com
"Powerpoint is not a design application"
----
The Salon Design Tech
Thanks natobasso,
Hmm, I wonder if that logo would come out in a GIF... I think with that white fadey thing behind the text it wouldn't look too good :/
Edit: just tried it, yeah, no way that's going to work. I suppose I'll just have to wait until IE6 finally dies, and use a solid color BG that is the same as my actual BG in the mean time.
Jt Hollister
www.whywaitwebs.com
"Your time is limited, don't waste it living someone else's life."
-Steve Jobs
Thanks,
Jt Hollister
www.whywaitwebs.com
"Your time is limited, don't waste it living someone else's life."
-Steve Jobs
Why not try a gradient background? It will add some interest without being as distracting as a random pattern.
Ex: http://www.valleywateralliance.org/owof.htm
Just choose a color and then fade it into the page background color. I use this trick alot. Easy and pleasing...
+1: http://www.eyecom3.com
----
Natobasso
dirtandrust.com
"Powerpoint is not a design application"
----
The Salon Design Tech
Hmm, it sounded like it would be sweet, but I'm not so sure... what do you think?
http://www.whywaitwebs.com/gradientbg.png
Also tried some other things:
http://www.whywaitwebs.com/lighterbg.png
http://www.whywaitwebs.com/lighterbggradient.png
I'm getting some really mixed results of feedback on what I should do here.
Thanks,
Jt Hollister
www.whywaitwebs.com
"Your time is limited, don't waste it living someone else's life."
-Steve Jobs
Your mission statement + your customer base = your web design.
----
Natobasso
dirtandrust.com
"Powerpoint is not a design application"
----
The Salon Design Tech