[Heccubus]

As you may/may not know, I mentioned recently that I'd like some help with the layout/design of the site. I'm relatively happy with it right now, but I'm still working out kinks and discovering things that I don't particularly like, things like that. Any ideas or help with the look and aesthetics would be appreciated. I'm thinking "frames", but I'm not sure. I dislike coding frames. Too many variables.

[looktothesky]

I'll be the first to post here. (?)
Please though, these are just ideas, I'm alright with the layout now, but I'm just thinking...

I liked it when your news section was situated in the middle, with links on both sides. Yea, it did look cramped, but your buttons are really big...
The layout of this page might help out a bit, but you could use a simplified view to emulate it...

I'll think up more when I get a closer look.

[Chefelf]

The layout of this page might help out a bit, but you could use a simplified view to emulate it...

Wow, I really dig the layout of that site. I don't like the blue-on-black text but the overall layout is very cool.

As for your site, Hecc, here's what I have to say:

I think it would be good (and keep in mind this is just my opinion and is clear in all the sites i have designed) to decrease the width. In other words make a table with a set definition of width to put the whole site in.

Example:

CODE

<table width="600" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" align="center">
<tr>
 <td width="150" valign="top"> <!-- Put sidebar link stuff here --> </td>
 <td width="450" valign="top"> <!-- Put main site content here --> </td>
</tr>
</table>

My screen resolution is huge (1152 x 864) so reading pages where the text extends to 100% the width of the screen can just give me a huge headache.

There is a web design (and all other forms of text layout for magazines, newspapers, etc.) philosophy that putting text in smaller blocks is just easier to manage for the reader (not only "Reader" but all of us readers) to handle. This is why newspapers have five or six columns going across a page.

I think the school of thought is that 12-14 words per line is the most manageable.

I dunno. Just some thoughts.

[Heccubus]

I use 1152x864 as well, and that was one thing I noticed, Chefelf. It did stretch a wee bit. I copied your code there (made a couple of slight tweaks to space it out a bit, but for the most part, I used what you had) and I like the way it currently looks. See for yourself. It's neat, and doesn't pan out as much, and I thank you for the suggestion. I never even thought of defining my cells more.
I moved the affiliates links from across the bottom to the right side as well, and will likely be desigining new buttons to go over there so that it's a little more evened out.
Current projects: apply these changes to each page, change the navigation images to the same drippy/bloody font as the logo (which is now nicely centred) and hope that someone can come up with an idea for a creative (yet intuitive) links page.
Jenn, I really liked the layout on that site, so I'll be keeping it in mind. Like Chefelf, however, I felt that the colours were quite straining to the eye. Still, thanks for the idea.

Oh, and on a smaller scale, I switched the main page to Verdana for a font face, and moved the legal mumbo jumbo to the bottom. Let me know what you think so I know whether or not it's worth applying to the other pages.

[Heccubus]

All of the changes that I mentioned yesterday have been applied to the rest of the site. The archived articles are still on a black background, but I think I'll leave it that way for now.

[Chefelf]

I like the way it looks! The only other recommendation (and I'm not trying to be nitpicky) that I would make is maybe putting a little cellpadding in the red cells (maybe somewhere between 5-10). Just a suggestion!

Nice work so far!

[Chefelf]

I like the way it looks! The only other recommendation (and I'm not trying to be nitpicky) that I would make is maybe putting a little cellpadding in the red cells (maybe somewhere between 5-10). Just a suggestion!

Nice work so far!

[Heccubus]

Yay, that counts as two compliments!

[Chefelf]

I like the way it looks! The only other recommendation (and I'm not trying to be nitpicky) that I would make is maybe putting a little cellpadding in the red cells (maybe somewhere between 5-10). Just a suggestion!

Nice work so far!

[Heccubus]

I meant to add cell padding, and forgot. Thanks for reminding me.

[Heccubus]

Keeping with my designing frenzy, I've built a custom storefront. Check it out:

http://heccubus.50megs.com/store.html

[looktothesky]

Keeping with my designing frenzy, I've built a custom storefront. Check it out:

http://heccubus.50megs.com/store.html

Very nice!! That way people won't be leaving your site and be distracted by something else!
lol

[Heccubus]

Alright...I finally got around to making new buttons for the right-side links, and I got the links page looking okay. I had to abandon the link button set up, but that's okay. Either way, I think I might have something I can stick with for a while.

[Ninja Duck]

If you're still looking for an FTP, try WS FTP by Ipswitch. I can't imagine what the "professional" version does that the free version can't do.

[Heccubus]

Well, I can't find anything beyond 30 day free trials, so I'm a have to keep searching elsewhere. Thanks anyway.