Comments on: Designing from the content out 2 http://www.zeldman.com/2009/05/08/designing-from-the-content-out-2/ Web design news and insights since 1995 Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:54:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Jamie http://www.zeldman.com/2009/05/08/designing-from-the-content-out-2/#comment-42526 Jamie Sun, 17 May 2009 23:54:53 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/?p=1100#comment-42526 Loving it, haha ! Loving it, haha !

]]> By: cenkoyun http://www.zeldman.com/2009/05/08/designing-from-the-content-out-2/#comment-42516 cenkoyun Fri, 15 May 2009 13:26:14 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/?p=1100#comment-42516 Harikasiniz beyler ya cok begeniyorum sitenizi. Harikasiniz beyler ya cok begeniyorum sitenizi.

]]> By: jameos http://www.zeldman.com/2009/05/08/designing-from-the-content-out-2/#comment-42510 jameos Thu, 14 May 2009 14:09:49 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/?p=1100#comment-42510 Something kinda retro about the new design, but I like it. And I'm comforted by the fact that even the master still sweats the colors/layout/type/etc. :) Something kinda retro about the new design, but I like it.

And I’m comforted by the fact that even the master still sweats the colors/layout/type/etc. :)

]]> By: bruce http://www.zeldman.com/2009/05/08/designing-from-the-content-out-2/#comment-42500 bruce Wed, 13 May 2009 17:52:42 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/?p=1100#comment-42500 Yay, back to orange, just like it was back when we were outside a hotel in Seattle, smoking and discussing Istanbul. Happy days, and a happy colour. Yay, back to orange, just like it was back when we were outside a hotel in Seattle, smoking and discussing Istanbul.

Happy days, and a happy colour.

]]> By: Nielsen: Low retention caps Twitter growth | Jay Small | Small Initiatives http://www.zeldman.com/2009/05/08/designing-from-the-content-out-2/#comment-42482 Nielsen: Low retention caps Twitter growth | Jay Small | Small Initiatives Tue, 12 May 2009 19:12:44 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/?p=1100#comment-42482 <!--%kramer-ref-pre%-->[...] Designing from the content out 2 [...]<!--%kramer-ref-post%--> [...] Designing from the content out 2 [...]

]]> By: Thiago Cavalcanti http://www.zeldman.com/2009/05/08/designing-from-the-content-out-2/#comment-42444 Thiago Cavalcanti Tue, 12 May 2009 05:16:42 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/?p=1100#comment-42444 Yes, it does make sense, especially since you don't seem to like bigger text. I do like big text, and in fact I have your blog configured to load-up with the zoom level already cranked up a few notches and, apart from the pixelated images, it all looks fine to me, on my 1280 pixels wide monitor. I'm only slightly myopic anyway... Yes, it does make sense, especially since you don’t seem to like bigger text. I do like big text, and in fact I have your blog configured to load-up with the zoom level already cranked up a few notches and, apart from the pixelated images, it all looks fine to me, on my 1280 pixels wide monitor. I’m only slightly myopic anyway…

]]> By: Greg Mayer http://www.zeldman.com/2009/05/08/designing-from-the-content-out-2/#comment-42431 Greg Mayer Mon, 11 May 2009 19:16:14 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/?p=1100#comment-42431 I like the new header and am very happy with the current column width. Orange? ...ehh... I could take it or leave it. (It's better than the current olive theme which is kind of blah.) Keep up the good work. I like the new header and am very happy with the current column width.

Orange? …ehh… I could take it or leave it.
(It’s better than the current olive theme which is kind of blah.)

Keep up the good work.

]]> By: prhey404 http://www.zeldman.com/2009/05/08/designing-from-the-content-out-2/#comment-42424 prhey404 Mon, 11 May 2009 16:04:02 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/?p=1100#comment-42424 I don't know... I know this is a work in progress but it is still missing something... Maybe something to do with the orange background? I don’t know… I know this is a work in progress but it is still missing something… Maybe something to do with the orange background?

]]> By: Jeffrey Zeldman http://www.zeldman.com/2009/05/08/designing-from-the-content-out-2/#comment-42423 Jeffrey Zeldman Mon, 11 May 2009 15:55:53 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/?p=1100#comment-42423 <blockquote> The only thing I don’t understand is why you’re still doing it so it fits a 800 pixels wide monitor. </blockquote> Great question, @Thiago Cavalcanti. I'm doing that because it feels like the right width for the content. 970px is great for a multi-column ad-powered newspaper layout. It's great for heavy content sites like A List Apart, AIGA, etc. But it would not make for a pleasant reading experience on a personal site that's focused on blog posts. To widen this site would be to create multiple sidebars filled with photos, etc. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it would distract from this particular site's primary content, which is written. Either that or it would force me to create an ultra-wide content column, which would then require gigantic text size to avoid creating an unwieldy measure. Ultra-wide blogs can also work if you're art-directing every blog post, like Jason Santa Maria has begun doing. That's a great approach if you write two long posts a month, but not so good if you write pretty much every day, as I do. That's my rationale. Make sense? <blockquote> The biggest thing missing from your design is breathing room. I would recommend — not sure if you even want critique — using increased padding. Your logotype seems frighteningly close to the edges of the document. Still not really fond of those black borders. </blockquote> @Daniel Carvalho I think I agree. Working on the <a href="http://www.zeldman.com/secret/2.html#footer" rel="nofollow">footer</a> now; will re-look at header afterwards. <blockquote> I notice there’s no rollover effect on the masthead to signal it as a giant home link, something that was pretty subtle on the olive site. </blockquote> @Ray: It's too subtle on the olive site. There will be some kind of rollover effect on the final header. <blockquote> In all honestly, I find it a very unpleasant site to look at. Especially the tweet section looks like a bunch of random letters thrown together right now. </blockquote> I'm still working on the Twitter section. Thanks for your feedback!

The only thing I don’t understand is why you’re still doing it so it fits a 800 pixels wide monitor.

Great question, @Thiago Cavalcanti.

I’m doing that because it feels like the right width for the content. 970px is great for a multi-column ad-powered newspaper layout. It’s great for heavy content sites like A List Apart, AIGA, etc.

But it would not make for a pleasant reading experience on a personal site that’s focused on blog posts.

To widen this site would be to create multiple sidebars filled with photos, etc. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it would distract from this particular site’s primary content, which is written.

Either that or it would force me to create an ultra-wide content column, which would then require gigantic text size to avoid creating an unwieldy measure.

Ultra-wide blogs can also work if you’re art-directing every blog post, like Jason Santa Maria has begun doing. That’s a great approach if you write two long posts a month, but not so good if you write pretty much every day, as I do.

That’s my rationale. Make sense?

The biggest thing missing from your design is breathing room. I would recommend — not sure if you even want critique — using increased padding. Your logotype seems frighteningly close to the edges of the document. Still not really fond of those black borders.

@Daniel Carvalho

I think I agree.

Working on the footer now; will re-look at header afterwards.

I notice there’s no rollover effect on the masthead to signal it as a giant home link, something that was pretty subtle on the olive site.

@Ray: It’s too subtle on the olive site. There will be some kind of rollover effect on the final header.

In all honestly, I find it a very unpleasant site to look at. Especially the tweet section looks like a bunch of random letters thrown together right now.

I’m still working on the Twitter section. Thanks for your feedback!

]]> By: Amy http://www.zeldman.com/2009/05/08/designing-from-the-content-out-2/#comment-42421 Amy Mon, 11 May 2009 15:26:05 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/?p=1100#comment-42421 Wow! It's so different, very streamlined and bold. My brain automatically associates zeldman.com with mellow earth tones, so this is quite a change. I like the newspaper feel as well. Wow! It’s so different, very streamlined and bold. My brain automatically associates zeldman.com with mellow earth tones, so this is quite a change. I like the newspaper feel as well.

]]> By: andrew http://www.zeldman.com/2009/05/08/designing-from-the-content-out-2/#comment-42418 andrew Mon, 11 May 2009 13:17:20 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/?p=1100#comment-42418 It certainly fits with the rest of the design which reminds me more of a neighborhood newspaper. It does have the Zeldman look and I'm sure you are designing for yourself. I'm curious though as to whether you think this redesign shows your growth as a web designer or whether you are going for a signature look or even something else. I'd like to think my design skills have grown over the past 14 years of making sites, but I'm not sure I see that here. Nevertheless, it is *your* site and I think the header works well within the overall page design. Thanks for sharing in the design process. It certainly fits with the rest of the design which reminds me more of a neighborhood newspaper. It does have the Zeldman look and I’m sure you are designing for yourself. I’m curious though as to whether you think this redesign shows your growth as a web designer or whether you are going for a signature look or even something else.

I’d like to think my design skills have grown over the past 14 years of making sites, but I’m not sure I see that here. Nevertheless, it is *your* site and I think the header works well within the overall page design.

Thanks for sharing in the design process.

]]> By: Brade http://www.zeldman.com/2009/05/08/designing-from-the-content-out-2/#comment-42417 Brade Mon, 11 May 2009 13:07:51 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/?p=1100#comment-42417 It's on a good, bold track. But I agree with the person who'd like to see it stretched beyond 800px. Also, since we're going for a retro-vibe, I'd like to see that taken all the way with some schweet pixel art. And once again, I must submit my request for "previous reports" to become a link instead of a button ;) It’s on a good, bold track. But I agree with the person who’d like to see it stretched beyond 800px. Also, since we’re going for a retro-vibe, I’d like to see that taken all the way with some schweet pixel art. And once again, I must submit my request for “previous reports” to become a link instead of a button ;)

]]> By: Jason Stanfill http://www.zeldman.com/2009/05/08/designing-from-the-content-out-2/#comment-42416 Jason Stanfill Mon, 11 May 2009 09:18:47 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/?p=1100#comment-42416 <a href="http://www.designbyfire.com/?p=5" rel="nofollow">Here's the link to the previous quote</a> Here’s the link to the previous quote

]]> By: Jason Stanfill http://www.zeldman.com/2009/05/08/designing-from-the-content-out-2/#comment-42415 Jason Stanfill Mon, 11 May 2009 08:15:54 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/?p=1100#comment-42415 Everyone has a million opinions about colors and graphics and textures and all that, but I love that you walk your own talk here and it really is about the content. Too many designs these days are getting in the way of the meat of site. Reminds me of the old days <blockquote cite="http://www.designbyfire.com/?p=5">Switch it over to Zeldman, whose recent compliant, standards-based redesign is smart and snappy. Zeldman uses orange, which everyone knows is the new black, so that wins major points already. He also uses a simple layout, with clean, reasonably sized type, along with well placed links.</blockquote> Everyone has a million opinions about colors and graphics and textures and all that, but I love that you walk your own talk here and it really is about the content. Too many designs these days are getting in the way of the meat of site.

Reminds me of the old days

Switch it over to Zeldman, whose recent compliant, standards-based redesign is smart and snappy. Zeldman uses orange, which everyone knows is the new black, so that wins major points already. He also uses a simple layout, with clean, reasonably sized type, along with well placed links.

]]> By: Niels Matthijs http://www.zeldman.com/2009/05/08/designing-from-the-content-out-2/#comment-42414 Niels Matthijs Mon, 11 May 2009 07:24:33 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/?p=1100#comment-42414 Talking to an old friend is nice, until you start talking to him and notice how much he has decayed over the years. In all honestly, I find it a very unpleasant site to look at. Especially the tweet section looks like a bunch of random letters thrown together right now. At least I hope you keep the images on top, or alternatively go for a "full rss" option so people can just read your articles in their rss feeds. Talking to an old friend is nice, until you start talking to him and notice how much he has decayed over the years.

In all honestly, I find it a very unpleasant site to look at. Especially the tweet section looks like a bunch of random letters thrown together right now.

At least I hope you keep the images on top, or alternatively go for a “full rss” option so people can just read your articles in their rss feeds.

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