A New Look For Us?
July 28, 2008
I need a blog roll. I need some bells and whistles. I need better spam filters. And I need greater ease for categories. Don't worry. This is not a fund raiser. But ...take a look. What do you think?
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July 28, 2008 Comments
I've been working with Alice on a blog redesign. I just want to add that this is not the main blog page -- it it the landing page that will allow her to promote her book and also who she is to a whole host of potential feiringnistas given some of her expanded visibility with the book, her tour, media mentions, etc. There is a gateway to the blog -- with the most recent post highlighted on this page -- but there will be a stand alone blog as well with this look and feel. Newbies will likely come to this page and get 3 highlights -- the book, About Alice, and the blog. Once the decide they need to make Alice part of their daily life, they will likely bookmark or elect to go directly to the blog. I hope that makes sense. It's not my design -- so don't worry about hurting anyone's feelings -- just let us know your thoughts. Do you like it? Specific things you like or don't like. Is it an improvement. Does it feel appropriate for Alice? etc. Thanks. Very nice. I like it when things are above the fold. I sometimes miss Alice's new posts because I have to scroll down too far. Purple seems easy on the eyes. I rather liked the 'rustic' you Alice - I hope you're not going all corporate on us ;-) Doesn't Jancis have a trademark out on the colour purple? Oy, another wine site overloaded with Pink text on a darker pink background makes for difficult reading. And I agree with WineWench that it's somewhat predictable. It is cleaner and easier to navigate but is too 'Jancier' look like (with the maximum respect for J.R.)...it is too efficient / perfect... Maybe something a little bit "old label" style? Alice, don't go there. Your existing site looks fine. The proposal looks like it came off the same steel sheet pan as every other cookie cutter web site out there. Double yuck. Go back, Alice, go back! Nice I'm not a fan of the URWS (ubiquitous ring wine stain). I't recommend replacing it with something original and more you. I say: showcase your "winebitch" angle. New approach seems a little too new oaky. For a lover of the written word, there's nothing like the directness of print on white. Have always resonated with your original logo so now there is seems a color wash. Scrolling is also a nuisance issue in web design; so (for me), less is more: current post first and search for others second. Au coeur du vin, I am always interested in what you have to say. I like the concept but also hate the color! Also concur that current post should be right on top -- this will be an improvement over the current. I think you could do the "About Alice" as a condensed (as in 'click here for more') thing; it would take up less space that way and give more room for content on the front page. The content is what will keep 'em coming back for more, IMHO. Very nice. I would go with the new look. I love the color combination. I agree that your new post should show up at the top. Uh oh. I'm sensing a gender gap going on here. Results are not in from all precincts, but it appears the distaff side of the aisle goes for the "new look," whilst we fuddy duddy white males over 40 can't quite grok it. And by the way, what on earth is wrong with 'scrolling'? I LIKE having the posts appear in linear, chronological order, first at the top and last at the bottom; and I also like being able to scroll on down and see them all on one screen. I DISLIKE having to search or click through a "tree" to get from one post to the next. But maybe I'm just the Lone Ranger on that. I'll go out on a limb here. The new site looks way too much like it was done by the same folks who did the "Nat Decants" site. If that doesn't give one pause, I don't know what will. Stick with the basic funky site you've got. It expresses the Feiring terroir. The "upgrade" puts me in mind of a loading dock's worth of shrink wrapped pallets of Yellow Tail. But it's awfully good value for under $10, doncha think? Nice look! My take is more positive than several others here. It's a good working draft. Love the use of white space and its very easy for the eye to scan to the appropriate sections. The tone of the purple is much different and better than the garish purple used on Jancis's site. The link to the blog should be more obvious and it would be great to list at least the titles of the three most recent posts so newbies get a better idea of the content contained therein, and go directly to it if desired. I would like the main content background to be lighter -- not white, perhaps, but something approaching it; dark text on light background is easier to read than the reverse. Eventually the book will not be new, maybe as early as Jan. 2009 (five months). Will you then use that space to highlight, say, a new published article -- or do you know? Finally, if the landing page will be used to promote events and readings and media mentions, where will these listings go? Don't see a section for this type of content. I like the new blog idea because it looks like info will be presented in a more clear, organized way. For instance, I visited the website today to learn where Alice will be appearing next, so that I can go see her read or talk about wine, etc. But I couldn't find it. Agree with a prior commenter that light pink on a dark pink background is hard to read. I like that you include a picture of Alice; but can't she be smiling--ever so slightly--in it? She looks so stern in the photo, and when I met her recently at a book reading, she was so friendly and delightful! Alice, it looks great. Just do it. I'm a graphic designer from Portland OR., let us Portlanders know when you are in town again, eh? Cheers, Jerry Post a comment
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