Design Opinions

[Historical Forums User]

I’m currently working on a new design for a parish website and have two mockups available at the links below, with only a color variation between the two as a result of differing opinions. Any feedback would be appreciated. Please let me know which you prefer and any other suggestions that you may have relating to the design. Thanks!

http://tinyurl.com/66jt7k7 (Original design)
http://tinyurl.com/5spzjs3 (Red design)

EDIT: For the first design, here are three different options for the active nav button highlight:

http://tinyurl.com/3mgffrs
http://tinyurl.com/6kvucgb
http://tinyurl.com/6akbgxv

Which button style do you prefer? Then overall, design 1 (rust) or design 2 (red)? Thanks.

[Historical Forums User]

Oh, and of course the pages linked above just contain very large images, so they might take a minute to load.

[joelmb]

I’d say i prefer the red button highlight in v.2.

Otherwise, really like the design, clean clear and appropriate to the subject.

Only one suggestion; I took the liberty of viewing the live site and really quite like the heavenly blue sky heading, it really brightens the site which is something that imo is somewhat missing from new designs, they’re its quite sombre* with that black header (*appropriate maybe, but a little heavenly blue sky joy wouldnt go amiss!? ;) ) Can you encompass the new design with the old header image somehow?

[Historical Forums User]

Thanks for the response!

You mentioned liking the red button highlight in v.2, but what do you think about the actual color difference of the nav banner and other accents (the headers below). The first one is a rust color, while the second one is red.

I can do something different with the active button highlight in the first design (like http://tinyurl.com/3mgffrs or http://tinyurl.com/6kvucgb) but I’m really trying to decide between the rust or red for the banner, etc. Personally, I think the rust color goes with the other colors better, but the red stands out more.

Thanks for the suggestion about the blue header. I just tried it, but I don’t think it would really fit with this design, but maybe I’ll try something a little lighter in the background on top.

[akurtula]

how about having the hover link background color the same as the footer color (similar to ..button2.png) but without the gradiant

[Historical Forums User]

Do you mean to change the active link color to the footer color, or keep the the active bg as is but change the hover bg?

Either way, I like it: http://tinyurl.com/6akbgxv

I wasn’t sure if I should keep the white borders on the sides, but looking at it both ways, I think it helps it stand out more.

Does this mean that you prefer the 1st color sheme or are you indifferent?

[akurtula]

a yes, I meant change the active link background color to have the same color as the footer background

[Historical Forums User]

Ah, then yeah, that’s http://tinyurl.com/6akbgxv and I do like it.

[akurtula]

yeah I like that one

[Historical Forums User]

And personally, I’m liking the first color scheme for the nav bar and headers versus the red one, which I only created based on the suggestions of a few parishioners I showed the site to last night. Not that the red one is bad, but it just doesn’t go as well with the other colors in my opinion.

EDIT: Then again, it does stand out more…. I’m still torn.

[OniLinkCR]

I like the brown one (hover). Good stuff mate, love teh design, sure your client will be pleased.

[Author]

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