your input on my mockups : liberti.org

squaredeye · 2006-06-24 16:50:06

I posted over at godbit as well, but I’d really like to get your opinions too.

from the Godbit post:

As I mentioned elsewhwere I am beginning a redesign of liberti.org. At the moment I am just mocking up the photoshop files, but as I am a little overdrawn on the creativity account, and I could use some fresh eyes, I thought I’d open it up here.

Sites main audience : Philadelphians (generally college aged, young adult, new families, and a few very needed 50+ year olds)

Hoping to attract new believers and peripheral believers, while making a site that is useful to current libertians. The city, especially Phil. is gritty, and needy, and there is some hope of reflecting that in the design. Before I came on board liberti’s branding toward black and white had been established and thus, this is what I have to work with, which is an incredible challenge!

Given the nature of the audience, I have opted for a slightly wider resolution ( three columns add up to 900px ). I am considering some flex in the middle column (min width would be the same size as the right column).

Content is still being worked out, but I am working here with what I’ve been given thus far. I think I should probably tell you more, but I can’t think what at the moment, so I’ll just post the links, and you can have a hey day.

I appreciate as much feedback as you care to give.
Keep in mind, this isn’t pixel perfect, just a mockup. Critique for layout, theme, arrangement, usability… etc.

Thanks,

Matthew

Three views:

6/28/06
EDIT: Here is my latest thought

6/20/06
liberti.org – home page
liberti.org – section front
liberti.org – calendar (borrowed jpgs from thecity.org for examples)

EDIT : thanks hcgtv :) must be tired.

Last edited by ma_smith (2006-06-28 13:25:18)

hcgtv · 2006-06-24 17:06:43

Matthew check your links.

NyteOwl · 2006-06-24 18:41:42

Hmmm, looks like a punk rock band site without the bright red :)

squaredeye · 2006-06-24 18:45:04

NyteOwl,
That’s what Wet had to say as well. :) I’ve been trying to work out how to add a “more hopeful” presence to the site for sometime now, but it has been difficult when staying within the confines of the black and white scheme. Maybe some of these comments will help push my team into realizing that a small use of good color can be subtle but vital.

thx.

guiguibonbon · 2006-06-25 01:01:16

Hye Mathew,

I don’t really know what to think of it since churches over here are all very conservative and not one would have such a website.

I wonder though how you plan to replace the American Typewriter on pc.

Also, black background and used type makes it all really heavy. I wonder if you couldn’t go with a white background, and an overall more subtle and restrained look, while keeping the used types, in that context.

squaredeye · 2006-06-25 03:00:18

ggbb,
Good questions. I’ve gotten some really good responses in general today from all kinds of places. This helps me think through a lot, but it also is interesting to see how the international audience responds. I forget how different our religious institutions are presently. Wet brought this up to me earlier today. Its worth some dialog, and I think I’ll post on it soon, but in the meantime, thanks for your thoughts.

M

kevinpotts · 2006-06-28 12:53:57

I like the grittiness of it; I lived in Philadelphia for several years so I can appreciate that. However, I find the rotated skyline on the left distracting, and the overall design is begging for some color. It almost looks like the design is trying too hard — just back off the drama and let some space in.

xrussox · 2006-06-28 13:07:17

really cool layout, definitely would NOT expect it to be a “we love jesus” website at first glance. makes me thing of a post-hardcore/punkrock band to be honest. but thats a good way to stand out of the pack

Last edited by xrussox (2006-06-28 13:07:41)

squaredeye · 2006-06-28 13:23:25

I’ve added a new thought

marios · 2006-06-28 15:25:41

That’s much better that the previous one, what about the color ?

If they want the gray, you can always smuggle the color in, like on-hover.
(In other words, when you don’t hover, you don’t come to see the color)

regards, marios
(welcome back there, brother)

Last edited by marios (2006-06-28 15:33:38)

guiguibonbon · 2006-07-03 14:24:47

definitively better. Needs a bit of spacing here and there though (main text looks a bit tight between the two columns, for instance). You are allowed to use gray values right? Perhaps try using slightly colored grays, and maybe a soft gradient on the header, just to soften it all up a bit. I think you could also use halftones dots.

jakob · 2006-07-03 18:05:57

hi matthew, yes, it’s much better with the large silhouette across the top oriented as you’d expect to see it (although reversed out) and you’ve simplified the whole as a result.

I’d almost leave out the swirls in the background (or tone them differently) and concentrate on the recognisability of the silhouette – I think that way it can be representative of your place and communicates that sense of ‘urbanity’. I think it’s potentially the strongest element of the design and the easiest for all ages to identify with. You could make it the central organisational element of the page – it is after all a notional border between city and sky (heaven and earth…). In that sense, it would probably work more convincing reversed out so that the silhouette looks like how one knows it. If you grade it back a little from full black to a grey (or make it a different colour, even subtly so), then you can work with both black and with white elements on it and use colour in small quantities as signs for special things.

For the solid foreground area you could experiment with different approaches, for instance, punching holes into it like windows/doors etc. in a silhouette, or alternatively you could layer your site sections as further layers or specific elements in front of ‘the backdrop’ of the city. Perhaps that could be further layers of townspace in the foreground, like ‘rooms’/‘neighbourhoods’ that you could then tailor to kids or to particular groups or activities in your church. Perhaps you simply have page elements as abstract signboards in the city… One way or the other, it could ‘root’ the content – the events, meetings, happenings, birthdays, what have you – in the city. You could also use the sky too: balloons could announce special events… okay I’m getting carried away :-)

I have a couple of example sites in mind that use the silhouette or the city as ‘navigation’, but I’m not sure whether I should post them – sometimes strong examples hamper one’s own creativity. If you’re interested then say so first.

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#1 2006-06-24 16:50:06

your input on my mockups : liberti.org

#2 2006-06-24 17:06:43

Re: your input on my mockups : liberti.org

#3 2006-06-24 18:41:42

Re: your input on my mockups : liberti.org

#4 2006-06-24 18:45:04

Re: your input on my mockups : liberti.org

#5 2006-06-25 01:01:16

Re: your input on my mockups : liberti.org

#6 2006-06-25 03:00:18

Re: your input on my mockups : liberti.org

#7 2006-06-28 12:53:57

Re: your input on my mockups : liberti.org

#8 2006-06-28 13:07:17

Re: your input on my mockups : liberti.org

#9 2006-06-28 13:23:25

Re: your input on my mockups : liberti.org

#10 2006-06-28 15:25:41

Re: your input on my mockups : liberti.org

#11 2006-07-03 14:24:47

Re: your input on my mockups : liberti.org

#12 2006-07-03 18:05:57

Re: your input on my mockups : liberti.org

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