Help me with this webdesign!

[stoke1863]

Hi guys im smashing my head on the desk right now! You know when you just have no idea what to do with a design i have a complete brain fart right now

Anyway im doing a very quick basic and easy design for a freind of mine. Hes a very good guy and a decent coder but has NO design skills knowledge.

His current site is bettawebdesigners.co.uk

Ive just mocked up a very simple and generic design for him but what i have designed is not exactly brilliant. Its missing something but im not sure what, It needs more images down the left hand sides but i have no idea.

Anyway guys can you help me?

 

[unwashed potato!]

i like the design, feels like it's out of the normal box shape as it has no borders etc. i'd say increase the text spacing on the main header under the logo and reduce the opacity of the reflection

i can understand the important of putting the location on the pages, but is it worth it? you put stoke on trent and london, which makes it sound like that where he only covers

how would it work for other pages, e.g. portfolio?

also is the login really needed in the number 2 spot on the home page? perhaps replace it with something useful to most customes?

i agree there is something missing, but perhaps that down to the guy not having a lot to offer, then the design, e.g. nothing new, some stuff he has done looks a tad dated so lacks some stuff you could boast about it.

"if you want function, reliability, ease of use", does this best describe his portfolio?

 

[stoke1863]

in all honesty the login is there just for the sake of it. It realy does need something down them sides but im at a loss.

The location is what he wants im not making his site so i dont realy care. The location basicly means he lives in stoke but hes in london a lot but yea i agree pointless.

Noted on the text spacing and reflections it does look better with your suggestions.

 

[unwashed potato!]

out of interest do you do this as your job or hobby etc? i like making website but i'm not the best at designing them, and have always wanted to team up with someone who i can pay to design, leaving me to do what i'm better at.

 

[stoke1863]

out of interest do you do this as your job or hobby etc? i like making website but i'm not the best at designing them, and have always wanted to team up with someone who i can pay to design, leaving me to do what i'm better at.

Hobby. Now and again ill do some freelance work but that is VERY rare i do this. Although i have been selling some stoke city designs on large canvas. Sold about 30 large canvases

I do work in a web department for real work but that has zero work with webdesign and coding and all to do with product maintance and all that,

You know when a site cocks up its prices being too low and then evreyone orders it. Thats usualy my fault!!

 

[simisker]

[...] i'd say increase the text spacing on the main header under the logo and reduce the opacity of the reflection [...]

Seconded and beyond; and if you're going to squidge a poor defenceless typeface up like that, at least have the decency to use a proper Condensed type variant

As Mammalian's also pointed out, the reflection of this text is creating way too much visual noise for no user gain. Reduce or remove, matey-skip!

You have two issues regarding colour. I really like the aquatic blues you've chosen, but to stimulate visual interest and help compartmentalise your layout, you need a highlight colour. Explore the use of a complementary colour, like an orange, gold or an acid green. The contrast between this and your blues will provide tension and energy.

The other colour issue is to do with the font: having every bit of type white means that it's all fighting for the user's eye at the same time. You're relying on size and weight to guide the user's focus through the 'flow' of presented information and, frankly, it's insufficient. Again, explore different colours or shades to prioritise the areas of interest and improve the flow for the user.

Hope that helps