My First Design

Hello everyone,
Today I have attempted my first ever design. The content area isn't complete, and I kind of rushed the top menu because my creative juices died . Anyway, can anybody give me suggestions on how to make this better. Oh, and I am using Adobe Fireworks b/c Photoshop is way too hard for me, can't figure out anything in that beast.

http://www.yaxal.com/layout.png

P.S. Don't forget to zoom in to 100%, it looks horrible scaled down automattically by the browser.
Zack

Hey bud, not bad for a first i'd say.. and by the way, i'm online now if you want to get on Been in hospital

Much Much Much better than my first,

Only thing i don't like is the purple strip with the square things on it. Other than that its great.

Good job.

damn thats your first?
i wish my first was that good...
keep at it!

not quite sure about how i feel about the top right...
and the left side needs some love.

Originally Posted by Dream Only thing i don't like is the purple strip with the square things on it.

The whole thing, or just the part in the content area?

Originally Posted by Dizzee not quite sure about how i feel about the top right...

Any suggestions?

Thanks for the comments, and I'm online with you now, Adam.
Zack

If you want real constructive critisizm, here you go.

The first MAJOR problem I see is the top navigation, what are you using green for? why are the links so close together? I would recommend buttons, of if you are going for text rethink the font

the pattern is kind of tacky, I see no real defined content area. I would also recommend making the right column a left column. the icons don't match either.

please, please rethink your color scheme, black pink and ugly green just don't cut it.

Other than that, it's good for a first attempt.

Originally Posted by Magnus If you want real constructive critisizm, here you go. The first MAJOR problem I see is the top navigation, what are you using green for? why are the links so close together? I would recommend buttons, of if you are going for text rethink the font the pattern is kind of tacky, I see no real defined content area. I would also recommend making the right column a left column. the icons don't match either. please, please rethink your color scheme, black pink and ugly green just don't cut it. Other than that, it's good for a first attempt.

Green was highlighting what page you were currently on.

I was thinking of a right aligned site, why left?

I was colofully inspired by http://www.hydrastudio.com/ , the green was something I threw in.
Thanks for the helpful tips,
Zack

http://www.yaxal.com/layout2.png

How about now?
Zack

Originally Posted by Zack Green was highlighting what page you were currently on. I was thinking of a right aligned site, why left? I was colofully inspired by http://www.hydrastudio.com/ , the green was something I threw in. Thanks for the helpful tips, Zack

Yes, the pink and gray are okish (I guess..) but the green was horrid.

Left aligned is what people are more used to, it will make the site easier to navigate. People don't generally expect nav to be on the right.

now, looking at your new version it is starting to grow on me a bit, I still say you should take the entire right side (logo and all) and just put it on the left
I like how you put content, but the content is still not structured well. the comments section has no real identification, if you put it in a lighter box or a pink box (for color contrast instead of the entire layout being dominated by dark grey) it would look better.

thanks for reading ^_-

Originally Posted by Zack http://www.yaxal.com/layout2.png How about now? Zack

Alot better than the first

Not having the purple bar stretching all the way accross is alot nicer.