Just what am I looking for in a website design?

[chrissymunder]

I'm not sure. But I'd sure like to figure it out.

This bit of thoughtfulness is brought on by goal number seventy-five on my 2013 list. No, please don't ask my status on numbers 1 through seventy-six. Anyway, back to the website, there's no particular reason why this has made my list other than a desire to freshen things up. Let's just put it down to a Spring kind of thing. So I head out to my handy website manager and contemplate my template choices. There's 187 of them. Surely I can find one of them to tickle my fancy?

I'm feeling drawn to light and bright, clean and uncluttered. Easy enough, right? That eliminates a lot of the darker and browner options, and most of the greens (my favorite color) are just a little too neon. Not feeling the red and pink vibes, so where does that leave me? Orange? Am I really feeling orangey this year? It's amazing how much time I can waste spend on something as simple as choosing a color.

Of course, when I find a color mix I think I can live with, the button style isn't wowing me; neither is the main setup or font. Picky, picky, picky. I could spend the time and figure out how to change most of that, but then, why am I bothering with a template in the first place?

Then I sit there and contemplate the amount work involved in changing everything around - what if I don't like it? What about all the work to change it back? And this is why goal number seventy-five is still on my todo list.

How about you? How often do you change things up on your website? And when you do, how easy is it for you decide to take the leap?


Many thanks to Kelly over at Clkr for the color wheel.

Comments

Web site

[shauna-lee.livejournal.com]

Last time I did a web site did it for my housekeeping business. I went with clean, simple, no color, and then let my boyfriend do the rest because he's a programmer and knows things like cascading style sheets and such. There is a picture of me and my dog...

Re: Web site

[chrissymunder.livejournal.com]

The joys of using a professional. :) Clean and simple is really winning me over.

Re: Web site

[shauna-lee.livejournal.com]

http://home.comcast.net/~aimspar It's where the old web site used to be, that noone was going to anymore. One page, clean, simple, no banners, just the one picture of me with my dog. Of course, it's for a housekeeping business, so the thrust is different than one for an author. :)

Re: Web site

[chrissymunder.livejournal.com]

I always like that picture. You both look so happy. :)

[lou-harper.livejournal.com]

A good website has the perfect balance of form and function. Bad web sites are usually characterized by too much bling.

I don't like change. :P I haven't moved the furniture in years. So when it came to making a website I spent the time to find the template I liked, and even paid for it, then I spent the time customizing it. I've done only small changes since. (http://louharper.com)

I suggest that if you like green, use it as an accent color within a more neutral environment.

Btw, that's not a correct color wheel. White is the lack of color, and black is all colors together. At least if we are talking about additive colors like paint pigments.

This is a correct color wheel: http://hgtv.sndimg.com/HGTV/2011/07/18/HGTV_Color-Wheel-Full_s4x3_lg.jpg
It matters because you can see color relationships. For example, opposite colors make dramatic combinations, neighboring one more soothing ones.

[chrissymunder.livejournal.com]

Hey Lou, thanks for the link. I'm slow to change as well, but every once in a while I just get an itch. Luckily I can then talk myself out of it, usually. :)

[clarelondon.livejournal.com]

*sigh* I often think about changing. I've been accused in the past of too much bling, so Lou's comment strikes truth in my heart :). I get worried at changing the template in case the rest of the formatting doesn't fit properly anymore. You really have to find time to make sure it all hangs together again after a change, and I just haven't had that time.

I've often wondered about getting it done professionally, too. But then I know they can't read my mind *lol*, so that involves times as well, telling them what I want (if I even know). And so I return to stabbing at it myself :).

I like your green, it's meant to be the most mentally soothing colour, you know ^_~.

[chrissymunder.livejournal.com]

Let me join you in your *sigh*, heh.

Goodness, yes! The formatting, it's always about the formatting. It lines up again on the time factor. Which usually means it comes out a loser, doesn't it?

Last seen on a friend's birthday cookie: So many candles, so little cake

uhm, yeah, that has something to do with time, doesn't it?

[clarelondon.livejournal.com]

My God, that's a brilliant quote :):)

[stevie-carroll.livejournal.com]

I'm determined to get my website properly sorted in time for the UK Meet.

[chrissymunder.livejournal.com]

Let me be one of the first to cheer you on. :) Jeez, just thinking of the UK Meet makes me realize how much of this year has sped by already.