Branding n'stuff

[femkes_follies]

It's never a good idea to give me something new to twiddle with. Bad things happen. I must begin to know ALL about it. I don't go by halves. It isn't my fault, it's genetic.

(Case in point: conversation with Dad this afternoon, wherein I explain that I can handle CSS and XHTML, but I don't know PHP. And currently I'm having trouble and can't figure out the issue. Meaning I'm going to go dig around some PHP tutorials. Could I fix it another way? Likely. But I don't like using something if I don't know HOW it works. I won't be able to leave it alone. Dad responds: "Bwahahahahahahaaa!")

And, I've learned a few new things. Jen Kramer has yet another fab video on lynda.com. I therefore have learned a lot about using graphics in web design. And that there is one plug-in I need for GIMP, and that I've switched from Coffee Cup to KompoZer. Wheee!! And open source WYSIWIG editor with a CSS module. Though I'm glad I learned CSS first, or I'd not be able to restyle the silly thing AFTER uploading the template.

So, On To The Question at Hand:

How important is "branding" to independent websites that are really just there to present information? How much do you "prejudge" the author or what is presented based on the quality of the presentation?

Example A: I use Drea Leed's site quite a bit for reference for this or that. I know what it looks like, I know when I'm there - even if I came there via another route. I associate that look and feel with her book and her research, and therefore I trust it to a fairly high degree.

Example B: I've hit many a local group site or event site that's badly styled, poorly written, or full of circa 1994 animated gifs. I cringe. And I usually assume the event is pretty minor, the group is relatively poorly organized, or other negative associations. (I'm coming to the conclusion that the Kingdom website ought to go either Joomla! or Drupal based - on the grounds that it would be much easier to find people capable of managing that than it is those who can code. And code well. Every yahoo in the SCA thinks he's a web designer and codes. Very. Badly. Blech. Plus, hard-coded HTML is a bugger and a half to update - so it doesn't get updated)

I think when I get my legs under me with GIMP, I'll post some possibilities for my template design for general commentary.

BUT - before I do... how important do YOU think it is?

Comments

[landverhuizer.livejournal.com]

Well, on the topic of do-dads and animated thingies compared to simple bare bones, I do instinctively take bare bones sites a bit more seriously. Obviously the author is putting more time into content that frippery, the same goes for those site that I require this and that add-on just to use... blarg...

Big things for me in design are:
-Can I find what is on that site easily? (is the menu always available and easy to find, yet unobtrusive)
-is the info itself easy to use/read? (colours/layout)
-Lack of unnecessary distractions (busy backgrounds, animations, sounds...)

Branding, in itself, doesn't matter all that much to me... guess it all depends on if or what sites you might want tied in together etc.

[alysten.livejournal.com]

Web sites are like people. You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Feel free to email me if you want to have a more indepth conversation about how I put sites together and why (and a sneak peak at the new site I'm working on).

[steelweaver.livejournal.com]

I'm in the business of being personally offended by bad design:P

One of my professors always stressed the three C's of communication: congruity, consistency and correctness. In terms of web design that pretty much meshes with what I like and hate. It's jarring if a design doesn't look like it came from you, if it's inconsistent in design or use of colour or if it's very different from most web sites people are used to.

I'd say, read up on colour schemes, pick one and then use that consistently. Easy on the graphics, use good contrast text and make things findable and you're already mostly there.

[femkederoas.livejournal.com]

Do you have a reference on choosing color schemes that you recommend?

[steelweaver.livejournal.com]

What most online resources seem to recommend is taking a picture you think has a pleasing colour combo and then reducing that to a very low res. That gives you big pixels of colour to eye dropper. You can see the effect at sites like http://pourpre.com/colordb/?l=eng or http://colorschemedesigner.com/

If you need to read up on colour theory, you can start by googling the names/types of the colour schemes you can generate with those.