DrewMyler.com


Whoa Again

Jul 17, 2007

Lightbulb“We spend too much time staring into a lightbulb as it is.” So said one dissatisfied commenter on CNN.com’s recent redesign. While I think the new CNN.com is just ducky, this user felt the screen overwhelmed him with white.

That comment has rattled around in my brain ever since. I love how sinister it sounds – like we’re at our desks staring at an eclipse without our pinhole sunglasses. Then there’s the “energy efficient Google” post I read a few months back, as well as my constant need to explore new design and code iterations.

So – I’ve redesigned this site. Again.

There’s a school of thought in the design world that light text on a dark background is hard to read. Clearly I’m not a believer; I find it soothing. So I’m trying it out for awhile. We’ll see how it goes.

I’ve really missed having a sidebar on the homepage to call out things such as the Chicago Web Meetup (seems we’re taking the summer off) and anything else that might pop up. So the sidebar is back.

Speaking of the sidebar…

Maggie and her food dishI’ve received notification from a flickr friend that I have loaded a measly three photos to my account this year. I’m calling myself out on my homepage; hopefully a flickrstream will keep me updating my pics on a regular basis.

I’ve also been introduced to the addictive Goodreads.com by a few people. My ‘read’ shelf is woefully understocked, but I’m just getting started with the site. I really love the concept, though – it’s well worth checking out.

Please let me know if you spot anything buggy with this design. Hope you enjoy the change!

  • Sorry everyone, I meant to say that James Joyce's Ulysses is one of my favorite books. I also enjoy the encylopedia.
  • Mom
    One of your favorite books is "The World According to Garp"? Hopefully you'll outgrow that little addiction.
  • Was it Old School? I'm definitely partial to prep-school settings in books. The World According to Garp is one of my favorite books.
  • Weeks
    In looking at the books you've read, the Harris book sounded really familiar. Was there a book that I read after you, when we were at Gorham, that had a similar plot? The whole "Classics professor" angle sounded like something else I've read... Maybe "Rule of Four," but I'm not sure...
  • Thanks Weeks! I trust you'll let me know if you see anything spotty.

  • Weeks
    I'm a fan of the light-on-dark combo (sorry to go all PG-13 on you there)... Kudos on the new design - looking forward to checking it out some more in the next few days...
  • Thanks John! In regards to light text on a dark background, I really think it's a matter of personal preference. I'm curious - why do you find it harder to read?
  • John Boeckmann
    Good job on the site, Drew. I do like the overall design better, and it's nice to have less overall light glaring towards the reader.

    However, I do find the white text on dark background harder to read than the opposite, and I'm surprised that other people haven't commented about this. (I guess more of the comments have been directed at the overall design.) Interestingly, though, I think that the bright green text on the dark background is the easiest to read of everything on the page (but that just wouldn't be practical for the entire page!) What about yellow text on the dark background?
  • I have to keep you guessing. It's really the only reason I redesign at all.
  • Sure - just when I'm getting used to the idea of a tumblelog you go and make your site all bloggy again. Oh, and I'm not seeing any definition lists in your code - I'm very disappointed in you.
  • Thanks Adam! And the reality is that I'm just so incredibly efficient with my time, which is why I need to get into project management.


    Or I'm a glutton for punishment.

  • Very nice sir! You must have some time on your hands to be able to redesign your site 3 times in one year! I like the "file folder" feel - is this a reflection of your ventures into project management? Nice arrow transtion from the left side of the page to the right. Is it me or does the rounded edge at the top right of the topics section seem to end abruptly as it hits the vertical?
blog comments powered by Disqus