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NeedHelpWithuiDesign

I'm the Marketing "manager" this year for the conference. Part of my responsibilities are to make sure the web site is inviting. That means I make sure there's something new on the front page every week, that the wiki is dynamic, and that we have new articles every so often to attract people.

We're having a discussion among the hosts. Steve has redesigned the web page. See http://www.ayeconference.com/indexRedesign2.html for his redesign. The purpose of this redesign was to use more of the white space at the top of the page. (Waste less of the valuable top-of-the-page real estate.)

We're having a discussion about the size of the logo and the size of "a different kind of conference." One of the hosts thinks the sizes are too similar and therefore neither grabs the viewer's attention.

I'm not a visual person at all. I like the redesign, but if it confuses people, I don't want to change to it. So I'm asking for help.

1. Does either side of the page grab your attention?
2. Does either side of the page confuse you? (Do your eyes dart back and forth trying to decide what to look at?)
3. Do you have suggestions for us?
4. Are there other questions I should have asked you?

I would like your opinions on the new design. I especially want to know if you like it or don't like it--even if you can't articulate why you do or not :-)

Thanks for your help. -- JohannaRothman 2006.09.02

If I compare http://www.ayeconference.com/index.html with http://www.ayeconference.com/indexRedesign2.html , the latter definitely seems better.

When I compare the new design with http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2005/08/blow_your_own_m.html I think there could be a little more improvement.

All that white space around the picture in the redesign kind glares at me... the picture doesn't tie in with rest of the page, but it could if it had a little more (or different, or LARGER) text providing some context.

I just reviewed several sites with a strong graphical-artist-bent (apple.com pages, or [somewhat too distracting:] http://www.geekculture.com/, etc.) Many of them have supplementary material (or ads) on the left and right columns, and the core item of interest in the center. A possibility is that "what's new" stuff in the center, the stuff currently on the left column staying where it is, and the "about the AYE conference" stuff that is currently below "what's new" being put into a column on the right.

KeithRay 2005.09.01

My attention was grabbed by the picture in the middle, then I looked down. I did not actually look at either side until after I read everything in the middle. Then I looked at the links on the left. I did not look at anything at the top until after I came back to this page and reread what Johanna wrote.

If a person new to the website did that, they would not notice what the website was about. Can we get some feedback from people who have not been hanging around the website as long as Keith and I?

I really like the pictures, wherever they end up. SherryHeinze 2005.09.02