Site critique ??

Hey, there are forums and there are forums, Teamps is a forum *heck, that didn't even make sense to me ;)*
I've been hired to do a site for a gym in town, and have managed to put up a first suggestion, contentwise there is much to add, so don't bother crit'ing on that, but layoutish, designwise and so on...What say yee ?

http://pman.urlq.com/layouts/epicenter/start.htm

I'd might add that I had a few "must do's" from the client...Black bg, gray and white on the actual layout, no flashystuff, and no other colors really...

Patric.

The header to the site makes little sense in relevance. The photo of the gym on the frontpage needs to be a larger thumbnail and it would make the world of difference if you also colour corrected it.

Hey, 'ermit. Thanks for replying.

Yea, the header is from one of my fishingtrips, and was put there to just show where the header should go, but the chic wanted it, and not my proposed gympic...I would like to have something that had to do with a gym as a header, but she didn't...So, what can one do ?

The thumbnail is the same, just thrown in there to show how...And not something I will use when the actual content comes up...

That's it ? Layoutish in general is ok ? Nah, can't imagen...Anyhow, thanks for crit'ing.

Patric.

Patric... Patric... Patric...

/me shakes his head.




...not because of the design. Just because you've been away too long.

Design wise, I like the layout and color. I use a lot of greys or subdued colors in my designs. But one of the things you can do with subdued palletes of colors, is take advantage of that and make one item on the page 'pop' but using color in it. Nothing jumps off the page, and tells me what the site is about. Neither the logo, or any graphic that is relevant to the purpose of the site. If a chick runs the gym... have her wear a bright red bikini and work that in somewhere!!!! (Yeah, like she'd let you expoit HER).

I'd make the thumbnail of the more legible (agreement with hermie). Make it big enough to be clear, and then pull the red from the benches and use it in the Epicenter logo somehow. Just some random thoughts...

yeah you need a machine thinghy - and chicks or muscle guys working out somewhere in the header and/or in the main body/ ...maybe under the navigation...

the way it is now - it's nice - but a little neutral.... it could be a site for a fishing trip ...or a site for a romantic retreat.... there's little that says "gym" - you need sweat, color, chrome, ....and spandex!

This doesn't look like a Gym web site at all. Council the client on this fact and try to get her to use some sort of gym or athletic imagery in the header and prominently displayed on the front page. If I was looking for a Gym and came across this site, I would immediately leave because it looks nothing like what I am looking for. Malibu is right about the color and the lack of any focus... It's just kind of there. Dull and grey. I know that's a requirement of the client, but you have to at least try to council them on the right way to do things, not just do anything they say. You may have already tried that, I of course have no idea. But usually you can respectfully suggest changes and improvements and they'll listen. If not and they just hired you to press some buttons for them, just get it done as fast as possible and get your check and move on.

Here is a site my dad did for a local Gym. It's not the best design in the world, but at least you instantly think "Hm, this is a site for a gym. And here is how I sign up, and here is some stuff I can buy and spend my money on. Here is a coupon, here are some work out tips... " and so on.

http://worldgymchattanooga.com/

Thanks, Malibu (you sure ripped me apart ;)), Mihai and Dekie.

I get what all of you are saying, and I couldn't agree more. The client have said their piece and I should leave it at that, but I couldn't be all to happy with it unless I did my every last bit to try and convince them of the better in having atleast a banner that say's "GYM".

I took a look at ye dad's site (or atleast his doing) and found it to be more of what I would like to make for the Epicenter site...NOt exactly, but...Hehe, something towards that anyhow. And, Malibu...I've tried to make them tso chics where tight, thonglike red things, that ordinary people can't even see, but they have some crazy notion that it's too sexy, hehe...They don't know what's good for their site. Serious, I would like to have some sort of potpurri (perhaps) of workout'ers or atleast some gymlike in the banner, and I will take your advice and go at it againe, trying to convince them...I'll do a piece and present it as a part of the layout and they'll see that it is better...

I thank you for your most valuable opinions ;)

P(erverted)man