Role play Interface..

Hello, i've been doing an interface for my role playing guild.
http://www.freephoto-i.net/browse.php3?username=Tacritan&file=Rollspels-Interface.gif
What do you think about this one ? Comments and tips would really be appreciated!=) (it's suppose to be medieval looking;)

Oh, and do anyone know how to size this so it fits all resolutions as good as possible.. some html code or something, you would have my undying gratitude for answering this question cause for me it just don't make any sense:(.

Regards / Tacritan

Hey there newbie.

Ok, your site needs a lot of work, not being blunt, just honest. There's no need for a nav at the left and botton of the screen. The nav itself could be made a bit more interesting by using photoshop/flash. I now you're new to web design so i'm just giving you guidlines.

Make a nav. Browse through previous threads posted on this forum and look at some great site.

Try to copy these sites. Once you're able to copy them, no not steal their pic, then you can modify it to suit you. I'm not wanting you to rip a site, not at all, just see how web designers do it, it involves months of practice.

There's no need for the small image in the middle to be 440k, its tiny, use the 'save for web' option in PS.

Get rid of your layout, get out some paper and sketch your ideal site, and build on that. Don't put in a background till the end, or not at all. Very nice colours nowadays include whites and blues.

Look around at business sites for inspiriation, or indeed this forum, look a few posts down. You have the HTML skill, the ideas, now just stretch that to make an eye-pleasing site, and planning is very important.

Hope it helps, you'll get there

Ah, thx a lot for that;)

I'll do that;).

um, did you click on the image in the middle? It kinda sounded like you were describing the green FreePhoto-i site, not his design. THAT site sucks.

I actually liked the basic design of your image. It is not typical of business sites today at all, which is good for an artsy site I think. Do something totally different if you want. I think your design sets a mood that can't be set with the typical "blue & white" business design.

I think you could have used a finer transparency brush on your wolf, not blended the outline of it so much. Wolf looks cool though.

I like your color coordination, although the green is a bit too "smoked glass" looking, too foggy. Once again, it's not something a business site would ever use, but that's okay. I get tired of seeing those sites.

That round thing on the left, you might try animating it in flash, having it rotate around for the different parts of the navigation.

I'm not sure what you plan on putting in the large space in the bottom, it seems like a waste of space.

I do think it's not quite as organized as it could be. Right now it looks kind of like a display page with a bunch of photographs put together, not as much as an interactive site. Work on that.

As far as optimizing for different resolutions, I think it's best nowadays to design your site to work at 800 x 600 resolution. Meaning your site can be about 780 pixels wide. Also set your dpi at 72, that's a good average dpi that will accomodate most screens. Right now your image size is 1010 x 650 pixels. Some people design their sites at 1024, it's really your choice, but 800 x 600 is usually the minimum, and a lot of people haven't moved up to higher resolutions yet. So that just involves resampling your image down.

Well hope this made sense. I agree with cybling you can definitely learn a lot by looking at other sites. Make another update soon...

HEhe, now i understand you cybling. Now when cablemotion mentioned it, it do looks like you were referring to the host site Freephoto.net. No what I ment what for you to click on the midd-picture (maybe you did;)).

Well, Cablemotion, thanks a lot, your ideas really gave me smething to work for, as for now I will at least try as well as I can to do that nav on the left to spin at every press. Well, again, thanks a lot Cablemotion!

/Tac

*smoke coming out of cybling's ears*

Darn it darn it darn it! Damn, that took ages to write!

I agree on what cable said, gees that freephoto site sucks whole!!! Phew, at least now i can say it!