Simple Matt Lanter Layout.. Options

[funride]

click to enlarge

I'm using this layout for my upcoming Matt Lanter fansite.
Its quite simple but I like it...

[jiyong]

I'd shrink the font for the nav links and make them more spaced out. Right now it's overshadowing the header text ("Matt Launter Online", etc). Those headers also need to be stronger - they're hard to read against the background.

[datass]

hmm. what is that VVVVVVV thing doing at the right side?

i think there's a slight tilt to the words on the navigation, i think that doesn't work very well with the rest. maybe when you code it you can make it italics when you hover. try spacing the words out too.

and the top gradient, hmmmmm, whats up with that? seems a bit out of place. a little texture maybe? also, the big lot of grey on the bottom is just empty and looks.. strange. a background maybe?

font that says "your #1 source...", cant read. must do something about it. bold it, bigger font, wider font, different font.

by the way, i think you're improving a lot, reference to your old posted work. sorry if i have lots to say and/or you dont agree.

[jiyong]

^ The VVVVVVV is actually WWW, but you can't read it too well in that font. I would just get rid of it altogether, since you already named the link "Site".

[manny-the-dino]

I pretty much agree with what Gabrielle and Julia have pointed out. You just need to work on minor details.

[fixtatik]

I like the set up for the most part, but there are a few things I'd change.

- The gradient at the top is far too acrid. Lighten it and go a bit more subtly.
- The font you used for the navigation, title and tag line has to go. It's nearly impossible to read.
- The black borders with the white lines are off. On the top one, the lines stick out above it. On the bottom one, it goes past the white border.
- I don't like how you cut off his head at the chin. Just pick a different photo and use that as the second image--copied, flipped and resized photos are stale.
- Also with the image/flipped image, you did a hard cut at the top, but faded at the bottom (and annoyingly almost unnoticeable).
- The alignment of the header/content area is awkward. The translucent white box is pushed over to the right, and the tagline is way off to the right.
- You used a dark red on dark grey background. That never works.
- The translucent box has curved corners, but the rest of the template is boxy. Kinda weird and distracting.
- No padding whatsoever for the "Top Affiliates" section.
- Seeing that scroll bar at the bottom is a turn off. It makes me think that instead of using margin:auto; you're using absolute positioning and a fixed left margin, based on only your screen.
- Why is the "Hi" heading in pink? Doesn't really fit with the rest of the layout. I could understand a lighter grey (or even red if the dark red didn't look so bad with dark grey), but the pink you used isn't even in the same RGB bracket.