OT Web design
Klutztoo
Lippincott’s web page design got me thinking about web design in general and
some of the things that I like (which draw me to it more frequently and for
longer times) as well as some things that turn me off. Perhaps this would be a
topic that would be interesting to explore with RMMJG members, since so many
have web sites that are presumably designed to encourage viewers. Here are some
of my preferences:
Do make it reasonably fast loading (yes some of us still have 56K modems).
Do keep it visually simple. A strong graphic on the opening page is great, IF
it is not overly busy AND it leads me to navigate easily.
Do use black type on a light color, PLAIN background if you want it read.
Consider type size and style (Times Roman for instance is easy to read).
Do give something away, free lessons, music samples, etc. By the way although
many of you dislike Real Player, it loads pretty fast, I am most likely to
listen to Real Player samples.
Do Not play music on the opening. It is annoying and only encourages me to turn
the volume off.
Do not try to prove how fancy (read busy) you can make the graphics - or how
many dramatic tricks you can do with stars, busy background, different type
styles, etc.
Do not use light type on dark background for text. Headlines in reverse type
however are good. I have even seen light blue on dark blue for body copy. Give
the reader a break.
There is more, but this is just my opinion as a viewer. I'm looking forward to
some of yours.
Bob
Steve Modica
and it's a lot faster than either windows media player or realplayer.
(and I'm running it on win 2k)
Steve
Ted Vieira
> many of you dislike Real Player, it loads pretty fast, I am most likely to
> listen to Real Player samples.
Yeah, I still use RealPlayer too and would always use that option first when
listening to sound files since I'm still only using 56k dial up. I provide
both RealAudio and mp3 format for my files. That way the visitor has a
choice.
Ted Vieira
_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/
http://TedVieira.com
Bio Info, Free Online Guitar Instruction,
Instructional Books, Articles, hear my CDs and more...
--
Warm jazz guitar combined with latin & funk:
Check out my CD, "Perfect Night"
at: http://tedvieira.com/cd.html
_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/
[paul
http://hotchkisstrio.tripod.com
(don't all download the sound smaples at once, or it will crash, it's a
freebie site)
"Klutztoo" <klut...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20030908070453...@mb-m28.aol.com...
David Rasmussen
So that people have a choice about what player/plugin to use. MP3 is a
format that most browsers can play without requiring extra software, on
Windows, Linux and others.
/David
Norman Karin
Congrats Paul. Looks like a very nice start on your web site. Very
easy to navigate. Let us know when you've got photos and other "coming
soon" stuff up. BTW, did you buy a license for All The Things You Are?
(I'm not the police!) I've heard the rules are still a bit vague
regarding web sound bites of copyrighted music but that the license can
be really expensive. I've been thinking about putting a web site
together and would like to have some sound bites. The only music I'd
want to link would be standards. I know that chord changes can't be
copyrighted but I'd rather have readily identifiable heads if this is to
be useful as a promo.
Norm
[paul
should only post original tunes.
It's funny, because I heard that for CD sales of old standards, the fees are
very reasonable (soemthing like a few cents per tune per CD) Not real sure
though.
"Norman Karin" <nka...@udel.edu> wrote in message
news:3F5CC2B2...@udel.edu...
Norman Karin
to be another animal altogether. Haven't heard an exact price quote but
the phrase "very expensive" seems to be common. Let us know if you get
busted -- we could probably put together a dynamite benefit concert (for
bail) from rmmjg players! ;-]
Norm
Klutztoo
<A HREF="http://hotchkisstrio.tripod.com">http://hotchkisstrio.tripod.com</A>
(don't all download the sound smaples at once, or it will crash, it's a
freebie site)>
The blue type on black background is unreadable (your email address). I would
soften the background, black is too harsh, especially with red headline.
Otherwise I'd give it a "C" grade. I don't mean to be overly critical but it's
a bit too busy for my taste. Others may love it. That's why they make chocolat
and strawberry ice cream.
I assume you want an honest opinion, not just attaboys.
Bob
Paul Hotchkiss
Seriously though, do you think I should remove that clip? I'm not making
any money off it, or selling it.
-Paul
"Norman Karin" <nka...@udel.edu> wrote in message
news:3F5CCB57...@udel.edu...
MBR
> Mr. Will?s recent question (and the various responses) about Tom
> Lippincott?s web page design got me thinking about web design in general and
If I never see another Flash intro it would be okay with me. But it
depends on your audience since that kind of eye candy has a
"cool"quotient that some people look for in a "good" site. Fast
loading, legible type, easy navigation... that's basically what you
need. Effects can be good when used sparingly, but if they slow down
your browser it gets distracting. I think the goal should be to get
the message to the viewer and anything that distracts from that is
dispensible.
-Mark
Paul Hotchkiss
what's really up.
Did you visit any of the content pages (Like "Schedule" Gear" etc.) For
those I have plain black text on a white background, the index page just has
black to look cool. Perhaps those are closer to your liking.
Thanks,
Paul H.
"Klutztoo" <klut...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20030908144632...@mb-m16.aol.com...
Ted Vieira
The site looks great! Good job. I wouldn't be to worried about "All The
Things You Are." However, If you do want to obtain the mechanical license
for tunes to include on your CDs, you can do that online with the Harry Fox
Agency at: http://www.songfile.com/
It's pretty inexpensive per tune. It can add up if you're doing a whole
albume of someone else's material.
Great website,
Ted
_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/
http://TedVieira.com
Bio Info, Free Online Guitar Instruction,
Instructional Books, Articles, hear my CDs and more...
--
Warm jazz guitar combined with latin & funk:
Check out my CD, "Perfect Night"
at: http://tedvieira.com/cd.html
_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/
thom_j.
"Steve Modica" <svmo...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:3F5C6BCE...@comcast.net...
thom_j.
I too feel that "black" backgrounds are being used entirely too much
in cyberspace. It use to be in "vogue" but it seems to be almost a bit
harsh (as Bob stated) now and I tend to like a softer backgorund as
it leans more toward better readability and really nice for music type
site, if you will.. it's of course just my 2p.. cheers thom_j.
Mike O'Malley
It seems to me that in web design you don't want a bunch of inflexible
rules, just as, in music, you don't want a bunch of inflexible rules.
You want coherence, not rules. In a good solo, there is logic,
tension, release, form, and originality. There's meaning behind every
note. Anyone can rattle off ornamental licks, but a good solo has
meaning and thought. Dissonance is highly effective when done with
thought and intention.
So yes, it's true that light type on a light background is hard to
read, but it's also true that a visually arresting design will
'arrest" your eye, and you will read it more readily than than a plain
vanilla page. Whispering can be more effective than shouting. Most of
the time, sounds that autoplay are annoying. Sometimes they work and
are cool
everyone likes different stuff, but it seems to me that its possible
to make more useful generalizations than just "thou shalt nots". The
site should be intellectually, visually and thematically coherent. All
the elements should point to the same end--they shouldn't be just
decorative, any more than a good solo should just dwindle into blues
cliches. If you don't know why you are putting a design element in,
don't put it in. You shouldn't have to say things more than once if
you say them well--saying "press here for.." is just a sign of
thoughtlessness, And including design elements that dont' harmonize
with the spirit of what you want is just jarring.
Id defend the thing did for the Lippncott page by saying yes, the
blue on blue is harder to read, but it's design to empahsize subtley,
quietness, and simplicity (http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/omalley/tl/).
As well as informality, becaseu the image is corpped off and bliurred
and the type is lower case. These are qualities I like in a musician,
but obviously they aren't the only qualities one might like in a
musician, and maybe it's not the right fit for tom lippincott. The
point is to be consistent.
Here's an example--a similar graphic I did for Keith freeman, as a
model page
http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/omalley/tl/freeman.jpg
It's based on the old Blue note covers--in fact, it's a public domain
image from the Library of Congress that i altered. The type uses tones
that already exist in the image, and there are no buttons, extraneous
images, textures, doodads, or brazen trumpets--it's designed to convey
an image of classic jazz, updating by the modern sans serif font. It's
more hard edhes, it says "nightclub" and maybe "glamour" a bit. You
might not like it, but I'd argue it's an effectve image and a good
front door, and it's not trying to be three things at once.
I've never had a class in design, never taken an art course, can't
draw to save my life. I just think thought, that magic entity, can
work wonders. There aren;t any rules for making universally appealing
web pages, because we all have different tastes, but most peple would
agree that what we prize in music is also the things we prize in
design--intentionality, thought, experience, joy
Ted Vieira
I'll check them out. Really beautiful work. I agree with your points.
Ted Vieira
_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/
http://TedVieira.com
Bio Info, Free Online Guitar Instruction,
Instructional Books, Articles, hear my CDs and more...
--
Listen to my new solo jazz guitar CD, "Quiet Places"
at: http://tedvieira.com/cd.html
_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/
> From: moma...@gmu.edu (Mike O'Malley)
> Organization: http://groups.google.com/
> Newsgroups: rec.music.makers.guitar.jazz
> Date: 8 Sep 2003 14:43:23 -0700
> Subject: Re: OT Web design
>
Ted Vieira
really like what you did. Great concepts.
Ted Vieira
_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/
http://TedVieira.com
Bio Info, Free Online Guitar Instruction,
Instructional Books, Articles, hear my CDs and more...
--
Warm jazz guitar combined with latin & funk:
Check out my CD, "Perfect Night"
at: http://tedvieira.com/cd.html
_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/
> From: moma...@gmu.edu (Mike O'Malley)
> Organization: http://groups.google.com/
> Newsgroups: rec.music.makers.guitar.jazz
> Date: 8 Sep 2003 14:43:23 -0700
> Subject: Re: OT Web design
>
Klutztoo
I agree with everything you said and the sites look terrific. The light type is
totally appropriate the way you used it (basically as headlines), but I
wouldn't want to read a whole page, single spaced. Both your examples make me
want to explore the sites.
Bob
Bill Williams
Could you post a link for these PD images? I gotta sort out my webpage
one of these days.
> http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/omalley/tl/freeman.jpg
> It's based on the old Blue note covers--in fact, it's a public domain
> image from the Library of Congress that i altered.
Bill
Guy Snape
<snip lots of good stuff about web design>
Everyone who produces a web page should read this:
http://www.webstyleguide.com/index.html?/contents.html
My particular pet hate: "the lines of text on most Web pages are far too
long for easy reading"
- guy
Mike O'Malley
Bill:
These are from the Library of Congress "american memory" site
(http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amhome.html). Go to the site, chose
"collection finder" and then choose "photos and prints" as your search
category. I entered the terms "jazz guitar."
Mike O'Malley
Agreed--the standard conventions for lines of text is 12-14 words per
line. i usually try to set up a page to get 12-14 words per line,
easier to read that way
Also margins--margins make a huge difference in the experience of text
Tim Berens
That's a great website. But it does say in their copyright notice
that the images are not all public domain. It includes this very
helpful paragraph:
<
Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S.
Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) and/or by the copyright or
neighboring-rights laws of other nations. More information about U.S.
Copyright is provided by the Copyright Office. Additionally, the
reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of Library
of Congress gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy
and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks.
Transmission or reproduction of protected items beyond that allowed by
fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners.
>
And there seems to be no actual indication on the pages which ones are
public domain and which under copyright.
What a mess this whole copyright thing is.
Tim
http://timberens.com
A Website for Guitarists
Learn something...Have some fun
Mike O'Malley
Tim, you are dead right about copyright being a mess--the basic answer
is there are no clear answers to a lof of copyright issues. I
generally use the images on that site in a non-profit context: I don't
sell my work or sell the images, and since they usually appear in an
academic context I regard them as falling under "fair use." But even
that is a judgement call ad I suppose were the Library of congress
inclined it could challenge that use. On the other hand, the LOC IS
the repository of copyright, and here it is making these images
publicly available. And it is especially hard with a digital image
like this--exactly what is copyrighted--the original negative? The
oiginal hand made print? All subsequent reproductions? It's very hard
to sort out
http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/omalley/tl/test.html
here are two images--the original, and (scroll down) the altered
version I used to make a dummy website. is that a copyright violation?
or is it more like a sample?
Tim Berens
>
>http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/omalley/tl/test.html
>
>here are two images--the original, and (scroll down) the altered
>version I used to make a dummy website. is that a copyright violation?
>or is it more like a sample?
I have no idea! I think it falls under that category of "things you
can get away with even if they are technically illegal."