Okay, I'm ready to show it off.

[Ixzion]

This is the biggest project I've ever completed. It took me 11 months in my spare time to create from concept to today. I was 100% responsible for graphic design of this site (new to me, since usually there's been someone to handle graphics) and the backend design.http://www.radio1617.comI'm open to critiques, but please, not the face.

[ApocalypeX]

It looks strong, but maybe a bit too strong with the colours you have chosen. The CSS is also a bit buggy, I have to refresh the page a few times to fix elements overlapping.It's definitely a good site especially since you have done both the server side, client side and design. I haven't made an account so I don't know how the back end stuff works but I see others have so it can't be that bad.Well done.

[End User]

It's nice, but the colors are a bit daunting for me. Overall it seems well done.

[Ixzion]

Thank you for looking, guys. :)I'm always looking to improve myself, so I hope you can answer a few questions:When you say that the colors are daunting or too strong, in what way do you mean? Like the colors are too bright?I'm also wondering about the CSS bugs. I've tested the site over and over again in FF and IE8 mainly (and having to fix the site so IE would position things correctly, ugh) and I hadn't noticed any errors. If you have time, would you tell me what went wrong?

[thescientist]

if you have Firefox you can get the web developers toolbar to view HTML/CSS validation errors on your site, similar in fashion to the way an error console would show you Javascript errors. Also, you can just go to the w3's validator site (see my sig) and do it by direct input or url.

[DizzyDan]

Site looks great, i can understand the color issue, maybe if you try a not pure black background, dark gray maybe? It is hard to say with out some trial and error, to see what colors may look better. Only suggestion i have is when you visit a new tab have that section you are currently visiting be highlighted on the tab. Same thing when you select a genre of music.

[Ixzion]

@scientist,I've downloaded the web developer's toolbar from mozilla. I wish I'd had this when I was working on it! I did have Firebug, though, which was quite miraculous in its own right. @DizzyDan,I tried experimenting with the background, but it didn't seem to work well. But I did take you up on and implement the section highlights. That was a great idea that I'd overlooked. Thanks!

[End User]

When you say that the colors are daunting or too strong, in what way do you mean? Like the colors are too bright?

White text on a red background is difficult for the eye to process easily, but it (paradoxically) is also one of the more attention-getting color combinations that appear to be hard-wired into the human brain. (Think stop signs and other warning signage. The other hard-wired "alert/danger" color combo is yellow on black.)It's why you never, and I mean *never* see a book printed in white-on-red. Or red-on-black. The eye likes high contrast but also little or no color when processing text. It also likes the lighter color, whatever it is, to be the background color. For example, it's much, much easier to read a paragraph of red-on-white text than white-on-red text. It's less "tiring" on the eye/brain. For short amounts it's not a big deal, but for a whole site it's overpowering and tiring on the eyes (as well as psychologically tiring to some degree). Headers and banners in white-on-red are one thing, but to have the majority of the site in that combination is going to be overpowering to a lot of people.

[Ixzion]

White text on a red background is difficult for the eye to process easily, but it (paradoxically) is also one of the more attention-getting color combinations that appear to be hard-wired into the human brain. (Think stop signs and other warning signage. The other hard-wired "alert/danger" color combo is yellow on black.)It's why you never, and I mean *never* see a book printed in white-on-red. Or red-on-black. The eye likes high contrast but also little or no color when processing text. It also likes the lighter color, whatever it is, to be the background color. For example, it's much, much easier to read a paragraph of red-on-white text than white-on-red text. It's less "tiring" on the eye/brain. For short amounts it's not a big deal, but for a whole site it's overpowering and tiring on the eyes (as well as psychologically tiring to some degree). Headers and banners in white-on-red are one thing, but to have the majority of the site in that combination is going to be overpowering to a lot of people.

Man, I didn't have a clue on that.What do you think I should do in the context of this site? Say, if the background remained red, but I changed the text color to blue, based on what you said here, would alleviate a lot of this effect, correct? Or should I take the site back into photoshop and rework it?I'm appreciative of all the advice so far.

[DizzyDan]

I think it may just be the Dark Red, I would suggest some trial and error with the colors. a lighter red might do all the difference. or maybe just change the background of wherever the text is. its a tough spot, it looks good but i do agree the contrast is tough on the eyes. I got a headache looking at it.

[Ixzion]

I've done up a photoshop mockup of the front page with different colors.I'll just link to it, since it's a big picture:http://www.rpgmmag.com/imagine/imagez/colo...17_71144883.pngIn it, I left the header, footer and navbar section the original color scheme and the content of the page to a darker, gray color. White is still a lighter color than gray, but I'm hoping that the contrast and headaches should be reduced.

[DizzyDan]

Wow, i cant believe how hard that red a white was on the eyes.The gray looks really good!

[End User]

I think this looks much, much better. Much easier on the eyes, and the red now acts as a nice accent to offset parts of the page.

I've done up a photoshop mockup of the front page with different colors.I'll just link to it, since it's a big picture:http://www.rpgmmag.com/imagine/imagez/colo...17_71144883.pngIn it, I left the header, footer and navbar section the original color scheme and the content of the page to a darker, gray color. White is still a lighter color than gray, but I'm hoping that the contrast and headaches should be reduced.

[DizzyDan]

I think this looks much, much better. Much easier on the eyes, and the red now acts as a nice accent to offset parts of the page.

I agree 100%I must sayover all it is a really great site, the layout, it functions well, easy to use, easy to navigation, everything is easy to find. Will inspect it more post belly full of turkey and beer, but all in all Top Notch!

[Ixzion]

SO, I showed it to my client and he didn't like the change. He likes the headache-inducing red much better, so I changed it back. I'm adding the modified design to my portfolio, though. Thank you for help and advice.

[ilyakar]

i can see that you put much work in the website but i think you need to do something with the colors and the style to make it more appealing to the eye. i find it hard to find what's where.