new exciting styles

[The Bicycling Guitarist]

Does anyone have any suggestions for how I can "jazz" up the presentation of
my content using CSS? My web site has had the same basic look online for
seven years now. I want the basic layout and colors to be the same, but
perhaps have something like the picture zooming out from a point to its full
size when the page loads, or the text shimmering like a transporter beam or
something as it loads.

ideas? I don't want to exclude users of lesser technology from my content,
even if they don't get the full show. Are there examples of how to write
multiple style sheets for different uses? I've heard of them, but am still a
novice.

Thanks
Chris Watson a.k.a. "The Bicycling Guitarist"

https://www.TheBicyclingGuitarist.net/

[Neal]

Re: new exciting styles

On Mon, 08 Nov 2004 06:57:30 GMT, The Bicycling Guitarist
<Chris@TheBicyc lingGuitarist.n et> wrote:
[color=blue]
> Does anyone have any suggestions for how I can "jazz" up the
> presentation of my content using CSS? My web site has had the same basic
> look online for seven years now. I want the basic layout and colors to
> be the same, but perhaps have something like the picture zooming out
> from a point to its full size when the page loads, or the text
> shimmering like a transporter beam or something as it loads.
>
> ideas? I don't want to exclude users of lesser technology from my
> content, even if they don't get the full show. Are there examples of how
> to write multiple style sheets for different uses? I've heard of them,
> but am still a novice.[/color]

In my opinion, alternate stylesheets is still a novelty, enjoyed by the
few in the know.

What I suggest is you look at CSS designs which have been done and get
inspiration from them. What to do, and more importantly what not to do.

I submit http://www.opro.org/new%20redesign/ as a design that might not be
perfect, but might spur you onto new ideas. Look at the sigs of regulars
here too. There are so many designs to go with.

Looking at your current design: I think the pic is too prominent. Some
content, like a H1, should be more prominent. The menu, being red (red is
a noticeable color), diverts the eye too. Think about focus. Think about
what you want them to feel when they see your page.

What style of music do you play? Would blacks and blues represent it
better? Greens? Purples?

Think about this for a while, then decide where you want to go.

[Mark Tranchant]

Re: new exciting styles

The Bicycling Guitarist wrote:[color=blue]
> Does anyone have any suggestions for how I can "jazz" up the
> presentation of my content using CSS? My web site has had the same basic
> look online for seven years now.[/color]

Yes - those buttons are very 1990s!
[color=blue]
> I want the basic layout and colors to
> be the same, but perhaps have something like the picture zooming out
> from a point to its full size when the page loads, or the text
> shimmering like a transporter beam or something as it loads.[/color]

Please don't waste my CPU power and time with "effects" like that (which
can't be done with straight CSS anyway).

My favoured method, as someone with limited artistic creativity, is
theft. Apparently imitation == flattery, so that's OK. Find some sites
whose layouts you like, and jot down exactly what it is about the layout
that you like. For example, the menus on my site
(http://tranchant.plus.com/) are heavily influenced by Dan Cederholm's
SimpleBits site (http://simplebits.com/).

Try to design a coherent and consistent structure. Maybe you could
choose to differentiate the styling of different sections like the
colour changes at Far Heath Studios (http://farheath.com/) by Richard
Rutter.

Forget the implementation to start with. Pretty much everything you
might want to do can be implemented to some extent. If you start from a
viewpoint of "hey, where can I use border:groove; to best effect", your
design will suffer.
[color=blue]
> ideas? I don't want to exclude users of lesser technology from my
> content, even if they don't get the full show. Are there examples of how
> to write multiple style sheets for different uses? I've heard of them,
> but am still a novice.[/color]

Decide what you want to do first, them come back with specifics. There
are always ways to hide or reveal CSS to different user agents with
varying reliability.

--
Mark.

http://tranchant.plus.com/

[The Bicycling Guitarist]

Re: new exciting styles


"Neal" <neal413@yahoo. com> wrote in message
news:opsg4xs5w2 6v6656@news.ind ividual.net...[color=blue]
> On Mon, 08 Nov 2004 06:57:30 GMT, The Bicycling Guitarist
> <Chris@TheBicyc lingGuitarist.n et> wrote:[/color]
[color=blue]
> Look at the sigs of regulars here too. There are so many designs to go
> with.[/color]
Yep. Okay.
[color=blue]
>
> Looking at your current design: I think the pic is too prominent.[/color]

Well, my site is about "The Bicycling Guitarist" and a picture is worth a
thousand words, right?
[color=blue]
>
> What style of music do you play? Would blacks and blues represent it
> better? Greens? Purples?[/color]

" I want the basic layout and colors to be the same"
There's a reason I picked red white and black. These are the band's colors,
and have been associated together in many cultures since ancient times.

Thanks again for your encouragement and advice.

[The Bicycling Guitarist]

Re: new exciting styles


"Mark Tranchant" <mark@tranchant .plus.com> wrote in message
news:418f2b77$0 $33605$ed2619ec @ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.n et...[color=blue]
> The Bicycling Guitarist wrote:[color=green]
>> be the same, but perhaps have something like the picture zooming out from
>> a point to its full size when the page loads, or the text shimmering like
>> a transporter beam or something as it loads.[/color]
>
> Please don't waste my CPU power and time with "effects" like that (which
> can't be done with straight CSS anyway).[/color]

Oops. I didn't know. Sorry. If I ever do have gee-whiz graphics or audio, I
will be sure to make them "optional."[color=blue]
>
> My favoured method, as someone with limited artistic creativity, is theft.[/color]

That's how I originally learned how to play guitar, ;-)
[color=blue]
> Try to design a coherent and consistent structure. Maybe you could choose
> to differentiate the styling of different sections like the colour changes
> at Far Heath Studios (http://farheath.com/) by Richard Rutter.[/color]

I thought my site was coherent and consistent. ???
I use the same nav structure and page layout for nearly all the site's
pages, except for some of the very oldest.

[color=blue]
> Decide what you want to do first, them come back with specifics. There are
> always ways to hide or reveal CSS to different user agents with varying
> reliability.
>[/color]
Thanks Mark.

[Neal]

Re: new exciting styles

On Mon, 08 Nov 2004 17:19:21 GMT, The Bicycling Guitarist
<Chris@TheBicyc lingGuitarist.n et> wrote:
[color=blue]
> " I want the basic layout and colors to be the same"
> There's a reason I picked red white and black. These are the band's
> colors, and have been associated together in many cultures since ancient
> times.[/color]

Ok. Red is a highly attracting color - it pulls the eye. So use it
carefully. Too much red is not wise.

I'd use a more muted red - try something like #b22 - and incorporate some
greys as well.

See http://www.colorschemer.com/online.html for color ideas. And see
http://www.juicystudio.com/services/colourcontrast.asp for a tool to help
ensure your text and background combinations are readable.