Re: [Gimp-web] GIMP Site Redesign

[Alexandre Prokoudine <alexandre prokoudine gmail com>]

On Fri, Oct 28, 2011 at 11:22 PM, Kasim Ahmic wrote:
> I've been working on a redesign for the GIMP website recently and
> I have the homepage almost finished.
> You can see it here: http://seasonoftreason.uphero.com/templates/
>
> Now when I say "almost finished" I mean that it's not quite cross
> browser yet. It looks odd in some older browsers and Internet
> Explorer 8 and possibly earlier. Not sure about IE 9 as I have
> Windows XP. Tell me what you think!

I wasn't sure whether I should comment at all, but here goes...

(Please note that this is just my personal opinion.)

In general I feel that this is a completely wrong approach. GIMP is a
product, hence the home page should be more of a product page. Here
are some examples of open source software product pages:

http://hotot.org/
http://sparkleshare.org/
http://www.mono-project.com/

The hotot page, for example, uses a simplified version of the so
called pyramid approach where content keeps growing in the top-bottom
direction. A more obvious example of this aproach could be, perhaps,
http://www.apple.com/logicstudio/

The principle, however, is preserved that the most important content
should be above the fold, that is, in the top 768px of the screen
(some say it's less, some say it's more, I'm just giving an average
value). If you look at your design, you'll see that it has two
landscape pictures, none of which are remotely related to GIMP (hence
are not important), and one of them even has a bit of a barn in the
right side (talking about attention to details).

The logo is part of product's identity, and I'm sorry, but I just dont
see GIMP suddenly becoming something related to gothic subculture.

The beveled overrounded buttons are too 2000s (if not 90s), and their
spacing is completely out of tune with the top navigation bar.
Besides, I feel like two navigation areas are a completely wrong
approach as well.

Finally the color palette is out of tune too. You have subtle
background, solid and contrasty, nearly black sidebar, rather low
contrast body text area and a red gradient filled top navigation bar
that is out of tune with the header. The content doesn't even try to
make an effort

My suggestion would be to study contemporary trends, composition and
color harmony more.

End of a rant :)

P.S. I quite support the idea of a design contest.

Alexandre Prokoudine
http://libregraphicsworld.org