New Header Art for TBP
The next set of site tweaks are in the queue, and the people have spoken: Its not a full blown redesign, but rather, a series of minor upgrades and improvements. The biggest visual changes are going to be making the top header reduced in size, and moving the flash to the Cafe.
Note: The original redesign (TBP 2.0) was way behind schedule, and to get it launched by November — original launch date was July — I cut things out and compromised on others, just to get it done. On the advice of several web designers and programmers including readers), they said get something done, and then tweak/polish TBP 2.5 later — which is now.
This means I need some art work for The Big Picture main page.
Any ideas? Any concepts? Your suggestions?
The main logo is definitely staying — I want a clean fresh graphic to replaces the flash header.
Anyone who designs something I use, gets (in addition to the glory and endless blog groupies), an autographed copy of Bailout Nation, plus a credit buried somewhere on the site.
You guys complained about the flash, so here’s your opportunity to replace it!
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January 22nd, 2009 at 8:14 pm
Damn Barry, you change your site more often than the typical female changes her weekly outfits.
I thought the last schema was fine. However, I can understand that simplifying server code is an important consideration.
At any rate, the current display — with menu options at the top and the link stuff in the right-hand column — is easier to understand and navigate. I’m not particularly fond of the artwork at the top, but then it isn’t my site, and why should I care. The content is excellent. Thank you for maintaining the superb dialogue and factual analysis.
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:32 pm
I’d like to be able to follow comments more easily. Lots of readers chat in the comments section by going @”so and so” It would be good if you could reply to comments although I appreciate this holds the hazard of going off topic.
Because there are so many posts and because the comments per post often number less than 100 it might be nice if one could subscribe to follow up comments after you have made one. Ether via email “gmail” or RSS.
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:54 pm
1. Instead of artwork, perhaps a lite-duty fusioniq interactive widget.
2. Clean up tabs by increasing size of tab name and eliminating the icon & dated imac candying on each tab.
3. Shrinking the top banner, I’d be looking at reorganizing everything from the word “picture” [at the bottom of your logo] all the way down to the top of the amazon ad. That’ll raise the fresh content up 1.25″ on the page.
4. IMO your brand has enough traction that you could push the “macroperspective on the capital markets…digital media” over to your About page?
That’s all I’ve got. ‘Hope that helps.
January 22nd, 2009 at 10:11 pm
Barry, what are the size constraints for that banner?
January 22nd, 2009 at 10:49 pm
Just e-mailed a pdf of a sketch-up with comments. Hope it helps.
While the logo is “pretty” and contemporary, logos usually convey some meaning. I’ve submitted a change suggestion that gives the logo meaning as well as concepts for changing the header.
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:11 pm
> Note: The original redesign (TBP 2.0) was way behind schedule, and to get it launched by November — original launch date was July — I cut things out and compromised on others, just to get it done. On the advice of several web designers and programmers including readers), they said get something done, and then tweak/polish TBP 2.5 later — which is now.
Two comments:
Software takes longer than expected, most likely because the goals of the project were not fully specified when the estimate was given
– and –
To reduce the negative effects of item #1, break a software project into small increments, each of which is easily understood by all parties involved in delivering said increment.
January 23rd, 2009 at 12:00 am
Get rid of that banner on top; the colored tabs are fine, since that’s what I’m going to be clicking on.
If we could have some easy way to link to preceding comments in replies, that’d be fine. Example: Clicking on “@Steve Barry” leads me to Steve Barry’s comment at a certain time. This is helpful when trying to track a post’s discussion.
January 23rd, 2009 at 12:11 am
You know, a non-Flash version of the current banner would probably work just fine, honestly. Once loaded the first time, it would be in cache, and would load relatively instantly from that point forward. I don’t think banner artwork is 1/100th as important as site content. If this site looked like one from 1995 (and some current economic sites do), I’d still visit and read it. Features like a linking calendar are far more important, to me. You might want to consider a dedicated place to pimp your current products, business, book, etc. in a more dedicated and prominent place. My 2¢, for yea asked.
January 23rd, 2009 at 12:27 am
I don’t think that you are giving enough direction for what YOU want…
Your logo is the problem. It’s o.k. but are you willing to change the logo color at least?
(Is this a case of a family member designing it or that you overpaid for it and the chemicals in your brain won’t allow you to see how it REALLY looks?)
ANY graphic that you put up will overpower that logo.
The Amazon ad is more eye catching than your logo.
And what is with the tan and gray? Why not have the space below the header gray as well…I guess you made it tan because of the links below…can’t you move that information?
Back to the logo if you keep the color get rid of the gray and go all tan in different shades and textures. Very clean.
Why are you moving bad graphics to another page? Will they look better there? Those little squares ain’t got nothing to do with any BIG PICTURE (except maybe some horror flick where they keep multiplying)
You need to look at the site and pretend you are seeing it for the first time. Either close your eyes or swivel away…..then get up and stand back 5 feet……..10 feet …it’s a mess. Of course people will be viewing it from 2 or 3 feet away but it might help you see it if you move back
Kevin Cuddeback is right the images on the tabs need to go.
Don’t forget Max!
Or since so many people accuse you of having a huge ego I would make the header even bigger and make it so the T.V.s came up with pictures of you…just to spite them!!!!
January 23rd, 2009 at 2:14 am
i like the header, think its really cool, but if the flash is slowing people down i guess it should go
January 23rd, 2009 at 6:43 am
Slightly OT… I notice today’s Quote is a repeat, the second one this week. Consider adding quotes to the ‘quote file’ from time to time to give the site a larger pool to draw from.
January 23rd, 2009 at 6:59 am
I have NO IDEA what you should do, I’m just to exploit my new handle and admire the digital wonder seen here.
January 23rd, 2009 at 7:01 am
HERE is the missing word… and then he disappeared FASTER than a pizza on Super Bowl Sunday.
January 23rd, 2009 at 7:11 am
Ditch the art. You need to project a personality.
Using an interesting font, all you need is a phrase similar to “I Think It’s Going To Rain”.
If you need a picture, try using a scene from the Wizard Of OZ where Dorothy’s house is being carried off in the distance. The ‘flying house’ theme would also tie back to your NAR rants and other usual housing stats. Or maybe use the flying cow from Twister. Everyone loves cows.
January 23rd, 2009 at 9:58 am
Barry, I just emailed you a jpg/comp. Let me know if you don’t receive it. Essentially your header art is fine, you just need to tweak the layout and ditch the SWF.
A. Go with a single row of image tiles to reduce vertical space. Make this a JPG, GIF, or PNG if necessary.
B. Move the header bar and top tabs up, put your tag line below the image tiles
C. Reduce the height of your secondary nav bar.
Benefits of this revised design:
- Isn’t a radical departure from your current look.
- Much faster load/rendering time
- Vertical space is ecomomized
- Logo remains the same size and no critcal nav or branding is lost
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:41 am
First time posting, long time reader. I uploaded an idea for a revised header here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/superbreakout/3220360384/sizes/o/in/photostream/
And the impact it would have on a subpage here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/superbreakout/3220360426/sizes/o/in/photostream/
My main objectives were to save vertical space, reduce visual clutter, remove the Flash movie and improve navigation / widget clustering. I took the ads out while I was designing but they could remain in their current positions with this new header. I also revised the type treatment of the logo… I felt it could be made a little more prominent. Hope this helps!
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:54 am
I like SuperBreakout’s recommendation. The header is fine in the Cafe, Book Clun and Job Listings area. They are sort of clean Bauhaus-ish contemporary designs that fit with the blog header. The video animation is a little out being sort of scifi-ish. And, while the graphics on the home page are unique, they are not representative of the minimalist contemporary design of the blog. So, if not replaced by something more contemporary, I would vote to replace it with a design similar to SB’s. Just 2c
January 23rd, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Simple is best IMO, but if you’re just itching to have something different, have you thought of using some sort of photomosaic? The idea would be to take a library of photos (probably need a couple hundred or more) and use some free photomosaic compiling software to create a “big picture” from all the stock photos. Of course, what this “big picture” is would have to be determined. A photomosaic of a chart might be neat but there are probably other “big pictures” you could use (or have three or four photomosaics that randomly rotate using javascript).
January 23rd, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Barry,
I posted to the linked page (http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/01/planned-tweaks-changes-to-the-big-picture/) not realizing that thread was stale until after I posted. Please read my comments there.
January 23rd, 2009 at 7:57 pm
How about showing small bits of the big picture — charts of leading indicators, lagging indicators, oil prices, etc. For example, on the day the GDP growth rate is announced you could post a 3-yr chart of the GDP growth rate. I figure you could get one chart per four flash pictures, for a total of four charts. If you wanted to jazz them up, use “mountain style” charts and give each mountain and background a different color. Pop art charts.
I don’t know if this is feasible, but it would be cool, pertinent to your theme, and useful.