Okay I consider this my first official layout! The previous ones I gave up like 30% into making and never finished any of them.

Here's what I did with this one, I looked at a couple web layouts that I liked and combined what I liked best from each of them into one simple layout.

Tell me what you guys think:

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/8787/layoutpreviewfd3.png

It's actually not all the bad for a "first" layout... depending on how much you took from the other designs... but it's clean and simple. Could have a little bit more, but it's not horrible xD I give you my props! (for your first design)

Some suggestions:

- Change the content font. Header's aren't bad. Use some lipsum for dummy text Don't use caps

- Add a little bit more. It's simple... but seems a little too simple. And if you're grabbing ideas from other sites than I don't know how original this design would be. Be creative. Show what you can do.

- I don't see what you would need that sidebar for. It just makes it look more messy with links and such. Try putting something else there.

- There's more you could do but it's a pretty good design for a first. Just keep working with it... you'll find something you can do with it.
Decent first design. You have potential. Hopefully you didn't just completely rip off the designs.

Good luck!
Luke

Nice first attempt at a template. The above post sums most of my post up.

Jacob.

yeah I looked at like 5 different layouts. The one thing that I took from them the most is probably the design of the header/banner...but I did adjust it to my own liking. The colors were a combination from 2 layouts but everything else is from me.

Yeah the caps, thats how the font was..it was all caps

I would suggest using fonts that would be found on most computers. For example - Helvetica, Verdana, Times, sans serif, etc... for a well coded site.

http://www.gomediazine.com/design-tip/rule...mit-your-fonts/

I'm pretty sure I used a common font. It was a default font on my computer: CopprplGoth Bd BT

On your computer, not everyone has your computer I don't have that font, nor have I ever heard of it.

Yeah nice first attempt, simple and clean, it's need some improvement but it's not bad for a first attempt

Just because it is common doesn't mean that it looks good. That font might be good for a heavily stylized header design somewhere, but certainly not for text. For body text you should be using a san serif font, arial or helvetica (in your css you can define one of those then have it default to simply "sans-serif" if one of those is not available.) Stay away from pixel fonts. Add details, right now it is a bunch of simple blocks and shapes, and the lighter blue doesn't go with the rest of the color scheme.

for heading fonts(post titles etc...) I would recommend Frutiger (Roman variant)

its good for a first template. nice and simple

I agree with wozzym, looking good, looking forward to seeing your next one.

You've certainly got an eye for talent, and I'm diggin the logo. Good job.

i like it! you need to sharpen the "information" button though. other than that its great!

thanks guys. I fixed it up a bit and changed the colors but kept it simple and changed the font to only Arial

VERSION 2:
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/6488/we...tpreviewsy3.png

Whoa! Too wide for my screen...

oops sorry about that made it too big. Fixed the size to 1024x1000 and made some changes again

VERSION 3:
http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/791/web...tpreviewzo7.png

I actually like the old colors better, especially on the logo, makes it stand out. (The bright blue)

yeah I knkow but someone said that the light blue didn't go with the rest of the colors so I changed it....