Graphic Design Myspace Layout

[Chris]

I can see where you might go with this, but I don't really understand the whole myspace trend. If you're willing to spend days working on a myspace layout, why not just get your own site?

Anyway, just a couple things. Even though this is a myspace layout, I'm going to give it the same critique I would any other. The first thing I noticed was the gigantic header. I actually had to scroll down to get to where the content was supposed to be. Unless your header plays an absolutely vital role in the presentation of your message, this should not be the case. Headers are good for giving meaning to the rest of a page, but they should not be dominant. In this case, it'sw just a bit too large. You want to be able to present your identity in a positive light, but it doesn't need to take up the whole screen in order to make a point.

The next thing I noticed was the palette. It looks like you've stuck with about 3 colors: white, grey, and yellow-green. Maybe a little black as well. While I can't say the colors don't match, they really don't compliment each other. Since I'm not altogether sure of what the actual site is about, I can't give you a set palette to concentrate on. The downside to your palette is the flat appearance. It's a good idea to introduce as few colors as possible (3-5 is a good number), but you need to be very thorough in the reasoning for the colors you select. Adobe's kuler is a great tool for selecting colors that fit well together based on the textual gradient. Because of their optimal location on the gradient, they naturally compliment other colors in relation. This is something you should use to your advantage.

Your elements are the most lacking in this particular layout. I understand that it's a myspace layout, but rarely will a black bordered grey box pass for an acceptable container for content. You're basically setting yourself up for failure if you choose to do no more work on it. If you wanted to go for a minimalistic style, I could maybe see this working, but it would still need some aesthetic attention. Your spacing between elements also needs to be a bit more consistent. I find that if I plop filler content down into my proposed content sections, it helps me more evenly distribute space.

I think a big part of this layout is going to come with experience. You've got a good grasp of the concepts you need, but I suggest you really do some researching when it comes to current trends, design cliches, and even how to produce effective layouts. Places like designmeltdown.com and smashingmagazine.com are excellent resources for inspiration and information. It would do you good to check those out at the very least.

Since myspace is just as privy to design criticism as any other, you should take it with open arms. I still think you should try getting your own site / domain if you want to start doing web-design on a more focused level. There's only so much myspace will do for you before you get to a point where you want to expand. Getting a site of your own is the doorway to getting that done.

Good luck on this layout, and please let us know if you do any more work to it. I'd also like to see it if you get it coded. I can offer some insight there as well (probably not myspace though, I don't do that). Thanks for sharing your work.