February 6, 2006
Playing with a new identity
After many months of planning, wrangling, and testing the limits of Boris' seemingly limitless patience, my new web site has arrived! I blatantly poached from Kazys in trying to think of a structure that works for an academic blog, balancing time based content (this blog), static content (about), and archival content (publication, appearances, press). Yeah, I know everyone has to think about these things, but for me this process has been an interesting reflection on how we can localize popular online tools for niche needs (in this case, academic identity displays).
The web site is still in process and phase two is already in the queue with Boris, but I'd welcome any feedback on how things look so far. This is an experiment in moving from my old site, which used MT but wasn't really a blog in genre, to a hybrid where I can post more informal and bloggy thing too. Wish me luck in this new phase of online identity production.
I'm still working on updating and tweaking content to fit this new format, so please bear with me for a few more days.
Posted by Mizuko Ito at February 6, 2006 6:39 PM
Comments
Looks nice! Like the colors, photo and layout.
A few nitpicky suggestions:
• Your one-line bio on the home page could be a little higher contrast, the rollover also seems superfluous.
• I think non-justified text is a little harder on the eye than left-justified, but that could just be taste.
• Another pixel or two of line height wouldn't hurt
I really like it, including the lightness on the left. And, if by a "bit non obvious" you mean MYSTifying, I'd say yes. I'm posting this rather than emailing to see how it changes the "0/0" scorecard. Maybe seeded with a post it will seem apparent how one posts. Really great job, so kudos to Boris and Kazys.
Thanks to Mimi for the opportunity, and thank you gentlement for the feedback.
Michael: yeah the comment / trackback indiciators need work. Sometimes I reduce a tad too much. ;)
Chris: The lightness and rollover of the one line bio are meant to keep it out of one's view, since it is something that realisticially you most likely will read only once, after which it would become just a visusal distraction, especially with text significantly larger than any other on the page (which cause the brain's language centers to constantly want to look over there). The hover ups the contrast so that you may comfortably read it that one time, but not so much so to indel the idea that perhaps it is an enormously important piece of content/real estate and thus needlessly tricking you also to want to look there again. (phew!)
The line spacing is already at 140% but I'll kick it up to 150% and see what we get. The verdict is out on justify. ;)
Nice! Only thing I'd think about changing is maybe shrink the left col a bit or expand the right. Seems a little off balance. And maybe up the font size a tiny bit...
Looking forward to some new content.
I am thinking the font size could use a little upping as well and the idea of left aligning the main text is probbaly a good idea too. I will fiddle with these things for sure and find a balance that works.
The column width imbalance you are percieving is probably more a question of habit. I *love* breaking conventions... because I can. ;)
Hey thanks for the feedback folks and the attention to design details. I have to confess I'm just amazed that it is *working* the first day up.
Oh yeah -- new content ^^ guess I need to work on that.