Blog Header Makeover#4-For A No-Brainer This Is The Most Controversial One Yet.

Last week, I ventured over to the Warrior Forum to see if I could offer any advice on something I know about. Okay, we both know that’s not much.

Anyway, there was a woman there asking fellow Warriors for a critique of her landing page. So, knowing a thing or two about design, I went over and took a look and found an awesome candidate for my next installment of blog header makeover.

The site is No Brainer Niche Blogs. (I’m going to wait to hear from her to see if she would like me to link to her site). From what I gathered she has a monthly niche blog package that contains two or four ready -made blogs with articles, and PLR content. It’s a sort of "business in a box" arrangement from what I gathered.

Here’s her current site header:

The first thing I noticed was the busy diagonal blue background conflicting with the blue horizontal stripes in the header. Not enough contrast for my liking.

An old sign design lesson that I learned a long time ago is that the background should be just that…in the background. Because if you notice it, it’s not in the background. And it will conflict with the rest of your design.

In my design rework, I subtly lightened the background stripes to scale it back from having equal tonal value with the rest of the page.

The horizontal stripes in the header (also blue) make the header copy harder to read.

When you use a typeface like Curlz, you don’t want to make it any more difficult to read than it already is by distracting your eyes with stripes.

Also, this typeface demands size. The smaller it gets, the more illegible it is. The text height could be twice the size that it is and would go a long way to making this more legible. The kerning on the “o” needed to be brought closer to the “N” but that’s a common error.

I thought the menu bar needed more contrast, but this is personal preference I think. Also, it was suggested that the menu should be under the header graphic. I don’t mind it on top, so I left it there.

The page had some samples graphics in the sidebar, and it was mentioned by other Warriors that the positioning actually took away from the impact of the sales letter. I agreed and thought I could include them in the header.

Here’s my quick blog header design makeover along with some changes to her sign up form…

If I had more time, I would spend more of it trying out some different color combinations.
 

Well, that’s it. I would appreciate hearing your comments.

Roy

Postscript:

It turns out she didn’t like my treatment of her design.

I want to be clear to explain that these makeover segments are strictly for educational purposes. My makeover suggestions represent my interpretation and just that, my viewpoint.

If you don’t like my suggestions, I’m fine with that. But, I stand by the fact, that I know what I’m talking about.