Badminton Bible (round 3)

http://www.badmintonbible.com/

This is an instructional site for badminton players. You may want to look at my debut article, the grips guide, for a better sample of content.

Since the last critique, the main change has been to get rid of the rendered shuttlecock graphics. I've tried to make the design cleaner and lighter. I've disabled the colour switcher for now; I will probably reinstate it when I have time to create a new low-glare colour scheme.

I've speeded up the site considerably, by using a different Google search box (no more "waiting for Google.com").

I've also added a bookmarking widget, and a system of article levels.

Valid HTML 4.01 Strict and valid CSS 3.

As with everything you do Mike, this is great. However, since replacing the ugly rendered shuttlecock graphics, you seem to have added images in different places that are equally as bad.

• First of these, is your logo. It's just too boring Mike. You're using a plain old completely default sans-serif. Get rid of it!

• I'm sure I suggested something without the gradients, and the boring fonts. Segoe Print is a pet hate of many professional designers, including myself. As with using Trebuchet in logos without modifying the kerning.

• Your level indicators look fairly tacky, being quite big, and with nearly glow in the dark greens. Similar to the arrow indicators really, which are also very big, and annoying on hover.

Other than the above points, your code is impeccable, and your attention to detail with load times, accessibility, and user controlled preferences is second to none.

However (yes, here we go), there's just something about the main navigation that doesn't do it for me.

You have to understand Mike, that everyone expects everything to be absolutely perfectly brilliant from Mr. Hopley, and that this is not just any critique!

Ed.

Kind words, but I don't think you've seen any of my other (older) websites. The less you know about them, the better.

Thanks Ed. I wouldn't ask for a critique if I thought I would just get praise. Praise is nice, but criticism is useful.

Oh dear. I am condemned to repeat my old failings, it seems. I think I had better accept this is not my strong area, and defer any further logo work until I have plenty of time to spend on bettering myself.

I agree with your comments about the logo and main nav being boring. Although the logo needn't be stunning, it would definitely benefit from being less dull. At the very least I will need some kind of shuttlecock graphic/photograph in there (but not a third-rate rendered one ).

It's not Segoe Print; it's Bradley Hand ITC. But that's not important.

I'm not entirely convinced by the "that font is a design cliché" argument. I understand it may annoy designers, who are sensitive to such things; but does it affect the perceptions of users?

However, I'm willing to entertain the possibility that I simply have no typographic taste and am hence unable to discern the advantages of a more refined typeface selection. Perhaps I should just play with more typefaces and see. The kerning is also something I could play with.

You did suggest Rockwell before, but I just don't like it.

As with other, earlier design elements, I may have overcooked these. I'll consider toning down the green and resizing the arrows, at least. There is a purpose to the glow-in-the-dark green, however: I want the reader's eyes to look at that area of the page.

What is annoying about the arrows on hover? Is it the choice of colours, or is it the whole idea of using the change-colour-hover-state?

Hi

its not a bad looking website, I like the look of it, but I have to say, I really don't think much to the header, it needs a lil spicing up I think, maybe again associating a shuttle cock in there somewhere!

I don't like the fact that there are google ads randomly about the body, its makes it look bad and unprofessional in my opinion, if you want them, add them to the right column, or even in the footer, not just randomly there.

I also don't like the google search bar in the header, I think it would look ALOT better without that.

But other than that I Am a fan of this website, good work.

Cracka

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Perspective Sans Black or Bold would work ok - a bit more clout than the current typeface in the logo without being too extreme.

Those shuttlecock silhouettes would work if they were smaller. I'd go so far as to say no taller than the text if you can get away with a recognizable shape at that size.

I don't much like the copyright page; the people who would steal your work won't care, and a simple copyright message gets the point across to everyone else.

i agree with Ed, logo definitely needs a new font. The rounded rectangle is only rounded on one side, it sorta annoys me. (I've always been a little OCD though) The preferences bar, I don't really get what its for. Plus theres no "Save Preferences" button, which should always be included. (Even if it doesn't do anything ) I think the navigation could use a little more spice. And, as ed mentioned, coding is great, but there's an overuse of notes, I would remove them.

Thats all for now. Other than that, great site!

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Web Design And Development: Other Road Design | Problems with IE6?: KApp | My Blog: Only Nerds Allowed | Learning PHP? Lessons

Agreed.

This is a case where "what looks nicest" is less important than "what gets the best results". But I may be removing them for a while anyway, since the income is not yet worth the interruption.

It's too useful to be removed -- or it least it will be as I add new content. I'm only going to move it if I need the space for something else.

A copyright link is more compact than a copyright message. It's not like I'm forcing them to read that page.

I might play around with that.

Well, it lets you choose a skill level and handedness. If you choose a lower skill level, then some articles/pages will show less detailed instruction. If you choose "left-handed", then pictures will be flipped to show a left-handed player and descriptions will also be altered.

There's no point including a button that doesn't do anything ever. That's just crap usability.

Is that the top nav you're talking about (Home, Grips guide...Site map)?

Do you mean the boxes with "key tip" and so on?

Thanks for the suggestion! I shall try those.

I don't think they will work quite that small, but I might still try reducing them.

Maybe not, but you should have a save preferences button. I'm not sure the settings have saved, so I'm hesistant to go to a different page.

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Web Design And Development: Other Road Design | Problems with IE6?: KApp | My Blog: Only Nerds Allowed | Learning PHP? Lessons

You have point there. I don't like the suggested solution, but you have a point.