Rejected Design - Need some feedback on how to improve :)

I just uploaded my first design on theme forest and it got rejected on the terms of “This File Did Not Meet Our Criteria”

They gave me these points to help me improve on the design

• Visual / Aesthetic Quality How attractive is the design, how much care has gone into the details of the design – text, spacing, and so on. While this design looks very nice, there’s just not enough “extra-polish” to sell on ThemeForest. Try to keep the elements lined up and spaced out the same so it feels more complete. Some of the elements are misaligned and some of the blocks seem entirely out of place.

• Usefulness / Practicality How useful and flexible is the design and how practical is it to build into a website.

I was wondering if anyone has anymore ideas on ways i could improve it so i can sell it on here

Heres the design http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u206/michael-88/WORDPRESScopy.jpg

Try lining different elements up. For example, your sidebar and your login box should be the same width. Maybe have it so your 2 content columns span the width 2 images in the slider.

As well as this, you should try and provide more contrast between your headings. To me nothing really grabs my attention. Make the content/sidebar headings bolder and larger.

Just a few quick tips I see.

-Brenelz Web Solutions

Hello Mike, Seems like your major problem is grid =) use grid and I believe things will get much nicer.

Ditto on the grid mention. vertically, things just are not lining up. That instantly throws it off to the eye. Another thing is that you have popular articles in the middle section as well as the side bar area. Remove the ones from the side area and move your random posts into the side. Then you can make your featured articles div the same width as your post excerpt and make then in 2×2 columns. That would give it more visual continuity.

That would structure it into more of a strong two-column layout and would probably help it out a lot.

Hey guys

Thanks for the feedback i made some changes and i have sent it, hope it get accepted.

Heres the updates version

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u206/michael-88/WORDPRESS.jpg

Hope it get accepted

Sorry to say but You will be rejected again, You need a lot of work on this one. Try http://960.gs/

Here’s a few suggestions:

1) separate the top section (image slider with red bg) using a different color background OR use a different color background for the content after that section.

2) Your sidebar needs to be separated from your main content. Again, use a different color background maybe with a divisional line or something similar.

3) Your main content boxes should be of equal width to keep uniformity.

After you get some layout separation going and get some of your elements at a uniform width, I would:

4) Move your login section somewhere else without using the red background. Extend the image slider in place of the, now moved, login area. Maybe add some spacing between the images too.

5) Clean up your element padding and spacing. All of your elements should have a common spacing between related items. For instance, your main content elements (images, article text, title, etc.) should use the same spacing.

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Like the guys posted previously, you might want to use a grid to help keep everything spaced and positioned properly. Like segen mentioned, use 960.gs (it has photoshop and fireworks grids for design).

Hope this helps!

Of course the using a grid is important but it’s been said already. Beyond that you need to think more as a coder when you approach a design. For instance that right arrow on the banner area is overlapping the login box, that is not practical when coding. I’m assuming that you don’t code but there are things to consider when designing something that has to be turned into code.

Of course the using a grid is important but it’s been said already. Beyond that you need to think more as a coder when you approach a design. For instance that right arrow on the banner area is overlapping the login box, that is not practical when coding. I’m assuming that you don’t code but there are things to consider when designing something that has to be turned into code.

I totally disagree; within the constants of the browser anything that he has designed is possible. Unfortunately if we all thought like coders websites would be so bland, yet functional – but no-one would use them!

• Personally I would start by grabbing a ruler and lining up everything. Currently a lot of the main parts of the site fall badly out of sync and line with each other.
• The logo and menu need to be further indented as they do not line up with the first post.
• The space between objects on the page seems excessive – move related items closer to each other.
• Post icon in the top left does not really fit will with the overall design. Might be worth ditching it completely as it does not fit with the ‘icon set’ you have used/created.
• Unfinished gap at the bottom is a little odd – bring it all up a bit and put copyright/logos/recent posts etc in the space? Would make the complete picture look far more appealing.
• The design looks very wide from the screenshot – what resolution have you designed it to as it may make all the difference (more space than needed and/or not suitable for a majority of users browsers)?

Please take my points as helpful advice and I hope a future version is accepted!

I am not a WordPress designer at this point in time so please forgive me if my n00b is showing. Could you add a footer? It’s a great place to add navigational links as well as other good info for additional usability.

It’s a nice design IMHO Mike! I think we’ll see it up and running soon

Best wishes for your project,

Chris