Amassment Message Board

Amassment, I need your input.

I have this site (warning: very blue) about a RP that ended earlier this year that hasn't been update in like years. I want to keep it a while longer as it reminds old regulars of the game of good times, but I want to get rid of this horrid layout.

The thing is I have been trying several times to make a new layout and failed. My latest attempt involves the use of this colour palette, but I'm finding myself more and more thinking that maybe I should just strip the current site of its CSS, replace it with Bootstrap's and call it an archive. What do you think? Should I persevere in trying to make a decent layout? Should I use my "Ceci n'est pas un layout" artsy-fartsy card on this site?

Any help would be greatly appreciated to keep me from getting pissed off and deleting the thing entirely.

I don't know, I tried messing around a bit with the palette there and I did get a few decent starting points without even changing your pre-existing CSS too radically, so I think you can get something from what you have already without radical changes, but if you say that it's old and in disrepair, then I can also see the point of revamping it with Bootstrap.

Sorry if this is very "duh", but if you want to keep it more as it is now, the first thing I can say is that you could consider to get rid of the three-column organization and simplify it down to two (internal and external menu could be stacked, the external menu wouldn't be cut off from the page in most average screen resolutions). Another thing I did in all of my tests is disable the underline (okay border-bottom. you know) on the links, which I can understand it's personal preference and a good visual hint, but they can be distinct enough in other ways. There are so many links, so removing the underlines unclutters the page a lot.

Do you still have any scrapped mockups?

I poked around with your code (didn't really change much CSS, honestly), took inspiration from the provided color scheme, rearranged some of the links as Dubs mentioned above, and this is what I came up with as hopefully an inspiration piece for you:
You can interact with the layout here (mainly to see the link rollover effect, scroll down the page, and such).

A little bit plain, I admit, but I'm hoping this will help jumpstart your thought process ^_^. I didn't really do much with the text formatting in the content box because I kinda ran out of mental juice, but judging from your (amazing) typography CSS, you seem to have text formatting well in hand anyway, so you could probably customize that way better than what I've got here.

Mainly, the links are tightened up, the header is designed a little differently, and the layout is 2-column instead of 3-column. Oh, and text-shadow and repeating background images, just because. xD

I really hope this helps out, even if all it does is remind you that all of us make dud layouts sometimes :D

@Destinie
Here is what I was working on when I wrote that post: @Robin
Holy wow :O That kicks ass! I really love it! I feel inspired now!

@Nyx: YAY! Glad it inspires you! ^o^

(Not gonna lie, I woke up today reflecting on the layout design in the cold light of morning...and I started thinking "OMG that layout probably sucks monkey nuts and Nyx is gonna be like 'wtf is this crap?'" LOL)

Also, the font you used for "Apocalypse Postponed" in your screenshot = <3<3<3<3<3 .

Hehe, now I feel allowed to post what I was pestering with:
...which actually looks pretty close to what you made, Nyx. I personally like what you have there and I can only see it get better with more work, but hey, you decide in the end.

Haha, Robin, yours was a very different take! I like it :D

@Dubs: Yup yup! I went with the brown and kinda-off-white colors as the main colors and used the green as an accent color.

...lol I sound like I should be on HGTV or something XD

Anyhow, it's neat to see how different designers approach a design challenge like this one. Y'know, we oughta have some "design challenges" like this on Amassment every so often--this was super fun! :D

If you thought this one was fun, I'll be sure to not wait until I'm pissed off at the layout to ask for help next time :D

I have not worked on the new site yet but it's only because I have to do actual work today. But my translation software keeps crashing so yeah, I might throw my hands in the air at some point and open SublimeText instead.

CuriousLittleBird wrote:Y'know, we oughta have some "design challenges" like this on Amassment every so often--this was super fun! :D

Thanks for the suggestion, CuriousLittleBird! We did have a layout swap marathon when Amassment was hosted on Livejournal, but a design challenge is something new so we'll keep that in mind :)

Hurray my frustration was useful XD