Working on Website re-design Question

[davidzvi]

I'm working on a site re-design and debating about a MAJOR change. At the moment I'm just looking thoughts on the this basic layout question. It I keep it across the top I'll probably make it a bit thinner.

Across the top or down the side? I'm trying to decide if I'm seeing down the side as better just because I've had across the top for so long.

Part of the reason for the redesign is to change it from my old "Professional" site to a more personal interest, travel, .....

 

[gryphon1911]

Down the side. Looks cleaner to me.

 

[Kevin]

Is the menu sticky? Responsive for different size screens?

Personally I think the side version is using a lot of screen space. If there was a lot of menu options that wouldn't fit in a top menu then a side menu would help but if not then a top menu allows for more content to be shown.

 

[Luke]

Don't forget to check it out on different aspect ratio screens. I'm the wrong guy to ask because 99% of the time I am looking at something "online", I am viewing it from my laptop screen. But my guess is that most people are using their intelligent telephone CRT device.

 

[davidzvi]

Laptop or tablet, not really worried so much about phones since it's going to be a personal site and not a business site.

Still trying to determine how I'll do the menu (expanding or just driven by selections from the right side. The site is hosted on Smugmug and it's based on one of their templates so I'm not sure what they have built into it for screens and platforms. Figured if I got a "I hate down the side" from everyone then I probably wouldn't even bother looking into it.

 

[davidzvi]

Is the menu sticky? Responsive for different size screens?

Personally I think the side version is using a lot of screen space. If there was a lot of menu options that wouldn't fit in a top menu then a side menu would help but if not then a top menu allows for more content to be shown.

I'm debating about not using my old logo so the side can be thinner, but I still like it.

I might see if I can work it into a section above the images on the right side so the left can be thinner.

 

[MoonMind]

I'd give the images all the screen real estate I could; if you decide on this gallery module (which I like the look of), I'd definitely keep the menu on top with a floating "go to top" link on the right side of the screen. Top menus work better with smart devices, too, so you need bother less (if at all) about that.

M.

 

[emerson]

A pull down icon/menu from top left, opening to a vertical list would offer simplicity and maximize screen space.

 

[Jim McClain]

Generally speaking, responsive designs, which Smugmug uses, causes the sidebar to drop below the main content on mobile devices. And you don't have any control over who uses what kind of device to access your site. It doesn't have anything to do with whether your site is business or personal. More and more traffic to all kinds of websites is via a mobile device, so your design needs to be "responsive" to that.

I use WordPress for sites I develop and the themes I use do allow me to choose what comes first in a mobile device, the sidebar or the main content. I don't use Smugmug, so I don't know if that's an option. If it is and you have a very minimal sidebar, then having it have priority over the main content wouldn't be a bad thing. But if it gets filled with a logo, menu, contact form and other blocks of content, then you would force your visitors to wade (scroll) through all of that to get to what they came to your site for: the content.

I vote for logo and menu at the top of the page.

 

[Matero]

Responsive design, ‘hamburger menu’ on top

 

[davidzvi]

Generally speaking, responsive designs, which Smugmug uses, causes the sidebar to drop below the main content on mobile devices. And you don't have any control over who uses what kind of device to access your site. It doesn't have anything to do with whether your site is business or personal. More and more traffic to all kinds of websites is via a mobile device, so your design needs to be "responsive" to that.

I use WordPress for sites I develop and the themes I use do allow me to choose what comes first in a mobile device, the sidebar or the main content. I don't use Smugmug, so I don't know if that's an option. If it is and you have a very minimal sidebar, then having it have priority over the main content wouldn't be a bad thing. But if it gets filled with a logo, menu, contact form and other blocks of content, then you would force your visitors to wade (scroll) through all of that to get to what they came to your site for: the content.

I vote for logo and menu at the top of the page.

Thanks for the information.

Maybe I should rephrase my comment about viewing device. This was my business site. When it was done I took time and got some help working through the presentation on different devices. I close my business about 20 months ago. About 18 months ago I altered my site to what it currently is, a landing page with a contact me page. That way client could still contact me for prints, get the news I've closed, etc.

Now I'm redoing the site for personal use. So while I know the site may be viewed by someone on a phone, I'm not as concerned about it as I was when I was using it for business. It will host my images of interest and I may post some gear reviews.

So I'm looking for something new and I'm not sure which way looks / works better.