Why webpages look like mag pages

[deaning]

I remember reading a couple of years ago in one of the best design and graphics publications ever published (www.designgraphics.com.au) as to why web pages resemble so much magazine and newspaper layout schemes.

After all, the web is new, full of ground breaking stuff, yet design sticks to the tried and true for the most part. Who here has done a full blown flash portal?

Quite simply it is the familiar and comfortable. Good design and layout just ARE...the visitor doesn't even think about it, therefore it is perfect.

But this doesn't mean you cannot step outside of the bounds once in a while....get a little daring sometime, it will cheer you up no end!

While getting out there still bear in mind a few fundamentals like ease of navigation...it is nice to wow visitors and not just confuse the hell out of them...

[Casinomeister]

Hi Deaning,

I've tried a lot of different styles, and I agree - the magazine look is good mainly because this is what people are used to looking at.

I look at what other non-industry websites are doing, everything from color schemes to layout when it comes to design issues.

The current Casinomeister site is pretty much a copy of another site I found while searching the web for other design ideas. I found a site that navigated well, (and the html was simple enough for me to handle), and incorporated it here. And yes, I contacted the webmaster asking permission to lift his HTML. He was more than happy to assist.

I wish I had the time to get more into Flash. I know I could make a full-blown Casinomeister site that would blow your socks off -- oh, my mind is reeling with grooviness.

[dominique]

I am going a bit wild. I am redesigning Gamesandcasino completely - all pages will be different but with the same basic design.

Here are the first two: http://www.gamesandcasino.com/links.htm and http://www.gamesandcasino.com/featuredbingo.htm

The game section will not get all different pages though - but the American theme will change to international.

[walterjii]

Good Afternoon and thank you. I am writing from Athens, Ohio, USA and I am involved with charitable gaming benefitting various charities. For the past couple of years I have been researching the possibility of a casino portal to be made available to private clubs, bars, restaurants, night clubs, anywhere there is a captive audience.

As I see it, I would expand my website - ocgabingo.com - or redesign it with an area featuring very reputable bingo games, pull tabs and then everything else. Obviously, these would be selected based upon some affiliate relationship.

I would then lease 600 or 1000 sq. ft. from an existing night club, for example, set up pc's with a home page featuring our portal. There would be an attendant there to assist the little old bingo ladies concerning access, creation of payment accounts, use of a mouse, very educational, and then
they could gamble their hearts out.

I realize there may be legal issues with this, however, I believe I am prepared for that. The questions I have would be the followling:

(1) What type of pc's would be best used, monitor size and the like

(2) What type of phone lines would be used for say 12 pc's all on line.

(3) What is the best payment system out there, the most reputable and one which is not conflicting with the U. S. Banking System - your recommendation.

(4) It would appear that the only way the U.S. could regulate this activity would be to place the burden upon the local IPS. In that event, what would be the best way around that obsticle, though I personally do not believe it will come to that.

Thank you in advance for your thoughts. Gamling is really big here in Ohio and I personally won a major Ohio Supreme Court case addressing the ability of a public tavern to have gambling on premises.

Respectfully, Walter J. Robb, President, OCGA, Inc.

PS: I think this forum is a great service to those of us who are not so bright !!

[Sodax77]

Flash

Here is 2advanced site (since 1999)
Press "enter" (below) http://www.2advanced.com
(full screen view > F11)
(speakers > on)

[Randy]

Wow! The new designs look GREAT Dom. Stunning.

I am going a bit wild. I am redesigning Gamesandcasino completely - all pages will be different but with the same basic design.

Here are the first two: http://www.gamesandcasino.com/links.htm and http://www.gamesandcasino.com/featuredbingo.htm

The game section will not get all different pages though - but the American theme will change to international.

[Casinomeister]

Flash

Here is 2advanced site (since 1999)
Press "enter" (below) http://www.2advanced.com
(full screen view > F11)
(speakers > on)

Wow!

Maybe I should hire these guys to give Casinomeister a makeover

[rowmare]

For Pete's sake! I have to stop relying on my mailbox to read this forum. I didn't even know the webmaster section was here! It feels like home, with you CAP'ers here.

I like the magazine layouts. They're popular for websites because they are familiar. They're familiar because the basic design pleases and intrigues readers.

Opening up a magazine is like eye-candy. The pages take your eyes in all sorts of directions, (you can choose the direction your readers' eyes will travel in) and give the reader a feel that there's a whole lot of info and content. Not only that, but it can display a lot of content in a well-organized format.

[deaning]

With the rise in popularity of blogs and rss feeds the web is becoming a stripped down lean machine with few graphics and a retro late eighties look!

C'mon you bloggers there are more colours than varying shades of grey and times new roman font!

Less is more...to a point.

[Altair]

Ever think of making dual versions of this site? Probably better not to have an entry page, but maybe a link up top "Switch to Flash Enhanced Site" .. and then back to "Regular HTML Site" .. something along those lines?