DESIGN TREATMENT FEEDBACK
Black Home
1) Very nice layout. Elegant and clear presentation of sections. I think we might play up the Six Themes a bit more. They are pretty appealing: American Dream, Violence, Color Line, the Forbidden, Crisis of Faith, Melting Pot. One way to do this is to make the top image a slideshow with images related to these themes. We could label the images with the six themes.
2) Another option I think we might want to consider is to use that top space not for a wide image, but for a scrolling book cover feature. This site really is meant to be about the Novel, even more than the Authors, so it would be good to put that up front. This way we can use the images that we all love from the book covers in a more prominent way. It will also make the point: this site is about books! Functionality wise, I'm thinking sort of like how the NYtimes.com does their horizontal scroll.
3) Colors. I like these. I'm not a fan of white text on black backgrounds, I feel like it vibrates a bit. I would like to see all text on a more readable background. Perhaps using some creamy colors...
4) Fonts. Nice! I might bump up the size of the subhed explanations on the site sections or brighten them a bit. They are a little hard to read.
5) We will need to put in the American Master logo
6) We probably would want to find a way to separate the Watch the Program tout from the intro text. We want it subtle, but not too subtle or we will get feedback from the program folks.
White Home
1) Very clear, nice layout. More emphasis on the themes which is good. I think what I would want to see this one is to lengthen the page and expand the Elements of the Novel Section. This will be a rich content area. Not everything has to be above the fold -- I think that really is passe these days anyway. Point is -- we can stretch it down a bit more. I think I might also want to add a little more color. In the book covers for example. That is the main section of this design where we can get users excited about the stories, so it should pop!
2) Because this is so simple, I would definitely want to spice up the main image. We don't want young folks to come to the site and see the bust of an old guy. So, Shannon, hate to bum you out, but I would really be inclined to try and use some really interesting illustrations -- I know you think they are goofy, but I think they are actually fairly sophisticated because they indicate a solid understanding of the author's character.
NYRB illustrations
http://www.nybooks.com/gallery/gallery-browse?category_id=14
I think it would be a great fit for this white site -- and easier than trying to cut out headshots from photos or graphics. I think they will liven up the page because they could be popping out all over..some are sideways, etc. so they could appear in random places. Like mischieveous little elves. I was thinking we could also have these as an animation or slideshow. Perhaps even with audio.
3) Fonts. Nice! Perhaps we darken a few of the grey text items a tad here or there. Maybe add some different color text in the Elements of the Novel? Or not.
4) We will need to put in the American Master logo
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