As we approach the run-in for publication of A GOOD AMERICAN, I thought it might be a good idea to redesign this site to make it a little more user-friendly (= help people to actually buy the book.)
To that end, I am presently running a design contest on the site 99 Designs. The idea is that having written a design brief, people offer up designs on spec in the hope that they will be chosen (and receive the design fee.) It’s a pretty cool idea.
The contest has been going for a few days now and presently there are three leading contenders. If you have a moment, please click on this link, have a look at the three different designs, and let me have your thoughts, either via that page or in the comments section here. I like them all, and would really value your input. I am hopeless at making decisions like these, as anyone who has seen me hum and haw endlessly over a restaurant menu will readily attest.
Thanks in advance for your help. And here’s that link again.
Comments 3
The middle one (#21), would get me to buy the book out of the three designs. It’s a tough choice because they are all good designs. But the middle one focuses the most just on the book.
My second choice is the third one (#20). It focuses on the book and includes an author photo and good layout. The first one (#26) is neat because the Gruen blurb is featured (it could easily be featured on #20, though), and the top fills the screen perfectly. But it’s a close third fave for me.
My wife wandered in while I was looking and she had the middle (#21) and last (#20) designs as tossups for her favorite, with the last design edging out for the best design.
It really IS a tough call because even the design we both put in third place has great things going for it (everything is right there–the usability of the design is great). Hopefully others will chime in and a definite favorite design will rise to the top, because it’s a tough choice.
Author
Thanks for such thoughtful feedback, Christopher. It is a tough choice! I agree that the second focuses most on the book, which I like. The third design is cleanest and simplest. I like the first one because of how the designer replaced the notes coming out of the cornet with letters, which I thought was a REALLY clever idea. People are responding very generously but no clear front-runner yet. Will report back! Thanks again for taking the trouble to write. All the best – Alex
The middle (second) one. It not only focuses on the book but allows for more content aggregation later and has relevant links in great places to increase clicking.