Comments on: Show The Glow http://fadtastic.net/2006/07/05/show-the-glow/ thoughts on | comments about | examples of } web design trends. Fri, 08 Aug 2008 21:26:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.2 By: Andrew Faulkner http://fadtastic.net/2006/07/05/show-the-glow/#comment-2109 Andrew Faulkner Wed, 05 Jul 2006 13:02:32 +0000 http://fadtastic.net/2006/07/05/show-the-glow/#comment-2109 I think it's worth adding that the reason it may have vanished for a while is that it is actually fairly hard (in my opinion) to produce websites with various glowing containers. Hat's off to Phil there. Liquid designs with glowing containers are really difficult to pull off. Now there are a lot more resources for making 'funky' containers, it naturally leads to designers using the technique more. As for the technique, I think it's important to be subtle or you're back in the year 2000. Good stuff, Matt. I think it’s worth adding that the reason it may have vanished for a while is that it is actually fairly hard (in my opinion) to produce websites with various glowing containers. Hat’s off to Phil there. Liquid designs with glowing containers are really difficult to pull off.

Now there are a lot more resources for making ‘funky’ containers, it naturally leads to designers using the technique more.

As for the technique, I think it’s important to be subtle or you’re back in the year 2000. Good stuff, Matt.

]]> By: Andrew W http://fadtastic.net/2006/07/05/show-the-glow/#comment-2110 Andrew W Wed, 05 Jul 2006 13:46:57 +0000 http://fadtastic.net/2006/07/05/show-the-glow/#comment-2110 To add to Andrew F.'s comment: in the first round of outer-glow fun, it wasn't the norm for the average user to have a monitor with the resolution to handle the tiny differences in color in outer glow (and gradients, for that matter). I remember finding Phil's site last year and thinking, "Wow, that looks great." And then I checked it the next morning at my old office, on a five-year-old monitor, and thought, "Wow, this site has troubles." To add to Andrew F.’s comment: in the first round of outer-glow fun, it wasn’t the norm for the average user to have a monitor with the resolution to handle the tiny differences in color in outer glow (and gradients, for that matter). I remember finding Phil’s site last year and thinking, “Wow, that looks great.” And then I checked it the next morning at my old office, on a five-year-old monitor, and thought, “Wow, this site has troubles.”

]]> By: Tor Bollingmo http://fadtastic.net/2006/07/05/show-the-glow/#comment-2111 Tor Bollingmo Wed, 05 Jul 2006 16:27:29 +0000 http://fadtastic.net/2006/07/05/show-the-glow/#comment-2111 I think Phil overuses it, it's just too much. I think Phil overuses it, it’s just too much.

]]> By: Phil Renaud http://fadtastic.net/2006/07/05/show-the-glow/#comment-2112 Phil Renaud Wed, 05 Jul 2006 16:44:19 +0000 http://fadtastic.net/2006/07/05/show-the-glow/#comment-2112 Yeah, maybe I use it too much. The redesign, in fact, has a good bit less glow to it, comparatively. Still: it's not been a deterrence (according to my stats); if anything, it's helped bring new visitors to my site via galleries and whatnot. It's just a nice way to stand out, is all. I find it pleasant to the eye, whether on a CRT or LCD monitor. Some people can't stand to see it on an LCD monitor. A chaqu'un son gout, and all that. Yeah, maybe I use it too much. The redesign, in fact, has a good bit less glow to it, comparatively.

Still: it’s not been a deterrence (according to my stats); if anything, it’s helped bring new visitors to my site via galleries and whatnot.

It’s just a nice way to stand out, is all. I find it pleasant to the eye, whether on a CRT or LCD monitor. Some people can’t stand to see it on an LCD monitor. A chaqu’un son gout, and all that.

]]> By: Andrew Faulkner http://fadtastic.net/2006/07/05/show-the-glow/#comment-2113 Andrew Faulkner Wed, 05 Jul 2006 17:52:29 +0000 http://fadtastic.net/2006/07/05/show-the-glow/#comment-2113 I wouldn't say it's overdone personally, Tor. I think Phil's got the balance right at the limit - any more and it would be too much. I wouldn’t say it’s overdone personally, Tor. I think Phil’s got the balance right at the limit - any more and it would be too much.

]]> By: WIll Duncan http://fadtastic.net/2006/07/05/show-the-glow/#comment-2115 WIll Duncan Wed, 05 Jul 2006 21:39:53 +0000 http://fadtastic.net/2006/07/05/show-the-glow/#comment-2115 haha...one of my classmates and I have a somewhat inside joke about "when in doubt, just add the outter glow" and its funny to see it come up here. I actually use it very often to soften the pixel edgest of a rough font or something that doesnt look so good in a design. Gives a nice touch of style to anything, but it has to be soft enough to make a user wonder how you made it look like that in order to work. haha…one of my classmates and I have a somewhat inside joke about “when in doubt, just add the outter glow” and its funny to see it come up here. I actually use it very often to soften the pixel edgest of a rough font or something that doesnt look so good in a design. Gives a nice touch of style to anything, but it has to be soft enough to make a user wonder how you made it look like that in order to work.

]]> By: Matt Davies http://fadtastic.net/2006/07/05/show-the-glow/#comment-2117 Matt Davies Thu, 06 Jul 2006 08:31:17 +0000 http://fadtastic.net/2006/07/05/show-the-glow/#comment-2117 Phil, the outer glows work well and I take my hat off to you! I think in the main boxes however it is a little overdone - but they are gradients right?! That’s a different article! I also think the 2 advanced website is fantastic visually - one of the best I've seen - they have been using it for years. Check out their previous versions of their site... Phil, the outer glows work well and I take my hat off to you! I think in the main boxes however it is a little overdone - but they are gradients right?! That’s a different article!

I also think the 2 advanced website is fantastic visually - one of the best I’ve seen - they have been using it for years. Check out their previous versions of their site…

]]> By: J0sh http://fadtastic.net/2006/07/05/show-the-glow/#comment-2120 J0sh Fri, 07 Jul 2006 11:58:41 +0000 http://fadtastic.net/2006/07/05/show-the-glow/#comment-2120 "when in doubt, just add the outter glow" - How odd is that! I had a boss who also had the same idea. Everytime I created a print-ad he'd look at it with a tilted head and say... "Lacks outter glow." and if outter glow isn't enough he'd want drop shadow stacked on it, too. Man the only thing missing? Bevel/Emboss. That's what I told myself.... “when in doubt, just add the outter glow” - How odd is that! I had a boss who also had the same idea. Everytime I created a print-ad he’d look at it with a tilted head and say… “Lacks outter glow.” and if outter glow isn’t enough he’d want drop shadow stacked on it, too. Man the only thing missing? Bevel/Emboss. That’s what I told myself….

]]> By: P.J. Onori http://fadtastic.net/2006/07/05/show-the-glow/#comment-2124 P.J. Onori Fri, 07 Jul 2006 19:28:51 +0000 http://fadtastic.net/2006/07/05/show-the-glow/#comment-2124 I'm still under the opinion that when in doubt, do nothing. Unless you feel the addition will aid in the strength of the project's end result, better to hold off and rethink. Plus, if adding an outer-glow to something is going to make or break it, then perhaps there is a fatal flaw with the object of contention. Just a thought. I’m still under the opinion that when in doubt, do nothing. Unless you feel the addition will aid in the strength of the project’s end result, better to hold off and rethink. Plus, if adding an outer-glow to something is going to make or break it, then perhaps there is a fatal flaw with the object of contention.

Just a thought.

]]> By: Gemma http://fadtastic.net/2006/07/05/show-the-glow/#comment-2127 Gemma Fri, 07 Jul 2006 21:42:58 +0000 http://fadtastic.net/2006/07/05/show-the-glow/#comment-2127 Some of those sites are over-reliant on their background images - without the images, text becomes unreadable due to lack of contrast. The images themselves do look elegant with their glowing outlines, though. Some of those sites are over-reliant on their background images - without the images, text becomes unreadable due to lack of contrast. The images themselves do look elegant with their glowing outlines, though.

]]> By: Andrew Faulkner http://fadtastic.net/2006/07/05/show-the-glow/#comment-2130 Andrew Faulkner Sat, 08 Jul 2006 08:39:35 +0000 http://fadtastic.net/2006/07/05/show-the-glow/#comment-2130 <blockquote>"Some of those sites are over-reliant on their background images"</blockquote> I think this is probably the case for a lot of websites currently. I guess this is the disadvantage of using light text on dark backgrounds - if images are off, the text can't be read.

“Some of those sites are over-reliant on their background images”

I think this is probably the case for a lot of websites currently. I guess this is the disadvantage of using light text on dark backgrounds - if images are off, the text can’t be read.

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