my website's total reversal

[jmarcus]

a couple weeks ago I posted my site on this forum, got some instructive advice, and worked around some issues. in the process, I decided to take a completely different approach - and hope that some could offer a comment between the two designs. for some reason, I just wasn't completely satisfied with the first site, and decided to take a minimalist approach to the new site - I wanted the site (which is a news portal for distance runners) to read almost like a newspaper - clear, clean, and simple. I hope I have achieved this, but I wanted to ask opinions of those who look at these designs on a regular basis (though I love my wife and my family - perhaps they're not the critics I need...) here are the two sites, the first being the old version and the second being the new version...

[The] Cassidy Feed

http://www.thecassidyfeed.com

Thanks for having a look.

 

[berry]

Hi,
I'm not sure that you've the second site works for me. I prefer the original, the bigger pixs gave size and scale and the site had a Top and starting point.
The second has no focal masthead and it seems just rows and rows of text. I understand the minimalism that you maybe were trying to aim at but I think confronted by the wall to wall text, it's a turn off.
The original site seemed to have a heiracy and design structure as well as subtle design features. I think you may have under/over/complicated things. Design is about communication and structure and engagement of the viewer. If it doesn't engage they will click off.

 

[retrowilly]

Hi,

I actually prefer the second design, it seems a lot cleaner than the dark site and a bit easier on the eye. The main problem you have however is that there is too much content and not enough design elements to create a hierarchy - the mammoth lists of links are just to much to take in.

Take a look at newspaper sites and design elements they use. They generally have a lot of content that has to be organised into some visual hierachy - it's quite a challenge. Or, you could just cut the content down into more bite-sized chunks. Keep it Simple