What's in a skin?

Like the look of the site?

Some of the subtleties that went into designing it:

• Tabs. The clearest form of navigation when there are a small number of sections.
• Color coding. Each of the four sections has a different color scheme. It is blatently obvious which section you are in at all times and there's no chance of not spotting that a link has taken you to another section.
• Color choices. Chosen very carefully using a triadic complementary scheme from a color wheel. This avoids clashing.
• Layout. The page is laid out neatly to guide the eye to common elements. Titles correctly frame the content they are labelling.
• CSS. It's lightweight HTML marked up by CSS.
• Cross browser. Tested in IE, Moz and Opera - looks good.
• Fonts. On paper, fonts with serifs are easier to read - the serifs emphasise the shapes of the letters. However on screen they can look quite messy as the pixels get cluttered. I find it easier to read a sans-serif font on screen.
• Minimal. Everything on the page serves a useful purpose. Look, no calendar!
• Fixed width body. The central text is not too wide, making it easier to read long paragraphs.
• Fast loading. No images. Minimal HTML/CSS.
• Titles. Enough to be descriptive and consistent - no more.
• Tested on other people. It's near impossible to assess the usability of a site you've designed yourself.

Feedback please!

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