Finalizing my new theme

[Firestryke31]

Right now I've been working on a slight redo of my website's theme and templates. So far I've just done the FSCMS version of the theme (since it's just one template, it's a lot easier to whip up previews). I tried to make it a bit more "Web 2.0" style, but don't know how well I did in that regard.

The page demoing the new theme is here. It's the only page that has the theme (all of the links go to the live sites).

Mostly I'm stuck on how I should make the boxes. The current live theme's way is a bit more interesting IMO but I don't know how it would do in the new version and wanted to get suggestions first. I've included the live style box as well as a combined live/new style one below the box style I started with.

Tip: check it out on the iPhone!

Comments and suggestions are welcome. Maybe I'll get more here than at the other site I posted this.

[NickJohnson]

It looks really good! I like the simpler box frame (the first one) the most, because it looks cleaner, but it needs image caps on either side of the bar; it looks cut off otherwise. The shine on the various pieces is a little extreme too: I would darken and/or saturate it a little more to contrast the white text. I'm no professional though.

I tried to make it a bit more "Web 2.0" style, but don't know how well I did in that regard.

Hey, I don't see any diagonal stripes!

[Firestryke31]

I'm no professional though.

Neither am I, so...

Hey, I don't see any diagonal stripes!

Well, I guess if you tried you could say that the background image are some noisy diagonal stripes

[earlz]

I prefer the top style as opposed to the "window style"

[Combuster]

One of your fundamental problems is that your "firebird" theme is an icy blue...

Other than that, try changing your spacings, right now there's more space between paragraphs than between a paragraph and the header of the next block. Also, I'd go for the top style, the window borders blur the edges it is adjacent to...

[Firestryke31]

One of your fundamental problems is that your "firebird" theme is an icy blue...

Other than that, try changing your spacings, right now there's more space between paragraphs than between a paragraph and the header of the next block.

It's called "Firebird" because it was at one point going to be the theme for an OS called "Firebird" though that fell apart. I went ahead and changed the spacing from 'margin: x;' to '<br />,' did that help?

... the window borders blur the edges it is adjacent to...

How so? The window has a drop shadow around it, if that's what you're talking about. I can also remove the inset on the inside of the windows.

[Firestryke31]

The shine on the various pieces is a little extreme too

I've toned down the gloss to 75% instead of the original 100%. Is this good or still too much?

I'm leaning towards the top style right now but to me it still feels a little plain. Anyone have any suggestions as to how to make it more interesting?

I also increased the font size another pixel for everything but the logo and the title bars. Is it too big, just fine, or still a bit small?