mikedidthis
First Post
I prefer the first version as well mainly because eye-candy for eye-candy's sake has never done much for me, particularly when it's meshed with reference information. I think it looks nice, but it doesn't really serve the reader's purposes in using the book.
I think the two biggest issues with the re-designed format are the bright map colors at the top and bottom of the page, and the difficulty of reading the page headers at the top of the page. The primary focus of each page is the information it contains, but the bright colors draw the eye away from the text while providing no significant information in return. Color should be used instead as a contrasting element to lead the viewer's eye to the most important information on the page (putting the section headers in color was a great move in this direction). One possible solution here would be to leave the maps in color but desaturate them significantly. That way, the color section headers become the most visible elements on the page. The contrasts in size that you've already employed with the section headers do a great job of leading the user through the heirarchy of information you've set up.
The second issue of the difficult-to-read page headers could be solved by changing them from white to black (assuming you've taken the above step of desaturating the maps). That way they're easily readable, but the color section headers remain dominant. Since the page headers exist primarily as a navigation and orientation device for the reader they need to be easy to spot, then just as easy to ignore.
I think you've done some nice things here, you just need to make sure that the text remains the most important element on the page since that's what the reader is there to read.
Just my two cents.
I think the two biggest issues with the re-designed format are the bright map colors at the top and bottom of the page, and the difficulty of reading the page headers at the top of the page. The primary focus of each page is the information it contains, but the bright colors draw the eye away from the text while providing no significant information in return. Color should be used instead as a contrasting element to lead the viewer's eye to the most important information on the page (putting the section headers in color was a great move in this direction). One possible solution here would be to leave the maps in color but desaturate them significantly. That way, the color section headers become the most visible elements on the page. The contrasts in size that you've already employed with the section headers do a great job of leading the user through the heirarchy of information you've set up.
The second issue of the difficult-to-read page headers could be solved by changing them from white to black (assuming you've taken the above step of desaturating the maps). That way they're easily readable, but the color section headers remain dominant. Since the page headers exist primarily as a navigation and orientation device for the reader they need to be easy to spot, then just as easy to ignore.
I think you've done some nice things here, you just need to make sure that the text remains the most important element on the page since that's what the reader is there to read.
Just my two cents.
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