WPMonk: Main
WPmonk is a premium WordPress themes club. We like to think we provide some of the best WordPress themes out there, and that’s what we’re here for.
Overview
I rather enjoy this design because it has this really sophisticated look with subtle – very subtle – use of effects. The drop shadow for instance is soft and gives the design some dimensions. The colour scheme is beautiful and more importantly, unique. It’s quite nice how the pixelated pattern is just enough to add to the design visually rather than take from it.
WPMonk: Theme
The shopping cart being positioned near to the logo like that is really a nice touch, it feels integrated. Overall it’s well positioned and I’ve never seen this done before. It works well in this design. The only worry with it is whether people will mistake it for the logo or not. There is that risk but it wasn’t an issue for me.
Layout & Navigation
I appreciate the consistency of typeface in the navigation but I happen to feel it’s hard to read because the contrast is not great. It actually requires me to focus, and off-white on such a pastel colour is not helping the situation at all. I do like the active state design. For the cart there’s an issue with contrast here as well. When I added an item to my cart the price is incredibly hard to read.
WPMonk: Navigation
The layout of the design is well organized and allows easy scanning of content. Icons are used perfectly to break text up. I like the rollover on buttons but I prefer it on internal pages where the text doesn’t go dark like it does on the main page.
One thing that should be looked into is the ‘demo’ button. It doesn’t open in a new window and when it does open, the only way back is using the back button in my browser. I believe this is a major kink in the navigation and usability of the site. One way to solve it is by allowing the page to open in a frame, like what Google does when you search for images. This way people can easily navigate back to the site. It’s one possible solution.
Typography
Legibility on the site is fair. The leading seems set at 14px which is default. It would be better if it’s set at 16px because it will allow whitespace for more flow between the letters, thus improving legibility overall. As mentioned before I can appreciate consistency but using one font takes away from the logotype.
I feel that using the same font as the logotype for titles is enough. Bringing a separate font would bring some contrast to the design and possibly improve it visually. Using one font is almost like using 1 colour – monochromatic.
WPMonk: Price
However, while I feel that way, I’d rather see the use of 2 different fonts over 4 different fonts. The design is working well within the rules of design and not exceeding the maximum of 3 fonts.
In Closing
This is a remarkable design with great attention to detail. It’s stylish, unique and creative without coming across as trying too hard. What are your thoughts?
Visit: http://www.wpmonk.com/
