So you want to know about Skinny Layouts?
Skinny layouts are one of the hottest things to hit the layout designer world. They usually have tiny miniature modules that are less than half of the size of original sized layouts. It is important to note that they are amazingly wonderful for organization purposes. The small modules force you to keep everything clean and concise, instead of misplaced.
Why would anyone want a layout that is all scrunched up and hard to read? Because its clean. Some people prefer to have tiny organized text, versus large glaring text and modules. Skinny layouts make it easy for people who like organization, to keep things organized. Sure you might not be able to read the 6 to 8 point font, but at least its not overwhelmingly huge text either. Skinny layouts are often seen as “scene” and “fashionable”. Trendy people flock for these layouts, and love using them!
Guys generally are not the ones using these layouts. The majority of skinny layouts are targeted towards the female sex. Its often fun to think about who creates these beautiful things that we all seem to love. Its pretty simple, most people know a bit of HTML, and a lot of girls like to create them for friends. Things start to expand, then suddenly that one person is creating one every day! Myspace, face book, xanga, and many other social networking sites have designers that always make layouts. Most of these people, generally girls, will be more than happy to code a one of a kind layout. There is an endless number of options available, and its all up to you on what you choose!
As with most things, there are some “setbacks” with using a skinny layout. The modules are miniature, so they cannot hold as much wide text, images, graphics, or such. Keep this in mind when plotting out your page design, and the aspect ratios. Some monitors may not display these layouts correctly as well. Also, designers make the common error of allowing overflow in their coding. Overflow problems can look REALLY messy, so watch for that when editing and saving. Video embedding or profile game embedding is not recommended for these styles. Unless you can adjust the sizes, then simply do not use them.
Skinny layouts can be downloaded or “copied and pasted” from almost any website. My favorite is probably Createblog.com and looking for individual designers. Individual designers often offer better options and choices than just “mainstream” ones. Createblog offers tons of free options! Just ask around, a lot of designers are willing to create slim line layouts and for all of your skinny layout needs!
Closing Comments
Online social networking sites are always being modified to allow customization. The default pages are generally boring, and a Skinny Layout can really vamp things up. Get creative and have fun!
Filed under: Networking