After such a long reply, I almost feel guilty not giving something back.
That gradient is awful ... With gradients, there's got to be a very specific purpose to including one. If you're doing it just to decorate your background, keeping it tight and not leaking it onto the content is essential.
The gradient is not the greatest, sure. I don't agree that gradients are a design element that can apparently only be used with the precision of a laser though. I have previously included gradients on a design just because I felt like it. Sometimes the best designs come from what you feel like adding, that's what makes a portion of it art. The design in question turned out fine and was complimented by friends and strangers alike. I do agree that you need to be careful if the gradient is going to sit behind actual content, but do not think that there is some kind of unbreakable design rule that states that gradients cannot sit behind actual content. I don't like when the end of a gradient does not blend fluidly into the background colour however, that does look cheap.
The other design criticisms you mention are coming from your own subjective taste. Nothing wrong with that, but I won't comment on this subjective opinion.
The points you make about the site seemingly highlighting the money over the music I think are valid... From my point of view being a person with no connection to managing the site whatsoever. But I suspect I would feel differently otherwise.
Perhaps if I used the site more, I would be more annoyed with it, but visiting a few times and just clicking around, I don't seem to have as much of a problem with it as you do. But at the same time, I haven't bought any music... Maybe that says something too.
That gradient is awful ... With gradients, there's got to be a very specific purpose to including one. If you're doing it just to decorate your background, keeping it tight and not leaking it onto the content is essential.
The gradient is not the greatest, sure. I don't agree that gradients are a design element that can apparently only be used with the precision of a laser though. I have previously included gradients on a design just because I felt like it. Sometimes the best designs come from what you feel like adding, that's what makes a portion of it art. The design in question turned out fine and was complimented by friends and strangers alike. I do agree that you need to be careful if the gradient is going to sit behind actual content, but do not think that there is some kind of unbreakable design rule that states that gradients cannot sit behind actual content. I don't like when the end of a gradient does not blend fluidly into the background colour however, that does look cheap.
The other design criticisms you mention are coming from your own subjective taste. Nothing wrong with that, but I won't comment on this subjective opinion.
The points you make about the site seemingly highlighting the money over the music I think are valid... From my point of view being a person with no connection to managing the site whatsoever. But I suspect I would feel differently otherwise.
Perhaps if I used the site more, I would be more annoyed with it, but visiting a few times and just clicking around, I don't seem to have as much of a problem with it as you do. But at the same time, I haven't bought any music... Maybe that says something too.