There are a few fundamentals I see lacking in your sites that would be a night/day improvement:
1. Grids
2. Typography
3. Thorough understanding of CSS
Both of your example sites are accessible but good minimalism generally emphasizes #1 and #2. Think Apple. You can find plenty of books on those two topics because they are so fundamental to good design.
I agree, especially with the first two. I'd recommend searching for those terms on Smashing Magazine (http://www.smashingmagazine.com/). I'd also highly recommend http://webtypography.net/. It's a more accessible, if incomplete, version of Bringhurst's book. (Bringhurst's book is great, but it's a bit much for total beginners.
Comments
There are a few fundamentals I see lacking in your sites that would be a night/day improvement:
1. Grids
2. Typography
3. Thorough understanding of CSS
Both of your example sites are accessible but good minimalism generally emphasizes #1 and #2. Think Apple. You can find plenty of books on those two topics because they are so fundamental to good design.
I agree, especially with the first two. I'd recommend searching for those terms on Smashing Magazine (http://www.smashingmagazine.com/). I'd also highly recommend http://webtypography.net/. It's a more accessible, if incomplete, version of Bringhurst's book. (Bringhurst's book is great, but it's a bit much for total beginners.