Critique my new site? on celebrity mac users

[Consultant]

Hey guys, working on my new site, wondering if you have some feedback / suggestions.

Not an empty shell, as there are almost 50 articles on it already. =)

Site is http://www.ObamaPacman.com

What is it:
- Profiles of famous / celebrity / important Mac users.
- Future: guides, and reviews

Like it? Need improvement? If something don't do it for you, please say how you would improve it. Thanks much. Any promotional ideas would be great too.

NoVA?
If you are in NoVA area and knows php, send me a PM. Looking to get a quote on some modifications. I already have a bunch of improvements on a list and wondering how much it would cost to implement.

 

[NeGRit0]

the only thing i disliked was the captions on the pictures.

 

[justaregularjoe]

I don't like how non-celeb articles are included in that section. Ie the Viginia Tech article, iPhone streaming Video site article. Nor the color choice. Too Many websites are darker-text-over-white. But it still looks great by my standards.

 

[tabasco70]

I like the layout. It could use some color, though.

 

[sharkync]

Nice site. But why the name???

 

[JasonElise1983]

Well, the layout and arrangement is nice and clean. I appreciate that. A few suggestions might just get it there.

#1 don't be afraid of a little color

#2 don't be afraid to have a little fun with the actual design elements. Your site seems very basic, news site right now, which it isn't. It's actually kind of a funny niche market, and from an advertising marketing standpoint, you should play that up.

#3 you need a real logo, not just Times New Roman like everything else is set in. Maybe a logo that plays up the name a little. maybe a logo that plays up the niche market you are trying to pull in. it's an odd name, which seems to work in the blogoshpere, but you have to have a logo people can buy into. If you are planning on making money selling ads on this thing, i would recommend hiring a professional to do the work. It's worth the money.

#4 this has nothing to do with the design, but maybe clean up the captions a little bit. it gets a little off topic. your stories do too. you have good writing, just have more fun with it.

that's all i got.

-je


EDIT: to go along with what i said at the end of #4. maybe not a bad idea to just work with a professional designer on "designing" the site. could make a big difference.

 

[Consultant]

Thanks for the suggestions. Keep them coming. =)

the only thing i disliked was the captions on the pictures.

The captions are for Search Engine purposes. =p
I could hide them though.

I don't like how non-celeb articles are included in that section. Ie the Viginia Tech article, iPhone streaming Video site article. Nor the color choice. Too Many websites are darker-text-over-white. But it still looks great by my standards.

Good point on organization. I have to figure out a way to classify those other types of articles. Any suggestion for a category on the "non celebs"?

The iPhone streaming video article is about Underworld, who are also Mac users. Updated the title with "mac fans Underworld". Might need a photo.

Color below:

I like the layout. It could use some color, though.

Working at a MS centric place with really poor taste in colors (as in clown colors every where), so that's probably why the site is pure white. My photography site has a clean orange and red design so I'll probably add some colors and more design elements to the site.

Nice site. But why the name???

Thanks. The name is Obama Pacman because Obama has a pacman sticker on his mac. The URL is that way so the pacman sticker is easy for buyers to find. I also have a list of more descriptive domain names I might migrate the site over.

 

[Consultant]

Well, the layout and arrangement is nice and clean. I appreciate that. A few suggestions might just get it there.

#1 don't be afraid of a little color

#2 don't be afraid to have a little fun with the actual design elements. Your site seems very basic, news site right now, which it isn't. It's actually kind of a funny niche market, and from an advertising marketing standpoint, you should play that up.

#3 you need a real logo, not just Times New Roman like everything else is set in. Maybe a logo that plays up the name a little. maybe a logo that plays up the niche market you are trying to pull in. it's an odd name, which seems to work in the blogoshpere, but you have to have a logo people can buy into. If you are planning on making money selling ads on this thing, i would recommend hiring a professional to do the work. It's worth the money.

#4 this has nothing to do with the design, but maybe clean up the captions a little bit. it gets a little off topic. your stories do too. you have good writing, just have more fun with it.

that's all i got.

-je


EDIT: to go along with what i said at the end of #4. maybe not a bad idea to just work with a professional designer on "designing" the site. could make a big difference.

1. Yes the colors. See above. Damn microsoft windows (and the drones that can't think beyond using ms proprietary technology) have ruined my appreciation for colors! =p

Definitely need to add more gradients more like that of the log in page.

2. The overall look is mostly from a pre-made template that was not made by a designer. Have fixed up some usability issues.

I have modified minor elements of it but most of the pages are produced PHP code instead of design. I would have to learn PHP a bit more before I can mod it in dept. Only been at it for 2 months.

3. do have one that's used in the OP Editor Avatar. You can also see it on the login page (page is made from a cool looking template).
http://obamapacman.com/wp-login.php

Any thoughts on that logo? (also can been seen on the iPhone version of the site)

4. Yes captions. Might just hide them. They are a little "verbose" for search engines.

Hum stories. It's sort of hard to add more "mac" elements to it, since most of the stories are just photos alone. Majority portion of the story is a profile, on why it's cool to have this person as a Mac user (and to get the point across that these are successful, smart people who make smart decisions).

I actually don't follow celebrities. So I think it's interesting for techies see some of the celebrities' achievements.

Again, I might have loaded some stories with too many keywords. Sorry about that.

Any suggestions on which part of it gets off topic and how to improve it?

 

[NeGRit0]

Thanks for the suggestions. Keep them coming. =)



The captions are for Search Engine purposes. =p
I could hide them though.{...}

Ahh, i would hide them then.

 

[philipt42]

So, it's not a bad site, though I agree it could use a little something to set it apart from everything else out there.

Also, to tie in with the apple/mac theme, some Lucida Grande font, in any section, would be nice.

 

[Theclamshell]

its great! i think a background color would do you well though

 

[KyPosey]

looks very clean.

 

[okrelayer]

really like the site, and the idea. nice clean layout that has been said before. it DOES need some color on it. Maybe not to the extent, but i love the clean design, and colors of Boomkat

http://boomkat.com/

 

[itou]

unrelated to your site, but your pacman stickers would look better if it was flipped horizontally (i.e.: taking a bite out of the apple).

 

[Consultant]

Ahh, i would hide them then.

On the latest article it's hidden.
For the older articles, currently made the captions into light gray text, as there is no easy way to hide them.

Will think about how that looks compared to the gray caption.

So, it's not a bad site, though I agree it could use a little something to set it apart from everything else out there.

Also, to tie in with the apple/mac theme, some Lucida Grande font, in any section, would be nice.

Yup, love to add Apple design elements. Just have to figure out how to do it.

its great! i think a background color would do you well though

Definitely on the list.

really like the site, and the idea. nice clean layout that has been said before. it DOES need some color on it. Maybe not to the extent, but i love the clean design, and colors of Boomkat
http://boomkat.com/

Thanks. Yes nice site with nice light colors.

unrelated to your site, but your pacman stickers would look better if it was flipped horizontally (i.e.: taking a bite out of the apple).

Yes a few people mentioned that.

There is a story on the Apple Logo, partly describes the 'bite.'
http://obamapacman.com/2009/08/apple-computers-inc-logo-design-rob-janoff-interview/

Looks like Pacman has an alibi on the bite (he didn't do it). He's probably going for the whole tasty fruit anyway so the direction probably doesn't matter. =p

 

[JasonElise1983]

There is a story on the Apple Logo, partly describes the 'bite.'
http://obamapacman.com/2009/08/apple-computers-inc-logo-design-rob-janoff-interview/

Looks like Pacman has an alibi on the bite (he didn't do it). He's probably going for the whole tasty fruit anyway so the direction probably doesn't matter. =p

yes, but to be clever, i do think there would be a way to make that make sense. pacman taking a bit out of the apple. though you have to be careful. I don't know about the pacman icon but apple's logo is a trademarked logo. any use of it in your own logo is a violation of that. just thought i'd point that out. Anyway, i looked at your logo on your WP login, and it is a little bland and expected. anyway. keep going and working on stuff. Really great start.

-je

 

[Consultant]

Thinking of adding a Microsoft (FAIL) section...

There is already the MS photoshop fail in which they swapped a black man and put in a white man. Now there is a stadium windows fail article and I recall there are others too. Sort of failblog for MS / windows.

yes, but to be clever, i do think there would be a way to make that make sense. pacman taking a bit out of the apple. though you have to be careful. I don't know about the pacman icon but apple's logo is a trademarked logo. any use of it in your own logo is a violation of that. just thought i'd point that out. Anyway, i looked at your logo on your WP login, and it is a little bland and expected. anyway. keep going and working on stuff. Really great start.

-je

Yes, that's why the apple logo in the OP quick logo is covered, and that Apple semblance uses an outline that is a bit off in term of style.

Might do a better logo. Got like 200 hundred stories in the queue, so I figure content first.

This weekend going to a Apple user group meeting. Maybe they can suggest someone local who can take a look at my site coding.