Go ahead and do your worst :) My Portfolio

[ktbubster]

Hey All,

I am in the process of working out my portfolio site. I am just looking for feedback as to where it is now, on either the site itself or even editing out some of the work etc.

http://web.me.com/magicpenguincreative/Magic_Penguin_Creative/Home.html

(keep in mind I am actually a product designer by trade, not GD, although I do realize those do go together a decent amount sometimes anyway and am trying to work on my GD skills as I go....as well as other art forms)

As you can see immediately it's obviously not complete yet, and there are some things I know I am going to change for sure listed below:

1. Fix the resume page color, layout, size etc.

2. Fix up the main "Work" page with a sort of image/workshop/cartoon thing to go behind the words and relate to the links and penguinescness.

3. tweaking, resizing work images, etc... and other basic things.

4. Swap the thing over to my actual domain, and probably redo it in an actual editor... but iweb was quick and easy to do the layout on, especially with the little amount of time I have right now.

Anyway I just wanted to get some feedback as to where it is at now like I said, so go ahead and do your worst (or just be nice and friendly, either way)

 

[sambapati87]

I think that it took me too many clicks to get to your work. Most people would like to see some kind of eye-catching design on your front page that you would like to showcase, that links directly to your portfolio.

As it is I have to click:

1 - "Click to enter"
2 - "Work"
3 - "Print Design" (etc.)
4 - "Advertising" (etc.)

until I see any of your work. First thing I'd do is ditch the "splash" page with the click to enter link. Does nothing but add an extra step.

Also -- definitely use something other than iWeb. Write your code by hand, ideally. If you have never used HTML or CSS, I recommend googling around for tutorials on each. It's not too difficult to learn and the skills will be very valuable to you in the future.

Good luck!

 

[iVeBeenDrinkin']

You should change the name of your thread...people can be real mean here.

 

[Jim Campbell]

I think that it took me too many clicks to get to your work.

I agree. The work is good, with some big names in the 'Advertising' section, but getting there will be too much like hard work for the average visitor.

Also, when you mouse-over the sections for "Advertising", "Brand Design" and so on, the mouse pointer doesn't change, so it's not immediately obvious that this is also a clickable link, as well as an image-swap on mouse-over.

Put the work up front, and then link contact details and bio off that, once you've got their interest.

Cheers!

Jim

 

[LeviG]

What is all this magic penguin stuff about, its your portfolio, not some 'funny' advert for a business, personally I would have stopped looking at the first page. If you want to use it for a business then it doesn't have enough business focus.

Your outside frame doesn't line up in firefox 3 (have you checked it works in ALL major web browsers) and in my view your 'product design' is actually industrial design (note my background is product design) - theres a difference and people who say they are product designers take into consideration the process of manufacture more than an industrial designer would. You've even called the section in the web address industrial design.

Check your links do as they should as well as I went back to the 'home' page when I clicked on the portfolio page in the life drawing bit.

I also agree there may be too many clicks in places. It might also be worth focusing more on a particular field, you may be a little too multi skilled in your portfolio which not every company wants as it could mean that the core aspects aren't as good as they could be.

Personally I have no issue with you using iweb just make sure it all works and looks right

 

[Melrose]

Two things:

1. Add a 'You Are Here' identifier to the navigation or some other page identifier. As I navigate the site I have no clue which page I'm on.

2. Re-word the resume paragraphs - it seems a bit kitschy and not informative enough. There are very few facts presented, and no convincing reason given for why someone should hire you. The tone is good, but the copy itself needs work.

What is all this magic penguin stuff about, its your portfolio, not some 'funny' advert for a business, personally I would have stopped looking at the first page. If you want to use it for a business then it doesn't have enough business focus.

Well-worded. I'd go about building the site with this perspective.

 

[Coca-Cola]

Work examples

The work examples you have selected don't fit with your degree or sought position. It' nice to see real drawings though. I think you should include some industrial designs.

 

[shecky]

in my opinion, i think in general the site makes you look like a scrap-booking middle aged mom who picked up some photoshop from her son. in my opinion since you are not that i think the overall tone of the site needs to change. i find it very very hard to take you remotely seriously with the kind of business image you are showing, the writing you have in the site, etc..

technically the site has a lot of issues but i really think that takes a huge back seat to how you are choosing to present yourself as a designer. none of your work is even remotely as cheesy as the image you are presenting. i stress 'in my opinion' because that may be exactly what you are looking for and in that case it is successful. i just do not think it is the right way to present yourself.

 

[amie17]

i think u should scrap the splash page... looks great.... but not necessary and its just another click to get into the website..... the less clicks the viewer has to do to get into a site and navigate around it the better.

i also think you should rename you resume and work to profile and portfolio or profile and gallery.

but thats just my 2 cents

 

[Consultant]

TOO MANY STEPS before seeing the work.

 

[XboxEvolved]

My first bit of advice to you is to completely forget whatever crap you were taught about webdesign because it is all wrong, not one educational institution has gotten it right.

That would be the best advice actually...

 

[MacPanda]

Hi Magic Penguin,

I actually really like your website. I think it is interesting and I like your work. I think the penguin and the yellow background is cute, but in my experience today a lot of people in the design field take themselves too seriously to enjoy a bit of fun. So be prepared if people say the layout with the magic penguin is a bit too fun looking. There is something cute about the website. I agree there is a bit too many clicks - how about putting some pictures of your favourite projects on the front so people can go straight to them. Portfolios can be tricky but once you get the hang, you will rock.

macpanda.

 

[kitki83]

I think this place is the worst to get feedback especially after the upsetting MacWorld Expo. I really recommend looking up people in your profession (Google) and email them for their comment. I get better advice and people put a lot of effort to help me than what I use to get in MR forums. I like the site overall just need to think about your Information Architect, maybe create site map in pen and paper to see how your site functions.

Good luck I know how this stage in webfolios feel like,

 

[motulist]

Firstly, splash pages are a big no-no. But if you insist on having one, then you must make it so that clicking absolutely anywhere on the page will skip you on to the next page.

Secondly, your site squishes your resume up into this tiny window with both vertical and horizontal scroll bars. That's a huge mistake. What did you do, optimize your site for 640x480 screen? If you insist on putting your content inside a window within the web page, at least optimize it for a screen at lease 1000 pixels wide. Only about 9% of web users have a resolution lower than that, and they aren't going to be the people you're targeting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Display_resolution#Current_standards

Otherwise it's a cute site, but you should definitely fix those items.

 

[bradjohns]

I agree with most other critiques of the site but heres my beef:
You're never going to be able to convince people you might be the right person to build a brand identity if you cant brand yourself well. I suppose there are some people out there who might identify with a magic penguin dancing in a sea of urine but most elementary school teachers are not looking for a rebrand. Im not saying you have to get all corporate or anything; Im the last person you'd hear saying that really, but right now you're coming across as entirely juvenile. Im not so opposed to the Penguin itself really, just how you are using it. Look at how Linux uses the penguin. While its playful its short of being entirely mario brothers and they have framed it into a larger aesthetic ethos. If this is what you are going for the web site does not portray it.

Also your writing is redundant and vague. After I read your initial statement I only took cursory glances at your work because the writing was so poor. My 5 second attention span had already moved on assuming that your work would probably be as bad. Which I should say it is not.

You also also need to move past the Iweb templates/frames/fonts. Though Iweb is pretty limited there is enough you can do to customize to keep your site from looking amateurish. Ditch the frames around the images and the scroll over effects.

You also also also need to think about streamlining what you make public. It is all well and good that you do sculpture and hand illustration but I get the sense that you want this to be a web page for your branding/product(industrial) design. PUT YOUR ART ON ANOTHER PAGE. Its okay to have more than one....

Im sorry just one more thing. Your resume is impossibly small. Why post it if you don't want anybody to read it. I have a huge monitor and I still cant read it.

...You asked

 

[JasonElise1983]

well, all i got out of your site (before i attempted to read your resumé) is that you are fresh out of college. Your work is very college level designed and you are showing things that aren't relevant to what you want as a career. Do you want to do "life drawing" as a career, because after looking at your site, i thought that was an option.

Your site design is also very university class project looking. Like it was a project to "brand" yourself and build a website. You really need to clean it up and rethink your "brand". what's wrong with your name? are you a business? Are you hiring? Or if you are going to come up with some form of brand name, make it clever and relevant. "magic Penguin" sounds like you are trying to hard to be hip and clever, or it sounds like an emo band's name...you pick.

to me, you've got a long road ahead of you before i would call that a good portfolio site.

-je

 

[HBOC]

I think that it took me too many clicks to get to your work. Most people would like to see some kind of eye-catching design on your front page that you would like to showcase, that links directly to your portfolio.

As it is I have to click:

1 - "Click to enter"
2 - "Work"
3 - "Print Design" (etc.)
4 - "Advertising" (etc.)

until I see any of your work. First thing I'd do is ditch the "splash" page with the click to enter link. Does nothing but add an extra step.

Also -- definitely use something other than iWeb. Write your code by hand, ideally. If you have never used HTML or CSS, I recommend googling around for tutorials on each. It's not too difficult to learn and the skills will be very valuable to you in the future.

Good luck!

DEFINATELY learn to code by hand! I am in my second year at the Art Institute here in Portland and am a wed design (and Interactive Media Design) major and am learning how to code. A really great book that was used for my last class was called "Learning Web Design" by Jennifer Niederst Robbins 3rd edition. It is a really invaluable book!!