I just completed a basic site to house some samples and resume. How does it look?
http://duncdesign.com
http://duncdesign.com
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How's my site?
- Thread starter dwd3885
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its annoying, especially the fact that just about everything is in a pdf file. I stopped looking after the second page started loading a pdf.
It's fine. As you say, it's basic.
Being realistic, you need to get yourself into some sort of web package a little more, and learn a little about coding. Try to emulate some of the pages that you hold in esteem.
Your sort of work is perfect for flash.
You could get some (much) higher quality reproductions of your spreads for example, and have them open in a flash viewer incorporated in your page. House in a zoom feature and you've got yourself a nice tool.
Even at a basic level though, the image quality of your showcase needs to be better. I can't read the articles for example. I can't appreciate the colour of the pictures. I don't really want to see page creases. Re-create the spreads if you must, but do make them clean.
So; you've got a website up and running. Now it's time to get to grips with the technology a little more - and most importantly;
Keep working on the actual physical body of work you're trying to showcase. A website is only any good if you've got great work to put on there!
Being realistic, you need to get yourself into some sort of web package a little more, and learn a little about coding. Try to emulate some of the pages that you hold in esteem.
Your sort of work is perfect for flash.
You could get some (much) higher quality reproductions of your spreads for example, and have them open in a flash viewer incorporated in your page. House in a zoom feature and you've got yourself a nice tool.
Even at a basic level though, the image quality of your showcase needs to be better. I can't read the articles for example. I can't appreciate the colour of the pictures. I don't really want to see page creases. Re-create the spreads if you must, but do make them clean.
So; you've got a website up and running. Now it's time to get to grips with the technology a little more - and most importantly;
Keep working on the actual physical body of work you're trying to showcase. A website is only any good if you've got great work to put on there!
yeah, i agree. The PDF thing is quite annoying. Try to learn some web standards, and make the site flow better. You need a menu of some type that people can follow, you're work should not be in a PDF, and i really think the background texture is out of place. You need to ad more content and stability, and take away some effects. Find the fastest, easiest way for people to view the content, then work on the design. Just my 2¢ though.
-JE
EDIT: ok, i just looked at it again, and played around with it some more. I'm going to be pretty honest with you here, but i'm not trying to hurt your feelings. You are obviously not a web designer (neither am i, and i know it), so i believe you would be better suited trying to find someone to help you build the site if you need it up ASAP. The lack of menu like i stated above is a problem, but so is the fact that every page is just an enourmous image that you've placed image maps on. There's no feedback on if things are buttons or not (like rollovers), there's no way to get back to the page before it without hitting the back button on the browser (lack of a menu), and the PDF's you placed on there take too long to load. I designed my site in Flash, because i know i'm not good enough to peform web standards in HTML/CSS. Coding isn't my strong suit, so i did the whole thing in Flash. It's not perfect either and sure isn't any where near finished, but if you wanna check it out...(jasonrogersdesigns.com) But look at other good sites, hell look at Apple's site. Look at Design Firm/Ad Agency Sites. Photographers usually have great web sites. Designers usually seem make it a little too complicated. Anyway, look around, and then i would suggest starting over.
-JE
EDIT: ok, i just looked at it again, and played around with it some more. I'm going to be pretty honest with you here, but i'm not trying to hurt your feelings. You are obviously not a web designer (neither am i, and i know it), so i believe you would be better suited trying to find someone to help you build the site if you need it up ASAP. The lack of menu like i stated above is a problem, but so is the fact that every page is just an enourmous image that you've placed image maps on. There's no feedback on if things are buttons or not (like rollovers), there's no way to get back to the page before it without hitting the back button on the browser (lack of a menu), and the PDF's you placed on there take too long to load. I designed my site in Flash, because i know i'm not good enough to peform web standards in HTML/CSS. Coding isn't my strong suit, so i did the whole thing in Flash. It's not perfect either and sure isn't any where near finished, but if you wanna check it out...(jasonrogersdesigns.com) But look at other good sites, hell look at Apple's site. Look at Design Firm/Ad Agency Sites. Photographers usually have great web sites. Designers usually seem make it a little too complicated. Anyway, look around, and then i would suggest starting over.
Please accept my words as constructive criticism.
This website, although I'm sure you are proud of it because you created it and it is probably your first, isn't what I would expect from someone who calls themselves a "Graphic Designer." I would certainly go pick up a book or two, or even search the internet on how to integrate more modern website features into your website. Things such as subtly animated rollovers (done in flash) would spice this website up ten fold. Also, a more interesting background than flat gray would help. How about a faint texture? a different color scheme perhaps?
Much could be done to make this simple site, much much better.
Also, to be perfectly honest... A designer's website should reflect the kind of work you do. Therefore, knowing that you are a graphic designer, I would expect quite a bit more from your site. I assume that you want those that view your site to take you seriously as a graphic designer... I want to see that you care about making your site look just as good as the work you produce.
In regards to your portfolio, I would definitely want to see MORE. I think you only had 6 items on your site. I would like to see more of the range of work you do and possibly some more sophisticated design work other than just layouts.
On a final note... the pdfs are extremely annoying. If you improve this site, please find a different way to show off your work. Why not just use a high quality .jpg? Sure it may take a bit to load, but probably not as long as it took for me to view it as a .pdf
Please do not take my words as harsh or anything like that. I'm just giving an honest and helpful (hopefully) critique to help you build a better website!
This website, although I'm sure you are proud of it because you created it and it is probably your first, isn't what I would expect from someone who calls themselves a "Graphic Designer." I would certainly go pick up a book or two, or even search the internet on how to integrate more modern website features into your website. Things such as subtly animated rollovers (done in flash) would spice this website up ten fold. Also, a more interesting background than flat gray would help. How about a faint texture? a different color scheme perhaps?
Much could be done to make this simple site, much much better.
Also, to be perfectly honest... A designer's website should reflect the kind of work you do. Therefore, knowing that you are a graphic designer, I would expect quite a bit more from your site. I assume that you want those that view your site to take you seriously as a graphic designer... I want to see that you care about making your site look just as good as the work you produce.
In regards to your portfolio, I would definitely want to see MORE. I think you only had 6 items on your site. I would like to see more of the range of work you do and possibly some more sophisticated design work other than just layouts.
On a final note... the pdfs are extremely annoying. If you improve this site, please find a different way to show off your work. Why not just use a high quality .jpg? Sure it may take a bit to load, but probably not as long as it took for me to view it as a .pdf
Please do not take my words as harsh or anything like that. I'm just giving an honest and helpful (hopefully) critique to help you build a better website!
Thanks guys, no harm done. I really appreciate all your comments so much.
You all are right, doing something in flash is something that I'd like to do. I just did each page in Illustrator and saved as html. I then used Dreamweaver. DW seemed like I couldn't do all that I want to do in it. I guess my background looks different on my computer. it's not gray
I understand about the pdfs. I guess on a mac it doesn't seem bad at all. But if you're on windows, i could see how pdfs would be annoying.
I don't have that many samples either. I really just did the 64-page high school football program. Working on getting the whole program on a disk so i can put it out there as well.
I am in the process of interviewing for a job at a magazine in my city in which I'd be designing ads, so I'll hopefully get a lot more stuff on there shortly.
Thanks again for the advice. I'd like to do flash. You think that would be best?
You all are right, doing something in flash is something that I'd like to do. I just did each page in Illustrator and saved as html. I then used Dreamweaver. DW seemed like I couldn't do all that I want to do in it. I guess my background looks different on my computer. it's not gray
I understand about the pdfs. I guess on a mac it doesn't seem bad at all. But if you're on windows, i could see how pdfs would be annoying.
I don't have that many samples either. I really just did the 64-page high school football program. Working on getting the whole program on a disk so i can put it out there as well.
I am in the process of interviewing for a job at a magazine in my city in which I'd be designing ads, so I'll hopefully get a lot more stuff on there shortly.
Thanks again for the advice. I'd like to do flash. You think that would be best?
1) Ease up on the drop shadows, they are a little too heavy.
2) Try to use more HTML and less PDF, or flash as someone has suggested.
3) Work on the navigation, to go back to a previous back you are constantly hitting the back button where the navigation should be from you own menu system.
4) The typography on the D for the Derek Duncan Design is off, the erek uncan esign should align with top and bottom of the D (centered) like the rest of the site.
5) You should also put some feedback (rollover images are great) for your menu systems, it would help with the flow and overall look of the site.
I think the site looks great and I love the simplicity of the overall concept.
2) Try to use more HTML and less PDF, or flash as someone has suggested.
3) Work on the navigation, to go back to a previous back you are constantly hitting the back button where the navigation should be from you own menu system.
4) The typography on the D for the Derek Duncan Design is off, the erek uncan esign should align with top and bottom of the D (centered) like the rest of the site.
5) You should also put some feedback (rollover images are great) for your menu systems, it would help with the flow and overall look of the site.
I think the site looks great and I love the simplicity of the overall concept.
the only thing about flash is that my iphone doesn't have it! argh! and i want to show some people the site when it's ready! lol
Thanks again for the advice. First thing to do when I get home tonight is put a menu system on there
I think there are too many visual effects on your front page.
Logo - lose the emboss effect. Try some nice fonts - DIN, Dax, Rotis, Myriad, Futura, Helvetica Neue. VAG Rounded (?) looks a bit playschool.
I don't think much of the paper texture - it just gives the page a muddy appearance.
Try something fresh and clean with some more pleasant colours.
Also, looking through your portfolio, to be honest I'm struggling to find some nice typography. Do you have a decent font collection?
Logo - lose the emboss effect. Try some nice fonts - DIN, Dax, Rotis, Myriad, Futura, Helvetica Neue. VAG Rounded (?) looks a bit playschool.
I don't think much of the paper texture - it just gives the page a muddy appearance.
Try something fresh and clean with some more pleasant colours.
Also, looking through your portfolio, to be honest I'm struggling to find some nice typography. Do you have a decent font collection?
Something else to kick around: the site, as it stands, is completely inaccessible to anyone using a non-standard browser.
Website accessibility is crucial, not just for people with disabilities, but because the more accessible and standards-compliant a site is, the more likely it will be readable on mobile phones and other sorts of browsers.
I'll get off my soapbox. But do read the classic Dive Into Accessibility to get yer wheels turning.
Website accessibility is crucial, not just for people with disabilities, but because the more accessible and standards-compliant a site is, the more likely it will be readable on mobile phones and other sorts of browsers.
I'll get off my soapbox. But do read the classic Dive Into Accessibility to get yer wheels turning.
Well ill be the back sheep,
Flash is horrible for building entire web sites.
Flash should only be used for small animations that are not required to make the page function.
if you want the flashy effects look into an javascript framwork, (scriptalicious, mootools, jquery; to name a few)
but it will require learning, (although Dreamweaver CS3 has Spry, so you can add effects using that)
Flash is horrible for building entire web sites.
Flash should only be used for small animations that are not required to make the page function.
if you want the flashy effects look into an javascript framwork, (scriptalicious, mootools, jquery; to name a few)
but it will require learning, (although Dreamweaver CS3 has Spry, so you can add effects using that)