New Portfolio... Tell me what you think!!!

[bluetooth]

I agree with almost everything else that's been said, so won't bother repeating

I will add though - why do you have your logo twice, prominently, on your pages? I know it's part of your footer and header, but they are big and bright and it seems too repetitive. maybe reduce the size and use a simpler version in the foot?

Also, mirroring manueld's note on 'more info' opening mail client - this happens for the contact page too. This isn't good. Make a contact page with a list of ways to contact you (email, twitter, phone number, address?), and add a contact form too if you can. No one likes to have an application open when they think they are heading to a webpage.

Hope that helps - it does look great!

/Doug

That is a good point that I would tend to also agree with.

 

[DoFoT9]

Works lightening fast on my mini....What are you running it on?

an i7 imac. i am in australia. e.g. lag.

 

[kitki83]

Did you put a resume in the website? Did not see it

 

[MisterK]

Just a couple small things

Overall, it looks pretty cool. Nice work... just a few small suggestions.

I'd stick with one version of your logo. I prefer the one down at the bottom of the landing page a little more, but either one's cool. The light blue leaves in the bottom one start to get a little repetitive in the "U" and "D" of "Studios", so I'd turn both of those downwards – just not at the exact same angle as one another. Also, the word "STUDIOS" still needs a little work. I like your treatment on "Addictive" but the black outline on Studios feels a little unfinished. Maybe try a dark brown or a dark purple, so it doesn't feel quite so jarring.

Also, small thing: there's some strange artifacting on the far left of letter "a" in addictive. Not sure if you scaled this word up a little or you just need to tighten that up a bit. It's almost going a little matrixy.

The horizontal rules beside the iPad are a little thick and pronounced. I'd try turning those dark purple or thinning them out, or both. Maybe it would look nice without them at all. I'd also choose if you're going to punctuate in the call out between those rules or not. You've got an upper case letter and punctuation until the very end of the third sentence. Could use a period.

For the "What I do?", "Where am I?", and "How I do it?" buckets: I'd try some text that's not quite 100% white. It could help to add some depth and variance to your page. I'd also line up the "More Info" tabs along the bottom, so it doesn't look quite so scattered. Also to help with this, I'd give each of the buckets a little more room between one another. You certainly have the space for it. They're just running a little tight. I'd also get rid of one of the two rules you have below these buckets.

Your logo appearing once on the landing page is probably enough. You could probably move your Fav Sites to one column and replace the second copy of
your logo with the screenshot/buttons from the very bottom of the page.

I think you've got a good thing going here. I'm only giving you nit picky feedback because you're that close to a really awesome site. Good luck!

 

[bigglefuzz]

I agree with almost everything else that's been said, so won't bother repeating

I will add though - why do you have your logo twice, prominently, on your pages? I know it's part of your footer and header, but they are big and bright and it seems too repetitive. maybe reduce the size and use a simpler version in the foot?
/Doug

I agree with this. If you are to use the logo in the footer, I would extend the footer slightly and have simply a black and grey bezeled effect on the footer. It would make it look sleeker and less distracting, as the portfolio pieces on the bottom lose their impact at the moment.

Also you background doesn't flow properely to the right and left. Nothing that can't be fixed with a quick gradient. Also since it is justified to the top left and not top center it looks inconsistent with different window sizes.

The featured text on the iPad is also slightly hard to read. If you were to put a left to right white to transparent gradient inside the text, it would make the left stand out more helping it's readabililty.

The blue smileys look too generic and don't match the rest of the theme, also they look like the layout is either too narrow or should have been justified to the center. I'm not sure this section is finished, but I would also get rid of the more info buttons under each, which doesn't do the expected action and to put a large Call To Action contact button on the bottom right.

The horizontal rules, I like the two by the side of the latest news. However the 'tagline' box reaches too far to the right hand side of the iPad and they would look far better cut short behind it. Also the two horizontal rules before the bottom do not seem to fit that well and would probabaly look better as whitespace.

From a usability perspective, quite a lot of people visiting your site might have gmail or hotmail addresses and would have to copy and paste your email address. Consider having a pop-up form so that people can send you an email without having to log in to any site. It will help increase your enquiries. You can still put a valid email address in your footer with the text the same as the mailto address.

Also from a usability perspective, your site doesn't really have a prominent tagline. Since this thread is in the design/graphics forum viewers will know what it is, but the tag line should be the second thing the reader notices and should explain the site without them having to look elsewhere. An example tagline for your site.

"Remarkable flyers and logo designs."

Don't get me wrong I do REALLY like it. And I have bookmarked your portfolio if I ever need ideas for text effects, and definitely looks better than mine. If I didn't like it, I wouldn't spend this long criticising it.

 

[doug in albq]

First off, If you used a template you might call it your site, but really it is part yours and part the template designer's...at least in terms of creation

Its OK, not great, but pretty good. Could use more UX thought. I see no real purpose for the ipad, seeing as you are a print-based graphic designer—it's not like you are doing visual design for iPad apps.

Also the "featured" text in the ipad is almost invisible, did you mean to do it that way?

Images within the iPad switch a bit too quickly, and the transition effect from one image to the next is a bit too busy.

Also, where is the favicon?...pretty important.

Having a "favorite sites" list is sort of amateurish.

Footer is nice, but lose your huge, busy, flowery logo that is seen twice on your homepage.

Also, your logo "addictive" with a huge syringe is not going to land you too many jobs above and beyond the "rave scene."

3 different "More info's" plus a "contact" that all direct to mailto: link might need to be rethought, might want to create a contact form, instead.

Background image is too much of a OS X Snow Leopard cliché.

Your header fonts should be actual fonts, not images. That font looks very much like Georgia, which is one of the standard fonts available to web designers that works across all platforms and browsers.

If this is newly updated, why does your text that says you plan on updating soon have a date of 2008?

"Addictive Studios is the home of Graphic Designer John Livings. I am currently working as a graphic designer in Louisiana. If you like my work and want to hire me to design some things for you, don't be afraid to contact me!"

The above paragraph is not the best piece of copy I have seen written.

In your portfolio section, the entire preview box should be a clickable area, not just the small magnifying glass.

Besides that, its fine.


Actually you are a fine graphic designer with with a similar style for most of your work—It is technically advanced, but not stunningly original.

The website itself is a bit half-baked. Sorry to be so critical, but I am sure you are not just looking for "flowery" (pun intended) admiration of a site that is mostly a different designer's template. Again your print graphic design is nice, the site itself...meh.

mostly, what you will get at MacRumors is 16-year-olds who are easily impressed...I am sure what you were looking for was some real critique, though...right?