Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Website critique

Status
Not open for further replies.
Taken a quick look. It's looking nice.

I didn't see it at first as it didn't come up, but when I paused on your home page that animation about "what is great design?" came up. Personally I really liked that, especially when all those descriptive words flooded the screen. It was a really nice affect, great work. Only wish I could do stuff like that!

Looks fantastic so far. Your glowing buttons also look really nice and simple too!
 
allcreative said:
looks good... its very big... the whole site is a large size...

but otheriwise it looks good.
Click to expand...



Same here, looks nice but the elements are a bit big, give it a little more negative space.
 
Thanks everyone. I really value your opinions. Yeah, i guess i forget how big everything looks. I design everything on a 22-inch monitor running at 2048 x 1536, so everything looks small to me. I've looked at it on other monitors, but those were reletively high-res too. hmmm..definately something to think about. This is actually my 3rd website i've done for myself, and the only one that i liked. My last site was WAY TOO minimal. don't get me wrong, i love minimal...i live for minimal design, but it was a little too far. Like solid white, with just my logo and some buttons or links. I liked it, but i thought i needed a little bit more. Anyway, thanks again, and please more people post comments...where are the people who completely hate it? I wanna hear from those people too...that's the only way it will get better.
 
Moshiiii said:
I really like it. I got a kick out of how you used the power logo.
Click to expand...

Same here, aswell as the drop shadow around the entire design.
 
Very nice aesthetic to the site. I only have one concern. I notice that most if not all text on your site is rendered into images. This doesn't allow for search engines to crawl your page and geeting you into search results. Otherwise a very pleasing site you have here.
BTW what font did you use on your name logo?
 
yeah, i didn't do dynamic text because i did the whole thing using roll-overs and that either doesn't allow for it, or i'm just no where near good enough to do it. I wish i was better at stuff like that. I can always go back and ad meta data thought right? Anyway, for my logo, its Helvetica Neue 35 Thin (jason) and 25 Ultra Light (rogers). Thanks for your reply.
 
its a little big and clunky, but otherwise the colors and layout are pleasing.

the power button in the text is a little cliche but whatever it take to make people remember you, right?
 
i think this website is great
its very easy to use and simple
only thing metioned before was that its slightly to big but apart from that i dont see many problems with it atall
 
  • It is a very large design. It's up to you to decide it that's a bad thing or not. Just be aware that on most screens, the user will need to scroll to see the whole page.

  • On Firefox, when you click on a link and it pops up in the main window, where the link is, that tells you about the image (ie made with Adobe in design and Photoshop, bla bla bla) the first time you click on a link after the page loads for the first time, it doesn't change the state of the link from the button to the description. Clicking on a 2nd link works, or if you refresh the page.

  • Someone mentioned SEO and the lack thereof. I think that as long as you have alt text for everything, you should be OK. Google says to design for the design, not SEO. Additionally, there are so many website design co.'s out there, word of mouth will be your biggest advertisment, not Google. (p.s. if you really want SEO, you could use plain text and CSS for everything, but then you'd lose the spiffy font that you use for something overused (like arial).)

  • Fix "Downloads". It's not bad, it's just not in line with the rest of your site. it opens in a new window, and the buttons aren't roll-overs. Also, the text doesn't link to the downloads, just the buttons. That's inconsistant with the rest of the site. (p.s. I couldn't download your resume on firefox for windows)

  • Each link, when you roll over it, causes the "what is good design" thing to start all over again. Intentional?

  • If you click on one of the buttons for designs at first, before you go to the about me, experience, etc... links, you lose them. I didn't even realize that there were the pages with about me, experience, etc... until I reloaded and tried to see how you made the site. Perhaps a purple button below "Illustration" or something...

  • Last, because it's in a frame, if I wanted to link a specific page to someone, I can't... is that you want it, or is it just like that for now?

Okay, so I sorta ripped it apart, but hopefully this is the type of feedback that you are looking for. I personally really like the site, and good luck on your business!
 
that is exactly what i was looking for. Thank you for your honesy and "ripping it apart". Not that i don't appreciate compliments, because i do, but i needed the other side as well to make it better. Yeah, i forgot i include Alt text for everything, but i'm gonna go back and do that.

The animation restarting, only seems to happen to me when the downloads button is still seleted, which i don't want either, so i'm gonna look into that a little more. There are actually supposed to be rollovers on the "downloads" page, that i guess don't work and i'm really not done with it. I'ts going to fit in a little better when i get it done.

what do you mean by it's in a frame? I get what you mean about the linking to a specific page because the URL never changes, but that is because my site is hosted at the college i go to (FOR FREE!!!, i love free stuff) and the URL is just masked over that one right now. I probably don't know enough to do it any other way right now. Anyway, thanks again for everyones comments.
 
JasonElise1983 said:
what do you mean by it's in a frame? I get what you mean about the linking to a specific page because the URL never changes, but that is because my site is hosted at the college i go to (FOR FREE!!!, i love free stuff) and the URL is just masked over that one right now. I probably don't know enough to do it any other way right now. Anyway, thanks again for everyones comments.
Click to expand...
By "in a frame", I just meant that the URL never changes.

Keep up the good work!
 
It looks nice!

Not to start a flame war, but if you're just learning, I'd suggest you learn to use CSS rather than table-based layouts. Also, frames? yccch

In summary, the body is nice, but under the hood is a mess.
 
yeah, CSS is something i don't quite understand yet. I want to learn it, but haven't quite yet. I also realize that the code is a big mess. If you can't tell i designed the site using Illustrator, ImageReady, and GoLive. Illustrator i know like the back of my hand, ImageReady is a lot like photoshop, but with some web and animation stuff so it was easy for me to understand, and GoLive I only half ass know how to use but i'm still learning. I just went for what i knew, because i figured that would be the best place to start. I do plan on continuing this though, and learning some CSS and a lot more about HTML. And i don't know why that would start a flame war. You are giving me advice and that is what i am wanting out of this. I've been a print designer for years, and am just now trying to learn web design. I'll take all the advice i can get.
 
JasonElise1983 said:
If you can't tell i designed the site using Illustrator, ImageReady, and GoLive.
Click to expand...

Nothing wrong with those; I use Photoshop, ImageReady and a text editor.

I can't recall how I went about learning CSS, but it certainly took a while to wrap my head around it, and so my earliest attempts were needlessly complex.

Here's a reasonably simple CSS page, I think/hope:
(was an experiment for someone)
The CSS file.

Feel free to message via IM if you have any questions.
 
its very nice. although i have to agree with some of the other comments, everything is quite large.

Edit: lol i love the power symbol in you logo
 
(edit- just reread my post and looks a bit flamy, but i'm a designer and i'm just giving an honest opinion to help you based on my own startup experience. I actually like applesque type layouts.. so please don't be offended. I love you work, really :) )

All up it's a nice start Jason, but i notice that some of your work has a more individual streak about it "Scarlet" in particular i noticed in a quick look, But itt looks nice anyways.

-The drop shadow could do with some work(dont be restricted to using a standard illustrator/photoshop shadow- make your own...

-and Helvetica - it's nice but it is so distinctive and SOOOO overused in the last 5 years that it really marks you as a derivative designer- though, judging by your work, clearly you have the potential to offer more to your clients. Clients will see your site and choose you because it identifies with what they would like. if yyou are a bit challenging in your own site then you will end up with challenging projects.

and lastly - frames ...just don't do it. ever. Berners-Lee's biggest mistake in my opinion.
 
I don't know anything about websites/ design but...

You used Holly Golightly kissing "Fred" in the rain from "Breakfast at Tiffany's" in the background of one image. :p
 
The site looked great to me & it seems you're getting quality advice in those areas. The only thing I can suggest is some tweaking of the writing.

The primary thing I was confused about is whether this website is personal or professional. Not that it can't be both, but the site's lay out suggests professional to me, but the word choice & flow have a casual conversation feel.

The following suggestions only matter if your site is meant to be mainly professional.

The ABOUT ME section:

The title is misleading. It isn't about you, it's about your conceptualization of what makes great design and it's potential use. This is a tough one b/c short titles are best, but if ppl are confused after the first click they may not remain on the site. --Maybe do something like "What IS" that becomes replaced by "Great Design" -- if that's possible, sorry I can't do better on that one, it's a toughie.

The "about ME" is also a pretty short paragraph & considering the title it would be best to rework the sentences avoiding all use of the word "you."
Specifically, it probably isn't best to suggest that "[great design] can sell you a product, or turn you off one forever." If the intended message is that bad design can lose a potential customer consider an edit, if it is meant to suggest that great design can cause ppl to stop using a product (e.g. those "the truth" ads) then leave it.

Anywho, those are some possible changes. I hope they help.
 
Yeah, my website it still definately in the work. I have to say though that Helvetica is waaaaay over used, but for some reason i really like helvetica neue. It's the subtleties between it and helvetica that i love. It just seems more refined. I totally agree with you on everything else, and thanks for your advice. :)

devilot said:
I don't know anything about websites/ design but...

You used Holly Golightly kissing "Fred" in the rain from "Breakfast at Tiffany's" in the background of one image. :p
Click to expand...

:) Good call :) i love that movie!!!! It's my little hidden part


and Boggle, thanks for your help! i am actually currently having the editor for my magazine re write my "about me" page. It was actually just some ideas i had, and didn't really mean to upload them, but did on accident. I really am a creative writer when i want to be, it's grammar that kicks my ass (and talking about myself) :)

-jason
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back