[CreativeSpark]

Hi guys,

I posted my studio's website on here not so long ago, and got some really useful feedback. Anyway, we've done a redesign for the new year, check it out at
www.creativespark.co.uk , and crit away, I'd love to know what you think!

[d*d]

Is the updated illustration (which is much better) the only change - I can't remember that far back. I've never been totally convinced with the medical metaphor but it's executed well enough

[CreativeSpark]

Yes, we spent a bit more on the illustrations and added some more colour. We've also got rid of most of the flat vector artwork in the portfolio, and replaced it with photography, which imo is a big improvment.

[finbarr]

nice... and I think I said it before but I like the medicalmetaphor thing. The extra colour lifts the design a lot... it was too clinical previously

[emil]

Yep. Definitely an improvement. I still don't feel the medical theme.
I see an HTML version as well (can't remember it being there before). Now if you could combine the two, I think things will be even better
You still have the previous illustrations in the HTML version, btw.
One more suggestion. Maybe try different colors for body text (just the body text, not the headings) to break a bit the monotony? Dunno.

I still like the work.

[Brown]

don't like the colour or the font used for the main body copy.

illustrations are much better this time round.

disable the right click menu and make the text selectable so it can be copied and pasted.

seems you're trying to add depth to the menu with some 3d style effects but its just not working for me, i'm not fooled. i'd spend a little more time on that if i were you. also, if you're in a particular section then i'd expect the menu to reflect that. i know its numbered but the word in the menu are different to the title of the page - that adds confusion.

if you're going to have roll-overs on some links, put it on all of them - but you knew that didn't you, you just couldn't be arsed.

add a scroll bar to the scrollable areas. people not only expect it (b'cos that the convention that we're used to) but it helps to guage the length of a page's copy before you start to read it.

how about animating some of the illustrations. not so that they are a distraction to the content, but you've got them in vector format already, its not much more work to bring them to life slightly. you could even have a little fun with them, use some of the spark, eh?

[CreativeSpark]

Hey, thanks for the feedback guys. Some really useful critisim there, and its been taken on board, although I'm not sure I'll be animating those illustrations just yet!

Thanks again

[bag]

I'm not feeling the medical thing here, as a concept its kinda ok but the way its been excuted doesn't seem to push it enough for me - seems all too safe - you could have quite a bit of fun with a medical theme, it just feels little too literal and watered down as it is.

just thoughts

[Alexanda]

I agree with bag the medical/science thing feels a little forced, the airside style illustrations have also been done to death by half the bloody student design classes in the country.
I like your printed work though.

[hawken]

felt forced at first but I liked it.

[pat]

quite like it, reckon like the others if you're gunna go with the medical theme it needs to be more interesting - i.e few more colours, more flamboyant layout

I fucking HATE the links, the rollovers on them are disgusting, like they're lifted straight out of a flash tutorial. Also, nice portfolio, good work, but the links withing your portfolio, don't like the lines in between them.

Looking quite good though, i like the metaphor, think it could really work.

[CreativeSpark]

Quite a few of you have mentioned that the medical theme felt 'forced'.

I'm not really sure what that means, care to expand?

[JonnyE]

Well, I can't say for sure what others meant, but personally it feels like the whole medical theme has been taken too literally - as if you've thought for five minutes of medical icons and then put them around the site.

The icons on each page, with the clinical blue, give a basic look at the theme.

If you expanded, and thought 'out of the box', I would think that the idea would seem less forced. Just an idea.

[jthomas]

i'm not a fan of the illustrations personally. it feels bare to me. they don't grab my attention like i feel they should. it feels like over-sized clip art. don't get me wrong, they are very nice illustrations. however, they really blend with the background. it feels dull. looks like you forced gray shading on the lab coats since the background is white, and i think that really dulled their effectiveness. i think more photo-realistic or actual images would do more, with nice shadows. or, if you keep the illustrations, maybe play with a dark background color. then white lab-coats would really jump out. i also agree with the font suggestions above.

overall, to me, the medical feel is too evident, like i'm actually roaming the halls of a hospital. i like the feel of navigating through your html version better as well.

[Brown]

html version. didn't notice that. i imagine that the flash took about 5-7 days to polish off and put together and i don't see what it offers over the html version other than smooth horizontal scrolling, which could have been done using javascript.

regarding the 'forced' argument. write yourself a supporting rationale that clearly states the reason and justification of the medical theme. if you can't write it for yourself, then its not going to work for, or be understood by anyone else.

nurse!

[paris]

Hey,

I think you have done well for yourself, the first loading intor was quite impressive I thought, but I think it went down with the doctor. Having medical equipment is different to having acutal people on the scene. Having that person in that pose always looks cheesy, its been done way too much. Plus it only makes it look more, 'foreced' :p.

Further having medical personell like that only makes it more clinical and loses any kind of; charm, and sexyness that the site might of had. - Case and point? - http://www.pfizer.com/pfizer/main.jsp Check it out, worlds largest drug dealer doesn't put doctors on their front page. They put happy people.

You could just use medical equipment, giving it a sterile yet, unique look.. umm check out there was this really cool vid umm called beautykit.mov.. done really well. Use that for your inspiration.

'Marketing' is not just advertising. Marketing is much broader than the services you provide (e.g. product design & research), and anyone really looking for 'marketing first aid' probably wouldn't be looking for advertising. Although your 'First aid for marketing' is your marketing term, its not a correct term.

It maybe an idea to use photos rather than illustrations of people. And although you have that blue colour scheme, don't forget analgous and contrasing colours will fit niceley and make it more interesting!

Lastly; having a mouse-over for all the links would be nice, (in the portfolio section ect..). And the bottom nav links, dont really feel like they are really rotating, kinda just.. blurbing.

But good work keep it up! Hope this helps.

[CreativeSpark]

Ok, so basically some of you are saying the medical theme has been executed poorly, and that its too clinical. Thats a fair comment as we intentionally designed that way.

I also understand the criticism aimed at the illustrations. Yes, some of them are a bit like clip-art, and yes they could be more exciting, but again we wanted to keep it toned down. We could have used blood red for the blood bag pre-loader, but we didn't, because we are trying to attract new business and prefer to keep things understated in inoffensive. The whole premise of the site was to keep it simple, so the portfolio would stand out and (hopefully) potential clients would pick up the phone.

[pat]

don't take any of this criticism offensively, i think it's cos your site's better than most we get on here so people are paying some attention and trying to help you get it spot on.

[top_buzz]

I like the work youv'e done for good greef

[mark]

Absolutely love the brochure and id work