[velizio]

Hello everybody,

I'm fairly new here and I enjoy the discussion going on and how cool everybody is. I'm posting my business website here for comments, critique, suggestions and whatever the hell you have to say about it.

http://www.microvisuals.com

This is the first major portfolio I have had for the 5 years I have been designing, and it went live only a week ago.

Let 'er rip

Thanks

[Accurate]

Nice and subtle. Possbile too subtle though? Some more images maybe?

[oli]

subtle is cool, does the logo mean anything though ?
Its also coded with tables, it shouldnt be in this day and age

[velizio]

Thanks for the feedback:

Accurate - It is a very subtle design yes. The best reason I can come up with is that I'd love for my work to do the talking rather than an all singing all dancing in your face type of website.

oli - It will be recoded using no tables in the coming week or two. Just have to get some spare time!

The logo (the looping arrows) actually represent consistency. Something that is ongoing and that never stops. It signifies my efforts over the course of my design career to never let things slow me down or get in my way. Something I believe everybody should believe in really.

Thanks for the comments so far, please keep them coming

[datahound]

needs a photo between the blue bar and the grey title bar on all pages to brighten up the pages.

don't think the red top is really neccessary, eats up loads of space to achieve a fancy navig effect? Then you have the blue bar doing the same job.

I would lose the red bar, float your logo avouve the blue bar (or in it) and make the menu plaing text links along the top of the blue.

imho

[velizio]

One or two people have mentioned that to me before, but to be honest I think that photos are a bit cliché and tacky for a website offering design services. They look to me like "oh I can't be bothered, or I can't think of anything...lets bung a cheesy photo there instead".

[bag]

clean but very bland

[datahound]

don't think the red top is really neccessary, eats up loads of space to achieve a fancy navig effect? Then you have the blue bar doing the same job.

I would lose the red bar, float your logo aboue the blue bar (or in it) and make the menu plaintext links along the top of the blue.

imho

[velizio]

I'll open the design in photoshop shortly and give your suggestions a whirl, thanks very much for giving it thought

[datahound]

Can't agree with you there, your customers will want pics to give the impression of their business. So showing you can refect your own business is not lazy it is essential. I would use quirky pics to show your imagination and creativity. Like my cow avatar which is from istockphoto.

[velizio]

Hmmm, good point. The problem is that unless you look deep into sites that aren't too well known (for example, sites that aren't istockphoto) you won't find anything that hasn't been used a hundred times before.

[datahound]

Customers are not designers, they are not going to know what is original stock photography. They just want to see that you present your business well and in a way that they would be happy for you to present theirs. Use something simple for now then take your camera out and do something experimental yourself. The old "tree on a horizon" is corny as hell but I think it always works. Bright clear sky, greenery, it cheers the soul.

[velizio]

It's not so easy.

If I don't take pride in something personally then how am I supposed to be able to hold my head up high when it comes to operating an image. It's some psychological bullshit I know but it makes all the difference. I'll take it into consideration.

[oli]

I dont think it needs imagery and I like the red bar; its not a fancy effect its an indication of which section you are in.
You're right, portfolios should be subtle and let the work speak for itself.

[velizio]

I'm glad someone agrees, thanks oli.

I'm not 100% sure about getting rid of the red bar, purely because my business cards are in the same style:

http://www.microvisuals.com/businesscard.jpg

[Brown]

i must say i agree with mr.o. also don't think that there is any need for images, besides, what sort of imagery would you include that wouldn't look like its stock-a-rama-roodle-roo?

good work.

maybe the red bar is a little too tall?

on the profile page, the first heading jumps about in relation to the other pages.

i don't like the portfolio page, it feels a little weak compared to the rest.

[velizio]

Thanks for the post Brown, very much appreciated.

I've taken your points into consideration, especially the one about the portfolio page. In the re-coded version there will be small but noticable improvements made for usability, such as a better catalogue of my work

[i3lance]

(always a but)....its clean, its subtle and its effective. Not overdone like so many designer sites with the need to fill up needless space.

In truth I think that these portfolio type sites in a way should always reflect the devhead/designer - this goes through and through with their work also, and yours does exactly that so keep it going - nice job Vel.

Your top nav is bulleted when all styles are disabled so thats a big plus.

...the only thing you probably have to change is the coding mate - ditch the tables if possible. Start coding in the new way. Thats the only thing.

Good, clean work.

[keysersoze145]

I like it, nice and clean, easy to navigate. I just think that the portfolio could do with some preview images.

[finbarr]

very nice... clean and calming (if a website can be that?) Dont get rid of the red bar... imo if you should rid yourself of anything it should be the blue bar (but I would keep both)