[glimmerman]

This has been a 6 month process, mainly cause I slacked off a couple of months inbetween with school, work, and lots of alcohol. I likes my beer. starting to get into cider..anyway, here is the portfolio section of my website completely finished. I still have a ways to go on the rest of the site. but I do have my my about>contact page up, and I got the php form script to work properly. but here is the link to my porfolio section: AP Graphic Designs >> Portfolio-Main

here is the link to the contact form page, if you test it out let me know whether the links on the thank you page afterwards work properly. I think i fixed them, but we always forget something right? AP Graphic Designs >> Contact & Services

let me know if youre using some off the wall browser and the javascript for the portfolio is goin crazy. not much I can do..but it would nice to know...thanks fellas! now to more beer!

[bender]

Lose the dropshadows. They're horrible.
You could also consider changing the font.
One other issue is consistency on the front page. It looks really random with the mixed font sizes and varied placement. For example why is the "illiustration" text centered when "layout" is right aligned?
So work on the consistency, lose the dropshadows and if you must use them somewhere you can tone them down. A lot. And consider changing the font you've used. If not, at least work on the tracking, the letter spacing is way too wide.

Hope that was useful.

[glimmerman]

Originally Posted by bender

Lose the dropshadows. They're horrible.
You could also consider changing the font.
One other issue is consistency on the front page. It looks really random with the mixed font sizes and varied placement. For example why is the "illiustration" text centered when "layout" is right aligned?
So work on the consistency, lose the dropshadows and if you must use them somewhere you can tone them down. A lot. And consider changing the font you've used. If not, at least work on the tracking, the letter spacing is way too wide.

Hope that was useful.

Alrighty...that was honest. Although Im not sure agree with most of what you said, I am considering decreasing the tracking. The font I use is Trebuchet ms, its the only one in my opinion that is a decent web font. If you're talking about my the fonts in the images, I wanted a more contemporary font. I chose it for the low x-height and the unique style. Also...Im not seeing how the layout image is right aligned. its centered. I can move the image of the papers closer to the word if thats what you mean. That was irking me anyway so I'll change it.

I use a different header for each section to illustrate what Im displaying, while at the same time maintaining enough a style guide to connect them all. I made an effort to have a connection between all the pages on the site. It would be one thing if I used different colors on each page and the thumbnails were different shapes or sizes, or the css hover options were slightly off...but theyre not.

I really cant explain the drop shadows however, thats more of an aesthetics thing. I prefer it the way it is. Possibly lighter, MAYBE. I can understand how you might not like it, though. So I think theres consistency, I prefer the drop shadows, but I will work on the font stuff. That part was actually helpful though, thanks. Im still confused if youre talking about the headers or the body copy though.

[bender]

Well I meant the orange header font but that might just be all the dropshadow and bevel effect coupled with the over wide tracking.
Have you used any kind of grid on the design? Just try to pay attention to alignment and it will become more consistent, you can see with bare eye that things aren't quite lining up on the portfolio front page.
Keep the dropshadows/bevel if you like them, but I guarantee you it will look 100% better without them.
Same goes for the wide tracking on all the headers. Very '98.

Btw I'm not trying to be rude, just telling my honest opinion.

[Tanel]

Its bad.

[freelancr]

The contact page, why bother with an anti spam script when you have your email address right there in plain text for spam bots to come and harvest. Utterly pointless.

The Navigation is far too small, and moves about when you hover. Add the padding to the a, then just change the colors for the a:hover. It is hard to use too.

The portfolio, why are there so many sections? Are you really going to be able to fill it with enough work. Usually people have a page with the latest work at the top or just separate it with Print/Identity/Web.

The rollovers on the portfolio have taken you a long time to make, but aren't very consistent. The layout is far too tall and narrow, its good that it probably works in 640x480, but it is crap for 1280x1024, nevermind anything higher. Your target audience is likely to be using a high resolution as you may be applying to design agencies for jobs and things.

I tend to make my sites work for 800x600 and above, though if it won't fit into 800x600 I won't lose much sleep over it because most people use at least 1024x768.

Good work on the coding though, got a green tick on the status bar. Though look into "unobtrusive javascript" instead of letting dreamweaver do it for you, you could at least have it in a separate .js file called in at the HEAD.

Get rid of the affiliates thing, sites that have affiliates are generally tacky.

[traviz]

don't like typography and dropshadows

[Mitch]

Could be a lot better.

Use a strong grid. Looks cluttered and a bit all over the place.

Streamline it. Lose the bevels and drop shadows.

Tracking makes you look loose and wishywashy.

[SMILEdotCROSS]

the layout is bad, compared to other sites you've built (like this (although tables)).

I would have a re-think about the overall design/graphics.

[papasuki]

The text in your header is near impossible to read. I think the site, as others have stated, is too narrow and doesn't need to be, you should use of the space better. Lastly, I think the iconography is generally bad.

I do like 2 of your layouts. The Express layout and Zoo layout.

[Limbo]

The type needs loads of work - seems you have a basic understanding of it, but you employ it with a sense of authority - that doesn't look too professional.

Works OK though. I think this is a mile from where you could be.

Also some of you thumbnails don't trigger the lightbox.

[glimmerman]

Originally Posted by Tanel

Its bad.

Whoa...alright...um about the thumbnails not triggering the the lightbox. Tell me which page. The only reason it doesnt work on mine sometimes is cause the javascript hasnt loaded on to the page yet and clicking on the thumbnail before it does just opens up a new page. But I'll work on it if theres actual errors.

Now about the its bad comment. Well, Im much more of a constructive criticism kind of guy. I'm cool with you saying its a shitty website (well not really but you know what I mean), but you gotta say why. Otherwise I just kinda wash over it as you being an ass. Oh, and I dont really see my web design as a blast from the past...I think there is some degree of professionalism in the design. Sure I use a lot of familiarity throughout, but yea..

But I appreciate all the opinions though about stuff I could possibly change. Although Im not sure I have the time to completely start a new layout from scratch because this one is sooooo bad apparently. I will get rid of the affiliates page I suppose.

[Lyaksej]

don't drink too much

[Lyaksej]

portfolio.png - has a not smooth gradient, looks bad

[glimmerman]

ah I know what youre talking about now, I wasnt sure at first. I was trying to save on file size, but I guess it does look choppy. I will fix that when I can, thanks for pointing it out

[Bopjo]

Why so narrow? I would go with at least 760px width...

[Nooberia]

simple sells is what ive been told

[glimmerman]

Well, I burned my weekend away trying to figure out how to redesign my website according to you guys' crits, while still retaining some of my design from the previous template. I finished the redesign ALMOST, if you guys dont like this one, I thinking of making another, last template. But Im kinda liking this one.

I have 2 images attached; the first one is the new version. My fuckin internet was down the entire weekend so I didnt have time to upload. So saved screenshots before I went to work. Its wider the links are larger and I got rid of the bevels and dropshadows (sorta). The second one is the version that everyone thought was horrible for some reason or another, haha. Oh and Im gonna change the content headers, or make the all like that one, except modified?

Feedback welcome. CONSTRUCTIVE feedback.

[RaelRode]

Drop the shadows!!!!!!! Please!!! Your homepage is really random and the design is really small.

[glimmerman]

MAN I get it, thats why I made new template, no need for exclamations. And yes, random was the point, but thats not what were talking about now. Im changing the home page anyway. lets focus on the thumbnails I just posted like 10 minutes ago

new verison...

old version...