[ATLChris]

Hey everyone, I just started a company called Collective Core. We are a small web design and development firm in Atlanta, GA. I was hoping to get some feedback on our official company website.

I am looking for thoughts on professionalism, layout, usability, colors, code, and logo.

Thanks in Advanced.

Atlanta Web Design and Development | Collective Core | Graphics Design and Search Engine Optimization

[fear2670]

That's quality man, at least the design, the code has way too many divs.
The screen i'm using is my uncle's and it sucks big time, so i won't comment much on the design for now.
One suggestion, on the paragraph that says "Collective Core is an Atlanta, GA based web design and development firm. We strive to..."
align the text to the left and add a little text-indent(2-5px)

As for the logo, not sure what it means, at leave it at that.

Overall, good work, might wanna work with the way you organize/align the text, there's design in that.

[ATLChris]

Originally Posted by fear2670

That's quality man, at least the design, the code has way too many divs.
The screen i'm using is my uncle's and it sucks big time, so i won't comment much on the design for now.
One suggestion, on the paragraph that says "Collective Core is an Atlanta, GA based web design and development firm. We strive to..."
align the text to the left and add a little text-indent(2-5px)

As for the logo, not sure what it means, at leave it at that.

Overall, good work, might wanna work with the way you organize/align the text, there's design in that.

Thanks for the comments. I have considered left justifiying my intro paragraph, I will play around with that. Also, the logo is a "collective" of "core."

Thanks for the feedback.

[Coops]

Bless 'em.

[Giraffe]

Originally Posted by ATLChris

Also, the logo is a "collective" of "core."

[ATLChris]

Originally Posted by Giraffe

haha hey I think it looks good, logo's don't have to have meaning. It looks good, is good for light and dark backgrounds, and works with the overall scheme of the site.

[Giraffe]

Well in honesty, you might want to reconsider a different logo design. It looks like a hip [read hackneyed] vector brush repeated a few times. There are so many better cliches you could embrace. Haha.

As for the website itself, theres nothing overtly offensive about it, but there's nothing to set it apart from its myriad clones. I have to say the colored bar at the very top of the page comes out of left field; it doesn't adhere to any obvious theme or standard in the site. Also, I really dislike that google icon. Have you been to google lately? Last I checked it looked nothing like that.

Edit: Didn't see your response to my facepalm. While logos can be abstractions and not necessarily represent anything in particular, there are definitely better ways to go about it. Shouldn't you be designing the site around your established brand and not the other way around?

[Maerk]

Ditto Giraffe's thoughts, it's all very painfully generic, I was having the conversation the other day with someone about icons being used heavily where it doesn't really need them, feels like you found icons and put them in there because they seemed too nice not to use. Nice type would do the job and make the site look less generic, essentially it looks like clip art which to me doesn't belong on a site selling design as one of its services.

The coloured bar reminds me of Veerle's blog, not that she owns coloured bars, but her design is consistent throughout, and that seems sort of the only nod to creativity on the site.

It's not dire its all quite well crafted, but very very forgettable. Not a fan of randomly bolding words in a statement (or it being centred) it actually makes it hard to read the thing.


In the actual portfolio section, all those crossed out links worry me. My reaction is "well why aren't they live any more?" Where sites are no longer live, don't include the dead crossed through link. And like I mentioned on the business cards, I wouldn't put capitals in web addresses or email addresses.

And I think the work could be shown better really.

[Coops]

Tez will give you a good crit. Tez? TEZ?

[ATLChris]

Originally Posted by Giraffe

Well in honesty, you might want to reconsider a different logo design. It looks like a hip [read hackneyed] vector brush repeated a few times. There are so many better cliches you could embrace. Haha.

As for the website itself, theres nothing overtly offensive about it, but there's nothing to set it apart from its myriad clones. I have to say the colored bar at the very top of the page comes out of left field; it doesn't adhere to any obvious theme or standard in the site. Also, I really dislike that google icon. Have you been to google lately? Last I checked it looked nothing like that.

Edit: Didn't see your response to my facepalm. While logos can be abstractions and not necessarily represent anything in particular, there are definitely better ways to go about it. Shouldn't you be designing the site around your established brand and not the other way around?

The color bar is used at the top and bottom of the page. Also, that color bar just introduces my color palette that is used throughout the site. I am a fan of it and you all are the first to say anything negative about it, so I probably wont be making changes there. But thanks for the advice.

Originally Posted by Maerk

Ditto Giraffe's thoughts, it's all very painfully generic, I was having the conversation the other day with someone about icons being used heavily where it doesn't really need them, feels like you found icons and put them in there because they seemed too nice not to use. Nice type would do the job and make the site look less generic, essentially it looks like clip art which to me doesn't belong on a site selling design as one of its services.

The coloured bar reminds me of Veerle's blog, not that she owns coloured bars, but her design is consistent throughout, and that seems sort of the only nod to creativity on the site.

It's not dire its all quite well crafted, but very very forgettable. Not a fan of randomly bolding words in a statement (or it being centred) it actually makes it hard to read the thing.


In the actual portfolio section, all those crossed out links worry me. My reaction is "well why aren't they live any more?" Where sites are no longer live, don't include the dead crossed through link. And like I mentioned on the business cards, I wouldn't put capitals in web addresses or email addresses.

And I think the work could be shown better really.

I feel you on the icons, and the section "Grow Your Business With Us" those icons I do not like at all and plan to redesign. I agree they look to clip artish.

The bolding of the words on the main page is a strategy that most people recommend to help draw the eye to the words.

As for the portfolio section and the crossed out URL's, I will probably make changes there. I think the crossed out URL's are a mistake now that I look back on it.

Thanks for the great advice!

[Maerk]

Originally Posted by ATLChris

The bolding of the words on the main page is a strategy that most people recommend to help draw the eye to the words.

I understand the strategy perfectly well, though I'm curious who "most people" are I just think it backfires because you've bolded too much, your eyes are dragged all over the place and you've highlighted anything that might remotely be of interest.

Bullet points would probably be better than what you currently have but I'd really just look and see other web design agencies website and see if they're doing that sort of thing, I think you'll find most don't.

Plus you sum it up much better in the text on the image - even if it is a very stock library image.

[DKuntz2]

The icons you're using don't really go together at all, giving it an unprofessional look.

The top two pieces in your portfolio look the same as your corrent site, which makes one think you don't do anything but change around colors for the sites you produce.

I agree with maerk that your crossed out links look bad

Your services page is full of things that everybody does, and you're trying to emphasize that you're doing something special when all you're doing is your job as a hired professional

also the bold emphasizers need to leave, if you can't get emphasis across without making sure it's known, you haven't done a good job with the writing. You also only emphasize buzz words. Something that a lotof people get turned off from

Why do you need to tell people how to setup someone elses services, that th people reading your blog aren't using. Sounds like you're just trying to give yourself a higher rating on google, and that you don't have any original content.

[ATLChris]

Originally Posted by DKuntz2

The top two pieces in your portfolio look the same as your corrent site, which makes one think you don't do anything but change around colors for the sites you produce.

I am not sure what you mean here. Can you explain further.

Originally Posted by DKuntz2

Your services page is full of things that everybody does, and you're trying to emphasize that you're doing something special when all you're doing is your job as a hired professional

What does that have to do with anything? If a gym has free weights, they mention it, regardless of if every gym has it.

Originally Posted by DKuntz2

Why do you need to tell people how to setup someone elses services, that th people reading your blog aren't using.

No idea what you are talking about. Are you talking about the Media Temple email setup? If so, all 20 of my current clients use Media Temple and come to me for assistance with setting up their email. I am sorry if I am offending you by taking care of my clients requests.

Originally Posted by DKuntz2

Sounds like you're just trying to give yourself a higher rating on google, and that you don't have any original content.

Most of my content is original, and what do you have against some who is trying to get decent rankings on Google? 75% of my traffic is Google referred. And, the number 1 request from my clients is "Can you make us rank high on Google?" How can I say yes to that if my site doesn't have rankings.

I tell people how to setup other services because most people don't know how to. I actually am getting most of my business because of

[Webstar]

what's your target audience? i get the feeling that you're looking to appeal to SMEs? if this is the case, i think you've done a good job with the site. it's professional looking, while giving the impression that you're affordable and offer more of a personal service - something that small and medium enterprises take into consideration.

some people on this site expect every site to have an outstanding design with unique flash interfaces etc etc without really thinking about the site's objective.

[hawken]

if you're gonna write "original and creative content", why use horrible stock images that make the site look generic and boring?

[ATLChris]

Originally Posted by Webstar

what's your target audience? i get the feeling that you're looking to appeal to SMEs? if this is the case, i think you've done a good job with the site. it's professional looking, while giving the impression that you're affordable and offer more of a personal service - something that small and medium enterprises take into consideration.

some people on this site expect every site to have an outstanding design with unique flash interfaces etc etc without really thinking about the site's objective.

Thank You, that is exactly what people need to understand. I am targeted at small business who want professionalism not crazy designs. They want people to find there site on Google, no find it on the cover of Web Designer magazine. What you said is what I am going for exactly, personal, professional, and affordable, but not cookie cutter templates.

[Maerk]

Crazy designs?

Most good agencies sites are not "crazy" once upon a time certainly, and a select few certainly are. I think you underestimate the target audience (or maybe I have an optimistic take on things), but it's certainly a safe design, just unfortunately I think safe to the point of generic. But you've said you agree about icons and things so hopefully it'll at least go a few notches in the right direction.

@Webstar - edit - can't be bothered saying all I did. Find one person in this thread who actually expects that. I just don't expect clip art/stock photos when declaring originality.

[Dusteh]

Some horrible work in the portfolio, take it out and stick with a couple of your best examples.

[bazzle]

Originally Posted by Maerk

Crazy designs?

Most good agencies sites are not "crazy" once upon a time certainly, and a select few certainly are. I think you underestimate the target audience (or maybe I have an optimistic take on things), but it's certainly a safe design, just unfortunately I think safe to the point of generic.

There's often nothing much wrong with generic. I personally see quality of presentation, usability and how well it serves it's target market as more important than coming up with something really original.

I know a lot of people won't agree with me on that one, just seen so many agency websites which try to be "out of the box" and fail miserably.

[Maerk]

Originally Posted by bazzle

There's often nothing much wrong with generic. I personally see quality of presentation, usability and how well it serves it's target market as more important than coming up with something really original.

I know a lot of people won't agree with me on that one, just seen so many agency websites which try to be "out of the box" and fail miserably.

I'm not saying be really really original. Or use crazy layouts or use flash interfaces and all that crap which seems to be how you and webstar have taken my thoughts on the above design.

But using clip art and obvious stock photography is the very opposite of being original. I just don't think it's a great sell.

I agree some sites try TOO hard and without success, and as a result they're hard to navigate, hard to access, annoying to use frankly. But there's a hell of a lot of sites out there which are effective and simple to navigate and let the work do the talking without seeming so cookie cutter average.

My own site isn't flash crazy out of the box bullshit, or breathtakingly mind stoppingly original, so I don't know why you guys feel I'm grumpy unless he's doing something you can't navigate and is unpleasant to use.


edit - to sum up, when I say it's too generic, this is not me saying - quick reinvent the wheel! it's saying you can do better and sell your skills better visually, without making it hard to use.