I'm pretty new to web design and I've just finished two personal websites that I'd like some feedback on from some more experienced developers.
The first site is a promo/blog site for my music: [url]http://dazestate.com/[/url]
The other is the homepage for my web design/video game studio: [url]http://ivointeractive.com/[/url]
One problem with my music site is that the mixcloud plugin doesn't work on IE, but its the only mixcloud plugin and it works really well on all other browsers. I'll just wait till the developer adds IE support. Other than that though, please tell me what you think. Any feedback on the designs, graphics, layouts, functionalities, etc. would be greatly appreciated.
DazeState could use some work but Ivo looks really nice.
[QUOTE=Cbas;33939766]The other is the homepage for my web design/video game studio: [url]http://ivointeractive.com/[/url][/QUOTE]
...You're using templates for the 'design' service you provide to clients?
From DazeState
[img]http://i.imgur.com/aPnjb.png[/img]
I'm sorry but dazestate looks horrible, IVO looks great though and so does Pangaeon.
[QUOTE=zzlawlzz;33941949]From DazeState
[img]http://i.imgur.com/aPnjb.png[/img][/QUOTE]
The back end of that site is pretty ridiculous, but I don't get what your trying to point out.
[QUOTE=BrettJay;33941903]...You're using templates for the 'design' service you provide to clients?[/QUOTE]
I always start with a template, but I usually do a lot of modifications, why do you ask?
About Daze State, what specifically looks bad? I was trying to make it look really unique, are there specific things I should improve? Or should I just start with a more professional looking template?
[QUOTE=Cbas;33943913]The back end of that site is pretty ridiculous, but I don't get what your trying to point out.
I always start with a template, but I usually do a lot of modifications, why do you ask?
About Daze State, what specifically looks bad? I was trying to make it look really unique, are there specific things I should improve? Or should I just start with a more professional looking template?[/QUOTE]
How about not working from a template at all, or build your own templates to work from because you can't exactly use free templates in paid for projects. There is the whole "they are just paying for my time" reach around but its a very shaky argument. If you need help developing your own templates we can always help out. (It would also be prudent to credit the creator of the template as well as asking them if you can use it commercially).
And with DazeState tbh the only bit I see that I like is the nav bar. If It were me I would scrap that entire site and go from scratch, it's just missing a level of professionalism that you require if you want to move into commercial web design. I'm really sorry if i come over as a MASSIVE dick in this I'm just trying to be as honest as possible, otherwise it's not being constructive.
[QUOTE=Cbas;33943913]The back end of that site is pretty ridiculous, but I don't get what your trying to point out.
I always start with a template, but I usually do a lot of modifications, why do you ask?
About Daze State, what specifically looks bad? I was trying to make it look really unique, are there specific things I should improve? Or should I just start with a more professional looking template?[/QUOTE]
why would you put them in <head>
[QUOTE=wizard`;33944189]How about not working from a template at all, or build your own templates to work from because you can't exactly use free templates in paid for projects. There is the whole "they are just paying for my time" reach around but its a very shaky argument. If you need help developing your own templates we can always help out. (It would also be prudent to credit the creator of the template as well as asking them if you can use it commercially).
And with DazeState tbh the only bit I see that I like is the nav bar. If It were me I would scrap that entire site and go from scratch, it's just missing a level of professionalism that you require if you want to move into commercial web design. I'm really sorry if i come over as a MASSIVE dick in this I'm just trying to be as honest as possible, otherwise it's not being constructive.[/QUOTE]
No I completely appreciate your honesty, I wasn't planning on using any free themes for clients though. I'm about to buy a developers license to Elegant Themes Wordpress collection, and their terms of use allow me to use the themes for clients. I will always give them a link back though. I agree that it would be best to design my own sites, and I will try to learn as soon as possible. I really would like to start exeperimenting with Flash too, and design some really flashy animated sites, just haven't had the time yet.
I'll play around with Daze State, or maybe ask around a bit more. I really like the design, but I was also thinking about turning it into something that looks like Skrillex's page.
[QUOTE=Cbas;33944705]No I completely appreciate your honesty, I wasn't planning on using any free themes for clients though. I'm about to buy a developers license to Elegant Themes Wordpress collection, and their terms of use allow me to use the themes for clients. I will always give them a link back though. I agree that it would be best to design my own sites, and I will try to learn as soon as possible. I really would like to start exeperimenting with Flash too, and design some really flashy animated sites, just haven't had the time yet.
I'll play around with Daze State, or maybe ask around a bit more. I really like the design, but I was also thinking about turning it into something that looks like Skrillex's page.[/QUOTE]
Its great that your eager to get into designing without the need for templates and its also great to see that you are interested in expanding your knowledge base. That being said Flash probably isn't the place to be doing it, HTML5 and CSS3 combined can be used to create the same effects as Flash does while saving on file sizes and production time. I would definitely suggest that you take the HTML5 and CSS3 path over the flash path as it will set you up for better trade practices in the future. Flash was great but it is being phased out. For example flash was used on Youtube to make their video player for ~6 years but they have changed over to using HTML5. Really shows how much better it is to use HTML5 when Youtube swaps over to it so quickly. Anyway ive been side tracked :P
Back to the point:
-Dont learn flash, its dated and being transitioned away from. (Still could be useful to learn if you wanted to design fancy animated buttons or whatever but you can simply use the animate function in photoshop for that like I do and many others do).
-try and not use templates, especially for commercial sites. This isnt only so that you actually own the code but also because you will understand it better and solidify your skills and not to mention most company's want something unique to them so if someone is offering to make a from scratch website at the same rate your charging for a template driver website they will pick the from scratch almost everytime.
-Wordpress is great but try and not rely on it as a platform for development. Sure it runs 15% of the worlds highest ranked websites but there is a very good reason it doesnt run 100% and that is because it simply isnt suitable for many operations. Not to mention it can be very wasteful to setup on a single-page website for local joes average plumbing solutions.
-I think..that covers it... (we'll see :D)
Anyway, best of luck in your developments and remember that fp is here when you need help etc
[QUOTE=Cbas;33943913]I always start with a template, but I usually do a lot of modifications, why do you ask?
About Daze State, what specifically looks bad? I was trying to make it look really unique, are there specific things I should improve? Or should I just start with a more professional looking template?[/QUOTE]
Because I think that offering design services when you yourself are using templates is very dubious indeed. Web design should reflect the client's brand image, but you're not designing anything specifically for them, just shoe-horning generic templates that anyone can get a copy of. It really dilutes the brand and association people have with a company or group and its website if they can easily stumble across another site with the same design. Suddenly it's not unique and specific to the company, it's just a generic template. For instance, take your web design portfolio, ivo Interactive. [url="http://www.elegantthemes.com/demo/?theme=Nova"]It didn't take me very long to find the template you used[/url], and if I were interested in using your services, seeing that would immediately turn me off using your service as a customer.
If you want to offer design services, you should not be using any templates whatsoever, in my opinion. If you don't think you can do that just yet, then you should not be offering design services for sale yet. You of course need to start somewhere, but you cannot seriously teach yourself or improve by modifying existing designs. For example, the logo on your portfolio is clumsy and large (same goes for the Pangaeon site); the size of the original in the Nova template is much more sensible - this is common design sense which modifying a template will not endow. I'm telling you this not to dissuade you, but to instill that there's a right and wrong way of going about things.
If you are disciplined enough to stick with it and learn design theory and principles, and give yourself enough time, you'll see much better results than hacking away at templates.
wizard` summed everything up pretty much. Don't use templates. If you aren't ready to sell clients your own designs don't sell them designs at all. Learning the right way will pay off in the long run.
Oh and please try to use a correct grammar.
[img]http://gabrielecirulli.com/p/20111229-115412.png[/img]
[QUOTE=BrettJay;33947411]Because I think that offering design services when you yourself are using templates is very dubious indeed. Web design should reflect the client's brand image, but you're not designing anything specifically for them, just shoe-horning generic templates that anyone can get a copy of. It really dilutes the brand and association people have with a company or group and its website if they can easily stumble across another site with the same design. Suddenly it's not unique and specific to the company, it's just a generic template. For instance, take your web design portfolio, ivo Interactive. [url="http://www.elegantthemes.com/demo/?theme=Nova"]It didn't take me very long to find the template you used[/url], and if I were interested in using your services, seeing that would immediately turn me off using your service as a customer.
If you want to offer design services, you should not be using any templates whatsoever, in my opinion. If you don't think you can do that just yet, then you should not be offering design services for sale yet. You of course need to start somewhere, but you cannot seriously teach yourself or improve by modifying existing designs. For example, the logo on your portfolio is clumsy and large (same goes for the Pangaeon site); the size of the original in the Nova template is much more sensible - this is common design sense which modifying a template will not endow. I'm telling you this not to dissuade you, but to instill that there's a right and wrong way of going about things.
If you are disciplined enough to stick with it and learn design theory and principles, and give yourself enough time, you'll see much better results than hacking away at templates.
wizard` summed everything up pretty much. Don't use templates. If you aren't ready to sell clients your own designs don't sell them designs at all. Learning the right way will pay off in the long run.[/QUOTE]
This is good advice, I see exactly what your saying. My intention with ivo Interactive was not really to start promoting myself as a professional webdesigner though. I agree with you, I will not be on any kind of proffesional level until I stop relying on themes and Wordpress to get started. My clients so far have been a friend, a friend of a friend, my father, and myself, and I'm not really looking to expand my audience until my skills improve. I made the ivo Interactive site just for some more practice and also to get a professional looking homepage that I could show people if they are ever interested. I'm going to keep working on both of these sites, just wanted to know how people liked my first attempts.
I hadn't done much research on Flash vs. HTML5, so thanks for letting me know. Flash seemed like the better option since I've been making Flash based video games for a while, but I'll read up on it more to see what would be best.
[QUOTE=TerabyteS_;33948121]Oh and please try to use a correct grammar.
[img]http://gabrielecirulli.com/p/20111229-115412.png[/img][/QUOTE]
Not sure what's wrong here..
[QUOTE=Cbas;33957259]This is good advice, I see exactly what your saying. My intention with ivo Interactive was not really to start promoting myself as a professional webdesigner though. I agree with you, I will not be on any kind of proffesional level until I stop relying on themes and Wordpress to get started. My clients so far have been a friend, a friend of a friend, my father, and myself, and I'm not really looking to expand my audience until my skills improve. I made the ivo Interactive site just for some more practice and also to get a professional looking homepage that I could show people if they are ever interested. I'm going to keep working on both of these sites, just wanted to know how people liked my first attempts.
I hadn't done much research on Flash vs. HTML5, so thanks for letting me know. Flash seemed like the better option since I've been making Flash based video games for a while, but I'll read up on it more to see what would be best.
Not sure what's wrong here..[/QUOTE]
you need a ' in it's
i thought 1 thing on my first look at the ivo website
'apple.com'
The Ivo Interactive logo looks.. well horrible, huge and out of place. No one will ever read "Simplify the process", mainly because of the hassle. The block's way too wide for text. Glad to see you've at least adjusted the line-height, though I'm sorry to say but font-size * 1.5 doesn't cut it any more ;).
I've seen the Ivo template before...
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