Website design

  • Thread starter Thread starter Wraithwrider
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Wraithwrider

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I work a few hours a week doing learning support for a local college.

The brightest lads in the class are Danial and Duncan and they're thinking of designing websites for a living. They are 16/17.

Here's a sample of their latest offering.

http://www.whirlwinddesign.co.uk/index.htm

Feel free to offer contructive advice/appreciation of their efforts.

I think it's a classy looking site.
 
Very smart.....I do like the roll-over effects, they're spot-on! :thumb

Not so keen on the marquee text in the lower box.....it feels a bit cheap after the class of the rollovers, and the Logo is a bit bland somehow.......but a very nice bit of design...I've certainly seen worse on 'professional' sites.


Let's see some more then?
b
 
Fanum

I think that that's pretty much the pinnacle of their work.

They're a couple of young lads who just need to get some real work to get their creative juices flowing methinks.

Daniel's into Flash big time. Duncan puts the sites together.

They are only at 1st Diploma level but I think they are the best of the bunch by a long way.

Your comments in their direction would I'm sure be appreciated.

Peter
 
My 0.02.....

Pretty nice looking web site, some nice effects, not over done either. Definately shows potential.

* Too much flash IMHO
* News ticker is a bit naff.
* Too much blank space between header and body
* Big! doesnt fit on my 1280x1024 desktop
* Home button is pointless
* Dont like generated HTML

But from a career point of view, the days of 'brochure' type web sites which basically convey static content about the companies products and services are numbered. The future is in interactive, dynamic content, database driven portal type systems.

Food for thought...
 
Hi,
Hope this is constructive - if was my guys would say the same thing:
- Initial page to big - they need that first buy in without having to scoll (use 1280 x 1080 screen which is waay big)
- Whole lot of stuff with no links - case in point is the copyright whirlwind - no link to info
- Nice graphics
- Flash is dead for enterprise - what are they trying to prove?
- On home page a bloody great link for "home page"...
- As Mike said - news ticker not where it at...

Other than that - well done to them.

Can they code as well?? Hiring at the mo, so check out www.esriuk.com.
 
Guys

Thanks for all your comments. Any in their direction would I know be appreciated.

I will show them your comments.

Peter
 
I would pretty much agree with previous comments.

I think this is a really good effort with some distinctive design elements.

For me it is the content that just needs a little attention to detail. Examples - under services "Graphics Design" is just a poor slip. After fifteen years as a Graphic Designer it leaps out at me...

(that's an 's' on Graphics that shouldn't be there for those of you who are not used to proof reading :D)

Under portfolio "Here is a ongoing personal portfolio site but is still under development"

But??

This is your portfolio - It's where you show off. Don't apologise for it. Put some spin on it. "Here is an ongoing personal portfolio site which is regularly updated and in a state of continual development"

Sounds better doesn't it?

Tidy up these tell-tales and I think some work will come your way. If I get asked to do any suitable work in the near future I'll pass it on. Have you figured out costing rates?
 
Not bad

Looks good, definitely some slick graphics there, and I'm pleased it works in Firefox through Proxomitron (a crap filter which surprisingly filters out a lot of "snazzy" web design stuff). However, I have some constructive comments...

- scrolly text sucks. Make it static boys. If you must use scrolly texts, first beat yourself round the head a few times with a clue-by-four that has the logo "NEVER USE SCROLLY TEXT" written on it, then if you're still convinced scrolly text is the only answer, use standard HTML so those of us that hate it can get rid of it. Learn instead to highlight text with *limited* use of colours or *slightly* larger fonts. And never EVER EVER consider flashing text.

- Definitely don't animate anything, ever, for any reason, ever. Even the glint on your title image can get annoying if someone is working on another screen that is in front of, but only partially overlapping, your web page. If it's a mouseover event, then a small about of visual feedback is ok, but animation should be avoided like the plague unless explicitly requested by the user.

- overuse of Flash. HTML has a lot of capabilities and if you want to be taken seriously as web designers learn how to use it properly and not just as a skeleton for doing everything else in Flash/Javascript.

- Portfolio looks good but why not make it functional rather than static images?

- Voltz screen looks very dependent on screen size. If you want your clients' clients to love you, make sure that the pages are *not* dependent on specific screen dimensions and can be accessed from non-maximised browsers and looks reasonable on devices with small screens (Palmpilot, smartphone, etc).

- DJM 2005: What's with "Enter site" splash screens? I *ALREADY*HAVE* entered your site and these pages are just annoying. Fair enough if it's a pr0n website where you get a censored pic and Enter/Leave buttons, but otherwise "enter site" front pages should be avoided. Completely.

- Also the DJM Enter Site screen is dependent on screen size, so I get an ugly backward L-shape of empty screen if my browser is maximised.

- 2advanced - 2titchy more like. Why can't I read the screen without an electron microscope? 2much rubbish 2. Why does it require 1024x768? Don't they want business from people surfing in from a smartphone?

- GreyCobra: what's with the microscopic font? No, really, why are some site designers obsessed with font size=0.000000000001? We don't all have our noses within an inch of the screen.

- Speling and, gramer are really, important. If you're marketing yourselfes (!) as serious designers, there should be no spelling or grammatical errors, least of all in your marketing stuff. The "if you're not satisfied" clause should be deleted really, but if you must keep it stick a comma before it. There's a "v" in "yourselves."

- Your "Services" screen could do with some work. Looks a bit naff as it is.

- Contact: there's no 0 after +44. Or there's no +44 before the zero. International clients will reach you on +44 152... A common format for phone numbers is +44 (0) 152... The contact page could go to a "Thanks, someone will respond..." page rather than returning directly home.

- Consider how partially sighted surfers will respond to your site. If their screen readers can't read it, then they'll just close it and go elsewhere.
 


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