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Geek Culture / Web Design Feedback

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Shaun Of The Dead
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Posted: 7th Sep 2009 17:27
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Hello.
Ive been working on my site latley. Designing and adding stuff.
And i decided, hey, why dont i ask the forumers for their opinion. 50% have some sort of website.
So, here i am

http://www.elusive-design.co.uk/index.html

Over the last 2 days ive been working on my site. And thanks to jason brook. I now have it hosted adn on the internet, yay

Anyways, I would really appreciate your feedback on my site, as it is my first time actually designing and getting my site onto the internet on my own. I am using adobe dreamweaver to do all of this, but since ive never used it before, progress ahs been slow. But ive managed to change some source code on my own...

Thanks

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Phaelax
DBPro Master
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Posted: 7th Sep 2009 17:39
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Forget dreamweaver, Notepad all the way!

I think the colors are fine, but just a few things don't look right. The white box around your header, either ditch it or extend it all the way across the top. The black box at the top of your side navigation doesn't look right by it extending further into the content area than the links, looks out of place. Either widen the side navigation area of trim back that blocked section at the top. The glow effect or inner-shadow on the links text hurts the readability I think. Oh, and the striped background only shows on the first page, not the others; but I guess you haven't finished yet

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HowDo
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Posted: 7th Sep 2009 17:42
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just thought you might want to re write this bit.

Quote: "Cheap FPS Creator Modelling Options."


to

Economical priced FPS Creator Modelling Options.

sound better

Dark Physics makes any hot drink go cold.
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Shaun Of The Dead
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Posted: 7th Sep 2009 17:45 Edited at: 7th Sep 2009 17:45
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Thats wierd, The compatability box fits fine in my browser, and i will change the header part.



What browser are you using?

Also, i am using Dreamweaver because i dont know how to properly code full pages. I hope to learn by using the code section of DW.

Thanks man

EDIT: Thanks 'HowDo'

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Phaelax
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Posted: 7th Sep 2009 18:04 Edited at: 7th Sep 2009 18:05
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I'm in Safari. Just tried in FF and still does the same thing for me. It works in IE, but in iE and FF I get borders around your link images.

This is in Safari, but FF looks the same


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Shaun Of The Dead
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Posted: 7th Sep 2009 18:07
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Hmmmm.... It works fine in chrome. I had issues with it in IE being like that.....

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xplosys
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Posted: 7th Sep 2009 18:16
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I think the name is very fitting, since the design is indeed very illusive. It reminds me of some of the early FrontPage templates... extremely basic.

That said, it works and presents what little information you have. If I had to give just one piece of advice, it would be.... get out of the box! I realize you are just now beginning to learn to code a site, but you really need to work on the "design". After all, your name says "design".

As for not being optimized for IE, you are basically saying... "Hey you 40% of the world wide web viewers out there, we don't don't care to support you." Not cool and not a good move if you want to get traffic.

You have human verification on your contact page, but you left you email addresses in the open.

That's all for now. Keep on truckin'!

Brian.

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Shaun Of The Dead
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Posted: 7th Sep 2009 18:19
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He. Thanks

I am going to get a better design. But since ive never made my own proper design for this on my own before. Dont expect anything perfect

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HowDo
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Posted: 7th Sep 2009 18:28 Edited at: 7th Sep 2009 18:28
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try this might work in all browsers.



Dark Physics makes any hot drink go cold.
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xplosys
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Posted: 7th Sep 2009 18:45
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There is so much more to website design than just putting a pretty picture on the web. I noticed that the title of your index page is "index". Without getting to deep in the subject here, trust me when I tell you that it's going to be difficult to get any kind of search engine ranking with that title.

Do a little research on tags like "title", "description", "keywords", and you will find lots of great info on setting up your pages properly.

As for using DreamWeaver, I and most website professionals will tell you that it's sheer lunacy to code a website in notepad. Imagine coding sites for a living and typing over and over and over again.....



when you can do it with a couple of clicks.

By all means, spice up your code with scripts and css after you lay it out. All that will come later.

Brian.

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Phaelax
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Posted: 7th Sep 2009 21:49
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Quote: "I and most website professionals will tell you that it's sheer lunacy to code a website in notepad. Imagine coding sites for a living and typing over and over and over again....."


I did do it for a living, and my code stays a lot cleaner using Notepad++ (but we also used Eclipse for jsp development). Not sure what you'd type over and over so much unless all your sites are laid out exactly the same. Even so, you can save basic templates and work from those each time. The designs often take me longer than the code does.

And unless you're displaying tablature data, don't use tables. Most web professionals frown upon them.

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xplosys
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Posted: 7th Sep 2009 22:22
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Quote: "Not sure what you'd type over and over so much"


LOL. How about <div>, </div>, <tr>, </tr>, <td>, </td>, <center>, </center>, etc, etc, etc. You know...... html?

I don't do it for a living so much, but I do some as part of the services I offer. Last week I did an update for a client. 84 pages updated with new logos and menus. The 10 minutes it took in FrontPage doing "find/replace" as opposed to using notepad... well like I said. It would just be ridiculous.

Brian.

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NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
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Posted: 7th Sep 2009 22:25
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84 pages? Why weren't you using some kind of flexible system like PHP for such a huge site?

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xplosys
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Posted: 7th Sep 2009 22:27
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I didn't build it. I got the update after they lost their "IT guy". Normally, I just build their servers. I was happy to do it rather than build them a site from scratch though.

Brian.

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Phaelax
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Posted: 7th Sep 2009 22:29
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My thought exactly. 84 static pages? yuck. A site that large you should build a few templates and the rest is dynamic.

Regardless, I'm pretty sure notepad has a search and replace feature.

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NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
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Posted: 7th Sep 2009 22:33
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Ctrl+H.

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xplosys
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Posted: 7th Sep 2009 22:48
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I created a dynamic menu for him and just added the call. Then I just had to replace the code from the top of the page down to the bottom of the menu.

Quote: "Regardless, I'm pretty sure notepad has a search and replace feature."


FrontPage opens and changes them all at once. Anyway, it doesn't matter. For me, it's much easier to build a quick layout with a web page program, and then fill in, change and add what I need afterward. I couldn't imagine typing a page from scratch in notepad. Others that I know who do the same work agree, but everyone is different.

I'm just saying that you shouldn't feel bad about using such a program.

Brian.

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jasonhtml
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Posted: 8th Sep 2009 00:06
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a few things i think you should change:

1) you need to remove the borders from your images. they look terrible in FF.

2) your nav images are too glowy and blurry. a subtle glow is ok, but what you have is overkill.

3) your logo should have a transparent background. the white-on-gray looks sloppy.

as a tip: throw in a little bit of color. they don't have to be bright colors, but some color can go a long way.

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Shaun Of The Dead
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Posted: 8th Sep 2009 01:25
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Right, ive been working hard, And ive come up with a new design. Check it out...

It isnt finished yet, but im going to bed soon adn it'll have to wait till tomorrow.

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HowDo
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Posted: 8th Sep 2009 15:34
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In the forums, the main logo does not take me back to the home page when I clik on it.

to me thats what I expect it to do.

Have you thought of making your menu buttons like the background in the Elusive Design logo?

Dark Physics makes any hot drink go cold.
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Shaun Of The Dead
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Posted: 8th Sep 2009 15:44
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Quote: "Have you thought of making your menu buttons like the background in the Elusive Design logo?"


Sorry HowDo, im not sure what you mean

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Butter fingers
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Posted: 8th Sep 2009 16:26
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When I go here:
http://www.elusive-design.co.uk/index.html
The store button at the top in not highlighted and all the rest are. This makes it look like I'm on the store when I'm not!

In your portfolio video you've said banner's. YOu mean banners. Banner's means that it belongs to banner. I know it's only a small thing. But when people see that you have no grammar skills, they assume you lack other skills too.

Other than that, it's ok.

I want robotic legs.
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HowDo
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Posted: 8th Sep 2009 17:27
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Well you can learn something new everytime on this forum, did not know the rule for 's properly, now you've explained it in away that makes sense.
cheers Butter fingers.

Dark Physics makes any hot drink go cold.
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Sid Sinister
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Posted: 8th Sep 2009 17:59
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How was the google ad process? I noticed you had an ad, and I'll be looking to get something on my site pretty soon. Can you choose which ones will be shown?

"If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants" - Isaac Newton
Current Project: http://strewnfield.wordpress.com/ (Last updated 06/11/09)
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Shaun Of The Dead
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Posted: 8th Sep 2009 18:33
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@ Butterfingers, i dont think what you have said was fair
Quote: "I know it's only a small thing. But when people see that you have no grammar skills
"


I know you mean well, but saying i have no grammar skills because i did this: "banner's" instead "banners" is not very fair. I understand what you say after that, but the comment above is not fair on me at all.

@ Sid Sinister, The google ads process was fairly painless. Fill in your address etc... Then choose which kind of ads you want to block, EG Drugs, Sex, Games, surgery. Then you choose if you want image or text ads, then choose the size and continue. It is simple to use, and you can use the same code on every page and not get all the same ads.

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JoelJ
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Posted: 8th Sep 2009 19:21
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Quote: "Economical priced FPS Creator Modelling Options.

sound better"

No, please no. Not only is it grammatically incorrect (Should be "Economically priced...", but it sounds like you're trying too hard. Try... "Inexpensive FPS Creator Modelling Options" or something.

Your mother has been erased by a mod because it's larger than 600x120
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HowDo
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Posted: 8th Sep 2009 19:23
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my bad could not get google to show me how to put the ly on the end.

Dark Physics makes any hot drink go cold.
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Shaun Of The Dead
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Posted: 8th Sep 2009 20:06
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Thanks guys. Ill change it when im back

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Phaelax
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Posted: 8th Sep 2009 20:34
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Quote: "When it has to be pixel-perfect, it has to be elusive design"

I like that.

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Diggsey
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Posted: 8th Sep 2009 21:09
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My advice:
Design your pages in an image editor, such the GIMP, or whatever you prefer to use. Then, once you are happy with what you have, divide the image up into sections in such a way that the text can be replaced with actual text, and any solid colour can be replaced with html.

Also, work out how the page will resize. If you have a bar across the top for example, make the end pieces separate images, and then make the middle part tile or stretch across the page. Once you have worked out how the page will fit together, you can start actually making it in HTML.

Many people think that you should not use tables because they make the page load more slowly, but if you are new to this, it might be easier to layout your site using tables, putting images and text into the different cells as necessary. (Anyway, web browsers are always getting faster at rendering!)


New DBPro IDE + integrated debugger!
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draknir_
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Posted: 8th Sep 2009 22:09
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http://www.browsershots.org

May be helpful
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Phaelax
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Posted: 9th Sep 2009 00:50
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Quote: "but if you are new to this, it might be easier to layout your site using tables, putting images and text into the different cells as necessary. (Anyway, web browsers are always getting faster at rendering!)"


Oh sure, take the "easy" way out! Nah, I'll agree with you I do find tables easier and you'll rarely have display issues in different browsers. If your design consists of many images pieced together, tables are definitely easier. I used to say the same thing, that tables aren't really that much slower. But tables do tend to add more code and also nothing is displayed in any cells until the whole table is loaded. That's typically frowned upon because you want the user to see something as soon as possible.

If this is only for you, by all means use tables if you like. But if you're doing this to get practice in the industry and hope to develop any sort of marketable skills then you should learn to do it without tables. I've even seen contracts specifically stating they want a tableless design.

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Shaun Of The Dead
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Posted: 9th Sep 2009 17:03
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Thanks for all the help guys. Ill try and use 'tables' more often till im more familiar with web-design itself.

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