My New Website [Archive] - Canon Digital Photography Forums

sapearl

27th of January 2010 (Wed), 18:53

Hi Reeta and welcome to POTN - you'll find it a pretty interesting place I think.

Your site has promise and I like the images but had a little bit of difficulty viewing it. I've got pretty fast DSL but the pages/images were not flowing smoothly. I'm also running 1280x1024 and your screens were still exceeding that size. Most folks don't view that large.

Also, your menu buttons disappear once you go to the contact page. I couldn't find the mute/off button for the music. I actually like your selections but keep in mind that not everybody can view a site with music blaring from their machine.

I don't mean to be critical, but I think you've got a strong start here that can be made better.

EastCoast Captures

27th of January 2010 (Wed), 20:01

Thats some good points sapearl and will definatley take it on board and make some changes.

Thanks for you suggestions.

tomd

27th of January 2010 (Wed), 20:02

Retta, Welcome to the POTN forum!

sapearl

27th of January 2010 (Wed), 20:07

You're welcome - I hope you didn't take it personally. A lot of folks "float" their sites here for critique and we can sometimes be a rough crowd.... but in a constructive way.;) We've seen some great ones and some that are a little less than great. And in the mean time it's a great forum to discuss all things photographic.

Thats some good points sapearl and will definatley take it on board and make some changes.

Thanks for you suggestions.

EastCoast Captures

27th of January 2010 (Wed), 20:34

No i didnt take it personally at all.

Thanks Tomd for the welcome.

reddragon

27th of January 2010 (Wed), 21:19

i cant see it
as the front page is flash and im at work on old computers so cant update flash
how about an html version

SwitchBlade

28th of January 2010 (Thu), 05:59

It's far too big for screen and horizontal scrolling is evil. For viewers without flash you just offer a plain black page not even a "You need flash" warning. This is very bad as people will just assume that you have nothing there and not bother coming back.

Jonta

28th of January 2010 (Thu), 06:10

SwitchBlade: "You need flashplayer version X" is evil.

1: Horizontal scroll in 1024*768
2: Slow
3: Rubbishy stars that float out from the sun in your logo. Not smooth, but laggy.
4: Favicon
5: Title. Revise. Far too complicated.
6: URL. Very long. Cut photography. At least have both domains.
7: Inconsistent style
8: Images are jagged
9: Aaargh! MUSIC on website!
10: I want your e-mail-address
11: "Your Name" etc -> "Name"
12: No header
13: Same URL all the time

Can't go into further detail because of the music. The music I listen to while browsing the web is better.

EastCoast Captures

28th of January 2010 (Thu), 08:55

I cant do anything in regards to the same url, that i know of through wix.
Can i ask what you mean when you say images are jaggered.
What is favicon?
Title too complicated, what East Coast Captures?
As stated above, I will be making changes to the music by adding a mute button, not everybody doesnt like music on a website.

Everyone has different tastes in music, thats harsh and a totally ridiculous thing to comment on.

EastCoast Captures

28th of January 2010 (Thu), 08:56

SwitchBlade

28th of January 2010 (Thu), 11:07

SwitchBlade: "You need flashplayer version X" is evil.

Indeed but better than showing someone a blank screen so they think your page is dead. Better is to give an HTML option even if it is basic.

Didn't notice the music, must have had the sound muted on my laptop. NEVER play music at people from your website, it'll only have them close it fast.

binliner

28th of January 2010 (Thu), 11:15

To add to what has already been said... From a design point of view, I find the home page lacking in focus. The images seem randomly scattered about and as they're all of a similar size none of them stand out so my eye is wandering around the page not knowing what to look at first.

Just my opinion and if it sounds harsh, it's not meant that way

Jonta

28th of January 2010 (Thu), 12:00

Switchblade: No HTML-alternative just isn't a realistic option.I cant do anything in regards to the same url, that i know of through wix.1: Users neither know, nor care. 2: Your loss.Can i ask what you mean when you say images are jaggered.Yes you can. I'm just going to assume that you are going to do so in the future, and answer straight away: Jagged images are semisynonymous to pixelated images. In other words: It looks like their resolutions are too low.What is favicon?The same as Google and Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Favicon).Title too complicated, what East Coast Captures?The title on your website is "Wix.com - Exhibition built by eastcoastcaptures based on Alternative Arcade"As stated above, I will be making changes to the music by adding a mute buttonNo, you will remove the music (http://stackoverflow.com/questions/481181/web-usability-background-music).not everybody doesnt like music on a website.The few that like it aren't worth it.Everyone has different tastes in music, thats harsh and a totally ridiculous thing to comment on.I know the music on your website, you don't know my music. Therefore, I can judge which is the best.

Look; Internetusers are harsh in their way of thinking. Do you know the number of other websites they could be on instead of yours? Do you know how many other websites they have been on? Do you know how picky they are?

What I present as my own views (which I am often resented for at POTN), are more akin to the unexpressed views of many internetusers. You said you wouldn't take this to the personal level, and neither do I.

Have a Happy January.

sapearl

28th of January 2010 (Thu), 12:29

Wow - I'm pretty impressed that you're so sure at such a young age Jonta :D.
I admire your confidence.;)

Perhaps one day your viewpoints will broaden a bit. You'll discover at some point that often it's the folks who may not agree to your way of thinking or - even mine for that matter - than can be the lucrative clients who would be in a position to purchase the goods or services on your website.

......The few that like it aren't worth it...............

Jonta

28th of January 2010 (Thu), 14:15

Wow - I'm pretty impressed that you're so sure at such a young age Jonta :D.
I admire your confidence.;)*is flattered*

The absolute majority of what I write is based on "Don't make me think (http://www.sensible.com/)" (book) by Steve Krug, and "User Interface Design for Programmers (http://www.joelonsoftware.com/uibook/fog0000000249.html)" (online article) by Joel Spolsky. Or at least; I recommend these to people who design websites.

Part is from experience. I use the internet myself, and am part of a community of people knowledgeable of IT and the likes, which is often highly critical, and where my viewpoints would not be seen as extreme at all. Every so often, people are offended by the seeming lack of care I have for the threadstarter's feeling, or rough comments I give. No, I do not wrap my views in sugar, I refuse to take the time for it. No, I will not list positive things, that is for other people to do, and I do not see the point in me doing the same. Only very occasionally will I say something I like about the page.

Yes; I am working on a solution for giving feedback, where the reasons are properly explained.Perhaps one day your viewpoints will broaden a bit. You'll discover at some point that often it's the folks who may not agree to your way of thinking or - even mine for that matter - than can be the lucrative clients who would be in a position to purchase the goods or services on your website.I am not sure which of my points can validly be classified as a point of view. A lot of research is done on the field of usability.

You specifically quote my saying of "the few that like it, aren't worth it". I really recommend you read the SO-thread I linked to; lots of great reasons for keeping music away from websites there.

Bottom line: Its negative effects are much greater than the positive effects.

sapearl

28th of January 2010 (Thu), 14:28

Oh, don't get me wrong - I hate being blasted by music the moment I enter a website, especially with no sign of an OFF SWITCH. A lot of folks view at work, while some just enjoy the quiet solitude of their home, and loud music can be a nasty surprise.

I work in IT also - have been in the network end since '93. I understand the importance of helpful criticism but have always viewed constructive commentary as more helpful to the novice and more encouraging in the long run. I also believe in saying good things too..... offering praise where I feel it has been earned. There's nothing wrong with being nice now and then - it makes for a more enjoyable world ;).

*is flattered*

The absolute majority of what I write is based on "Don't make me think (http://www.sensible.com/)" (book) by Steve Krug, and "User Interface Design for Programmers (http://www.joelonsoftware.com/uibook/fog0000000249.html)" (online article) by Joel Spolsky. Or at least; I recommend these to people who design websites.

Part is from experience. I use the internet myself, and am part of a community of people knowledgeable of IT and the likes, which is often highly critical, and where my viewpoints would not be seen as extreme at all. Every so often, people are offended by the seeming lack of care I have for the threadstarter's feeling, or rough comments I give. No, I do not wrap my views in sugar, I refuse to take the time for it. No, I will not list positive things, that is for other people to do, and I do not see the point in me doing the same. Only very occasionally will I say something I like about the page......

cdwise

28th of January 2010 (Thu), 15:22

I find the site homepage very attractive but I wouldn't stay on it because of the horizontal scroll. I'm also not wild about the moving stars or the purple jell buttons but the concept I like. Unfortunately, as soon as I clicked to another page the difference in style between the gallery page and the home page was jarring. Then music started playing so I was out of there. Music as others pointed out is a very personal choice and people frequently browse the net in situations where it is inappropriate for music to suddenly appear. Then there is the copyright issue re permission to use the chosen music on your site.

More people are looking at sites on their iPhone/iPods which have no Flash support whatsover. When the iPad actually starts appearing in people's hands that's a problem that is only going to get worse for Flash only sites.

Just a few things to think about.

jjaenagle

28th of January 2010 (Thu), 16:32

Switchblade: No HTML-alternative just isn't a realistic option.1: Users neither know, nor care. 2: Your loss.Yes you can. I'm just going to assume that you are going to do so in the future, and answer straight away: Jagged images are semisynonymous to pixelated images. In other words: It looks like their resolutions are too low.The same as Google and Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Favicon).The title on your website is "Wix.com - Exhibition built by eastcoastcaptures based on Alternative Arcade"No, you will remove the music (http://stackoverflow.com/questions/481181/web-usability-background-music).The few that like it aren't worth it.I know the music on your website, you don't know my music. Therefore, I can judge which is the best.

Look; Internetusers are harsh in their way of thinking. Do you know the number of other websites they could be on instead of yours? Do you know how many other websites they have been on? Do you know how picky they are?

What I present as my own views (which I am often resented for at POTN), are more akin to the unexpressed views of many internetusers. You said you wouldn't take this to the personal level, and neither do I.

Have a Happy January.

WOW... really?

the site was not one of my favorites, but it was very unique - which i really appreciated... everyone pretty much pointed out the minuses, but hopefully you will find some GOOD advice here.

doubledragon

28th of January 2010 (Thu), 16:46

i think everyone's being too nice here... my experience while on your website was similar to a root canal.

everything was bad. I could say "lose the music" or "change this or that" but that is missing the point.

scrap it and start over.

MLphoto

29th of January 2010 (Fri), 01:55

Welcome... I took a few minutres browsing your site... The most obvious thing to be is all the cheesy designs used... Remember this is a photography website, the focus needs to be pointed at your photos. I found most time looking at your design and background than the actual pictures.

Jonta

29th of January 2010 (Fri), 02:25

There's nothing wrong with being nice now and then - it makes for a more enjoyable world ;).Mm, this just gives me new motivation to work on the solution.everything was bad. I could say "lose the music" or "change this or that" but that is missing the point.

scrap it and start over.Yeah... so, wait... what? "everything was bad". Well; 1: You are wrong. 2: What is the threadstarter supposed to do with such rubbish information?

binliner

29th of January 2010 (Fri), 03:12

Yeah... so, wait... what? "everything was bad". Well; 1: You are wrong.

This is all about opinion and that is his opinion, other people are allowed to have them and just because you don't agree with them it doesn't make them 'wrong'!

Jonta

29th of January 2010 (Fri), 05:30

This is all about opinion and that is his opinion, other people are allowed to have them and just because you don't agree with them it doesn't make them 'wrong'!True. It is, however, quite useless to say "everything was bad" and "scrap it and start over.". How is the threadstarter supposed to be able to improve the site with such advice?

Pearlallica

29th of January 2010 (Fri), 13:11

lol, ok, i'm usually pretty restrained about blurting out harsh criticism, but this site takes the cake. But... hmm, actually, I'd probably be best to leave it at that. I'm a graduated designer and even my fellow peers didn't quite "get it". Not everybody has the designer's eye. I could only handle looking at the site for a few seconds... had to shut 'er down. Looked like a mangled DVD menu from a low budget 'fast and the furious' look alike movie. And what's with the mile-long domain name? Who is going to remember all of that? Ok, I'm sincerely sorry. I'm being a snobby ass and it's really not like me. It's nothing personal. Not a jab at you. I just thought you may want to get an insight from someone's initial glance at your site.... because... first impressions are so very important. I'm sure you'll get good pointers on the actual content which I was too snotty to provide. Sorry... lol.. I just couldn't do it :)

Jonta

3rd of February 2010 (Wed), 14:45

DarkKnight369

5th of February 2010 (Fri), 14:32

Right.

Pearlallica, doubledragon and others who've basically said "Start over. This isn't any good": What is the threadstarter supposed to learn from this?

1: Realise that you do not need flash. XHTML and CSS are great.
2: Learn the basics of webdesign. I reccomend the highly googlable "Don't make me think" by Steve Krug, and "User Interface Design for Programmers" by Joel Spolsky.
3: Make your website, and usability-test it. That last bit might sound scary, but it isn't any worse than grabbing a familymember and asking for a brutally honest opinion. You are more than welcome to send me a PM if you wish me to test it.
4: Simplification + Usability = Right direction.

+1 This person knows what they are talking about...

Having an all flash site is generally a bad idea. It can completely kill your search engine optimization. Supposedly Google can read text out of the flash player, but its not nearly as good as reading XHTML sites. Google looks for text off your top level page, and if you have a flash file there instead its not helping in your rankings. Flash should only be used for a purpose and when necessary.

I am not trying to be mean, but the design of this site is simply terrible. I would say it would drive more business away than it would bring it. My suggestion would be to google modern web design, web 2.0, modern photographer websites. Get a feel for current web trends, where web design is going, and what cutting edge sites look like.

TomM1

5th of February 2010 (Fri), 15:12

The music and flash effects are annoying and distract from the photos.
The reason for using flash on websites often seems to be "because I can".:rolleyes:

photoguy6405

5th of February 2010 (Fri), 16:43

The music and flash effects are annoying and distract from the photos.
The reason for using flash on websites often seems to be "because I can".:rolleyes:
This.

IMHO, of course. ;)

Karl Johnston

5th of February 2010 (Fri), 18:36

I have to agree with doubledragon, though I hope the OP finds an alternative website or someone who can design them with one.

CanonGolfer

5th of February 2010 (Fri), 20:30

Ehh. The sparkley stars on the homepage are very distracting and there doesn't seem to be a very good "flow" to the website.

FELINEDEBOURGES

10th of February 2010 (Wed), 13:04

I know many have already said it, but I'll say it again, the website is just too wide. I'm on a widescreen display and I have to scroll a good 2 inches to the right and down, that is really annoying, in fact it should be formatted to fit a standart non-widescreen for those who have a traditional display. Annoying is Not what you want your website to be. The swirly star graphic was cute for about 10 seconds, can it be made so it's there just while the page is loading and then goes away?