Question about layout and design ...

Greetings everyone!!

I hope everyone is having a great day. I on the other hand am having a VERY difficult time making a decision. For this reason, I'm hopeful those with a gift of art, advertising, marketing and/or web-design can lend a most needed helpful hand.

I recently had business cards made up. They look like this:

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'text/html' | Byte size: ZERO

I like the new one as it gets right to the point. It does need some thumbs, though.
The old site galleries were slow loading, even with my cable connection.

OK, interesting observation. I appreciate the feedback and will work on the new (same as business-card design) some more.

Thanks again for your valued feedback, and for taking the tiime to offer your advice and suggestion.

Regards,
Dave

I think I actually like the old site better. It feels a lot more polished... the new one has a cartoonish feel.

But, dude, you need to raise your wedding prices! Although, it is pretty ballsy charging for the pre-wedding consult... so whatever works for you.

Mike ... so you think the pre-wedding consult is unfair? I think based on my low prices it's not too bad. However, I'm certainly open for suggestions if you're willing to share some??

The first site seems more polished? Hmmmmm.... OK, that's another interesting point. Did you also find it slow and dial-up speedish??? This forum has LOTS of knowedgeable people and I welcome any feedback I can get.

Humbly appreciated.
Dave

Not quite.
I guess I just do not understand why you have to have your name in bold and twice on your card.

A business card has one purpose. To tell people
Who you are
What you are
Where you are
How to contact you

A card is not a mini brochure or a sample of your work.

The photo of you and the white background it is on are worth keeping for their simplicity and unique perspective.

Did you pick those colors for the rules/bars? They go a long way to fragment your already busy card.
The fact that you post on line is something you say when handing the card over. Save all the various kinds of photography for your site, that way you can tie in samples.

It is a start but, worth revisiting a somewhat.

By now you are asking "what does HIS card look like"? Well, it ain't much for pretty but it gets business in my niche market. Go here...
http://www.pbase.com/j​pferguson/image/761012​56

Personally I do not understand why people put photos of themselves on their business cards.

Very nice guys, and thanks for the valued feedback. Now, if I may ... (1st) the picture on the business card is not me. My picture is on my profile and avatar here and as you can see I'm quite BALD. That was a card which I accepted the design from VistaPrint and thought I'd make my web-site to match it instead of the way it looks now (for consistancy). I see now, that may have been a bad idea since the card isn't regarded very highly.

Thanks again my friends,
Dave

I didn't think that was you! I wasn't brave enough to say anything since I couldn't understand why someone would have another person's picture on all their stuff!?

Good Luck! Keep on posting stuff, and we'll keep on being brutally honest. (In a lovable kind of way.)

Thanks Mike/Everyone. I never have a problem with constructive critism, so by all means -- fire away.

Regards,
Dave

DOrtiz wrote in post #2924015
That was a card which I accepted the design from VistaPrint and thought I'd make my web-site to match it instead of the way it looks now (for consistancy).

All other criticism aside...

... Don't make YOUR website match Vistaprint's dime-a-dozen, cookie-cutter business card stock art. Especially with some other unknown fella on it.

If you want to tie in a coordinating color or something, that is an ok idea, but dont go nuts on this. as said above the card is just a way to give them your name, not a brochure.

Oh, BTW I have seen your site before and it works ok for me. (the original one) not terribly slow. Not a bad site overall. Definately like the shopping interface.

Hi Mike -- thanks for the feedback and advise my friend. I just re-did the banner (on top of my website) because the original one was driving me crazy. Yes, I certainly agree -- making my website look like Vista's card was a bad idea, and I thank everyone for helping me with this.

Now, on the issue with the banner -- I originally had this one:

HTTP response: 404 | Byte size: ZERO

HTTP response: 404 | Byte size: ZERO

I'm thinking that the black gradient is going too far up into the thumbs?

Yup...I agree, the photos are the focal point (not to be confused with focal length).