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Would like some feedback on my portfolio website


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Would like some feedback on my portfolio website
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World Leader Pretend
Ruling teh World
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Boston, MA
 
2009-10-15, 21:32

Hey all, I haven't been all that active around here lately.. school and everything has kept me pretty busy.

I have overhauled my old portfolio website completely.. started from scratch and rebuilt it. I wanted to make it easier on the eyes but also professional looking. I also didn't want it looking like a grey blob, so I mixed in colors codes for my nav scheme. Overall I wanted to keep it fairly minimalist with the primary focus on the work, not the site.

I used iWeb, but mostly just for its photo interface. I really like how it provides lots of options while making adding photos ultra easy. It also looks pretty professional. A new feature I love in the new iWeb is the publish to FTP option, which has made making small changes to the site so much easier. I'd like to make the site something that I can add content to consistently and quickly, so I can document new projects and add them to the site in the same day.

Any comments you have would be fantastic! I'm open to working with the layout and features.. this is definitely a 1.0 type of design.

LINK TO SITE
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Swox
OK Mr. Sunshine!
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Toronto
 
2009-10-15, 22:06

Some words over the coloured blocks at the bottom would be nice maybe? Some people don't have the status bar on, so they wouldn't know where they were going. But I'm no web designer, so I don't know really.

Otherwise, looked pretty nice on my quick first pass.

Do not be oppressed by the forces of ignorance and delusion! But rise up now with resolve and courage! Entranced by ignorance, from beginningless time until now, You have had more than enough time to sleep. So do not slumber any longer, but strive after virtue with body, speech, and mind!
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ezkcdude
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
 
2009-10-16, 07:17

There is not enough contrast between your name and the background image on the home page. Other than that, I like your design.
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BuonRotto
Not sayin', just sayin'
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Durham, NC
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2009-10-16, 07:59

I would make the triangles under the gallery page name at the top smaller. I would also consider putting the home icon to one side and not necessarily stack it on top of the page title. The color box page guide at the bottom should have a stronger connection to the equivalent header items.

In terms of content, I would also emphasize and expound on fewer projects, taking only your absolute best work instead of a more catalog-like approach. You might have a page dedicated to a single project for interior architecture and show how each image relates to one another and to an overriding concept with a short (no more than 5 sentences) blurb about it. More depth and less range would be good. That's not to say don't show range of work, just find fewer examples and people will connect the dots in between on their own.

I like that you haven't over-done the production and tried to make the web page itself some Rue Goldberg contraption that somehow both encapsulates a project concept and makes it f&*%$ing impossible to navigate. Keep the layout simple, focus on content.

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World Leader Pretend
Ruling teh World
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Boston, MA
 
2009-10-16, 19:41

Thanks guys! Yeah I'll probably trim down some of my stuff and add descriptions later, I just threw most of my iPhoto albums up for now. It'll just mean adding a lot more pages.

I agree that the nav scheme needs some work. I'm trying to make it more symbol based, but I'll have to make it clearer. The colored boxes seem to just confuse people (they just correspond to the color coded page).

Maybe ditch the default iWeb scheme of links at the top of the page and add a side navbar? Or maybe keep it and give them colors? I like the symmetry though.. I'll have to tinker with it for a while.

Thanks for the feedback guys!
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Is it 1981?
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Londontown
 
2009-10-17, 20:16

I think BuonRutto's right when he suggests reducing the amount of work you've got on your site. I do like the simplicity of the layout, though – apart from the sometimes intimidating amount of work, there's not too much else distracting.

I'd get rid of the separate pages with nothing but more sub-menus (like the "main" page and 2D+3D), too. For inspiration, the layout on my own portfolio is modelled on that of Kiosk (a favourite studio of mine); just have all your work on a single page with a well-designed navigation system. Not sure if that system is a bit too limiting for you, but might be of some help.


Helvetica is my bitch.
System: 27" iMac i7, 2TB, 8GB RAM, Mac OS X Snow Leopard
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