Website Review and Suggestions

**dansgalaxy** · 12-08-2007, 05:15 PM

Hey all,

I need some opinions etc about design, content/text, usability, code etc.

http://calm.dansgalaxy.co.uk

need some pointers whats good whats bad

thanks
TP for useful reviews

**jamestl2** · 12-10-2007, 04:27 AM

Well, since no one else gave a re-review yet, I suppose I'll be the first

(I'll be reviewing in the FF browser)

Not completely sure why you have a "Kids area", the Kids home page just has a welcome sentence, nothing more?

Not so sure about your text enlargening options (At first, I wasn't sure what those icons were), maybe make larger increments in sizes, so theres only a total of 5 or so, instead of 15 or 20 clicks.

You still have a few multiple menu links that point to the same pages (ie: "Donate" and "How to help > Donating").

On your site map page you have two headers one entitled "Site Map" and another "Site Content" (with a box around it), not sure why the second one's there.

On your "useful links page", you have a lot of empty, wasted space, with just a drop down menu. Along with a thin "Please select..." line of text. Maybe make that bigger? Then, when you open the drop down up, there are 5 to 6 "blank spaces" (in between, Cancer-CLIC and CLIC-Swindon).

Also on your "CALM" Logo, the "L" is sightly taller than the other letters, is it suppose to look like that?

One last note, is that on most of your pages, there is a lot of empty "white space" (in between your side menu and your footer). If the turtle is suppose to be a watermark type of image, couldn't you just connect those two spaces?

Other than that, the site still looks nice, and functions very well

**wiredfreak** · 12-10-2007, 10:23 AM

website loads fast.
simple and plain.
no broken links.
links are clear and easy to navigate.

However,
The website lacks of images
I'm not convinced with the write-ups
Design wise, it's not really attractive
You have 9 Errors in the index page, meaning you failed the HTML Validation

That's my 2 cents for now.

**dansgalaxy** · 12-10-2007, 01:00 PM

Ok, it should now be valid it was stupid things like comments with ---> and not -->
and i found the style equiv to <nobr> which was also causeing a error.

With the CALM logo its one of those, its their logo i can use anything else

- i have had someone design high quality professional ones btw which im hopeing can be used eventually

With regards to the text i will be going over it all and finalising it all tomorrow night when i have a meeting with the two committee liasons to get the content sorted hopefully.

**fastreplies** · 01:59 PM

Dan,

This one is way better than the one you had before. Changing page BG is nice touch.

Using G. map is good idea too although I would change it to Map view by default. In kids area move ‘Kind Stuff’ box below the text. I don’t know about what you can see but in my browser text is jumping down the page.

Useful links page …. See for yourself

This site is crying for images. I surprised that they don’t have pictures of events that you can use to spice it up otherwise very clean looking site

fastreplies

**dansgalaxy** · 12-10-2007, 04:11 PM

Thanks for the feedback Fastreplies,
I KNOW!!! they have no images

im hoping once the sites up, hopefully families will be more willing to provide photos but from what i know it seems to be the whole issue of consent forms and what to do if a child unfortunatly dies etc. - i have even created a photo disclosure form which as far as i know covers it all so hopefully i can arrange with the charity and try to get families to sign and get them in and start using photos!

What is your Browser/and screen res?

i know it had some issues and it *should* be ok for 800*600

**fastreplies** · 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dansgalaxy

What is your Browser/and screen res?

i know it had some issues and it *should* be ok for 800*600

I am using 1024 x 786 IE 6 but it looks the same in FF
I think you need to adjust DIV for that page.

As to pictures, I meant more like general snaps of nature, some nice tranquil
images very Neutral in appearance. Maybe Forrest can give you a few of his shots.

Something else
Your menu part would better off if you use the same green to replace white space below it

fastreplies

**dansgalaxy** · 12-10-2007, 07:02 PM

okay i think i might know whats causing that it seems to be a thing where the total width of the two internal divs must equal 99% not 100% or something similar i will have to have a look

i really must try and find some good snaps to put on there its a point everyone seems to say.

for now though i think i will hold off until tomorrow, when i have this meeting im hoping we can properly get some feedback from the charity, i still have to get the thing officallly approved after its finished, boy have i learnt committees are a slow beast!

**reyres** · 12-10-2007, 07:31 PM

Quick Review:you should add some photos of some kids or something.

**fastreplies** · 12-10-2007, 08:32 PM

dansgalaxy

I'm glad you found my review/suggestions useful

fastreplies

**dansgalaxy** · 12-16-2007, 03:12 PM

TP Given, sorry guys i forgot

Anymore i have added a few more bits, changed the useful links complete, need to make em a bit better but i have taken wikipedias idea and have added a little grpahich on external links.

also the events. which is killing me with the pagination at the moment

i did it and it was working, and not realiseing i undo'ed a few too many edited and saved yuplaoded and the realsied i had removed the pagination! >< so now its completely muffed up and im clueless

**Paraiba** · 12-16-2007, 05:34 PM

You can get some very good photos at very reasonable prices from iStockPhoto. Smaller ones are $1 each.

**Paraiba** · 12-16-2007, 05:38 PM

and in Firefox your text resize buttons don't do much. The bottom of the page jumps a bit but that's it.

**jamestl2** · 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dansgalaxy

TP Given, sorry guys i forgot

Don't worry much about it

, we're glad to help (Actually, I was more concerned with whether you liked my review or not

)

Quote:

Originally Posted by dansgalaxy

Anymore i have added a few more bits, changed the useful links complete, need to make em a bit better but i have taken wikipedias idea and have added a little grpahich on external links.

The "Useful Links" page now looks MUCH better.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dansgalaxy

also the events. which is killing me with the pagination at the moment i did it and it was working, and not realiseing i undo'ed a few too many edited and saved yuplaoded and the realsied i had removed the pagination! >< so now its completely muffed up and im clueless

Don't think you need "Events > Events", just one should do (if that's what you were referring to, that is).

One final thing I noticed is that when you change the text size, it doesn't stay that way. When you go to a new page, it just reverts back to the default size, that may annoy some users, as some may want the size they choose to stay that way when they navigate the site.

Anyway, the site's progressing nicely, keep up the good work

.

**fastreplies** · 12-17-2007, 03:28 AM

Much better but... after going over all your pages,
my browser freezed and then crashed, hmmm

Oh, thanks for TP man

fastreplies

**dansgalaxy** · 12-17-2007, 10:17 AM

As far as i know that would be ur fault not mine

Thanks

With the events its because i changed it and havnt got round to removing it

My problem with events is at the moment its done so when u login it shows extra events acordign to your rank so admin sees admin events committee sees committee meetings etc.
and anyway i had done pagination for it and got it all working fine and exactly what i wanted. then i did something and pushed undo repeatedly edited it and saved and uplaoded.. then realised i had undone all the pagination stuff and now i cant get it working

**dansgalaxy** · 12-17-2007, 12:16 PM

YAY!

The stupid nerd figured it out!

My Paginations working

im happy.

Anyway back n topic Crit the site

Merry Xmas All!

Also, Can someone please help with arguments for and against a Privacy Policy and Terms for the website, i personally think they are needed even if it doesnt have user registration etc, however one of the liasons from the charity thinks it gives a "harse" view of the charity, and isnt needed.

So can anyone give me some point to try and smooth it in

or alternativly make me think that it isnt good to have.
at the moment im going with the people who actually read it are either worried/interested about how the site uses collects data and if they dont care or dont know they wont read a page and a bit of writing anyway.

Thanks

**fastreplies** · 12-17-2007, 03:28 PM

Privacy a must
Terms - forget it.

fastreplies

**Paraiba** · 12-17-2007, 04:12 PM

Terms and conditions are really only needed if people are buying or signing up for stuff.

If there's an email facility of any kind then terms and conditions are absolutely needed to tell people what will or will not be done with their email address at the very least.

**dansgalaxy** · 12-17-2007, 04:28 PM

Well isnt the terms how the site should be used? and the privacy policy is how info delt with?

Terms: 1
Privacy: 2

More feedback welcome