Website Review and Suggestions

**FGU** · 06-17-2008, 03:18 PM

I'm looking forward to some feedback on my site. I know lot's of things are out of date so please don't comment about that. Thanks! www.fungamesuniverse.com

**Sneakyheathen** · 06-17-2008, 04:09 PM

First Impression

"This review is going to require me to put down my pizza..."

Design

You said skip the out of date stuff, so i might as well just skip this section, but I won't, because knowing is only half the battle. Now we must explore the options we have (and oh...we have options) to rectify the links embedded in images (SHAME!) made in paint. We can peruse ideas to fix up the complete lack of typography, and we can discuss how your sidebar crashes horribly into the footer, leaving behind a trail of broken borders that makes one want to cry. And oh yes, we shall creatively cleanse that horrific header from atop your..."design."

I'm going to throw a bunch of links at you. Be prepared:

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/04/14/designing-with-grid-based-approach/
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008...mn-techniques/
http://www.colorblender.com/ (color)
http://colormixers.com/mixers/cmr/ (color)
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007...ground-images/
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008...pe-on-the-web/

(yes, I read smashing a lot. I have more from other blogs.) Check those out, think about your design, get back to me. I have more information. Oh, and...get your style out of your HTML files! CSS, my friend, CSS!

Content

The text on the game pages is horrifically tiny. The links should never be standard color. (and..."click me" anchors? SHAME EVEN MORE! It's an SEO nightmare! Just show me the flash loading...) The games themselves are pretty fun. (the one that i got to play, because your HIDEOUS under construction message obstructed my fun. If the game isn't available...don't link to it. At one point, I actually got a gross 404 message, without the right font no less!)

Would I Use It?

Not in it's current condition.

Overall

Re-design time! (seriously...) Get a logo, some navigation that doesn't involve .jpgs, a grid based design where you don't have chaos and clutter at the bottom, and maybe even some typography. If it ain't there, don't link to it! You've got some work to do.

**arcel** · 06-18-2008, 04:44 AM

well, if you don't want to hear that your site looks old...
hmm... i've got nothing to say...

**FGU** · 06-18-2008, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sneakyheathen

First Impression

"This review is going to require me to put down my pizza..."

Design

You said skip the out of date stuff, so i might as well just skip this section, but I won't, because knowing is only half the battle. Now we must explore the options we have (and oh...we have options) to rectify the links embedded in images (SHAME!) made in paint. We can peruse ideas to fix up the complete lack of typography, and we can discuss how your sidebar crashes horribly into the footer, leaving behind a trail of broken borders that makes one want to cry. And oh yes, we shall creatively cleanse that horrific header from atop your..."design."

I'm going to throw a bunch of links at you. Be prepared:

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/04/14/designing-with-grid-based-approach/
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008...mn-techniques/
http://www.colorblender.com/ (color)
http://colormixers.com/mixers/cmr/ (color)
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007...ground-images/
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008...pe-on-the-web/

(yes, I read smashing a lot. I have more from other blogs.) Check those out, think about your design, get back to me. I have more information. Oh, and...get your style out of your HTML files! CSS, my friend, CSS!

Content

The text on the game pages is horrifically tiny. The links should never be standard color. (and..."click me" anchors? SHAME EVEN MORE! It's an SEO nightmare! Just show me the flash loading...) The games themselves are pretty fun. (the one that i got to play, because your HIDEOUS under construction message obstructed my fun. If the game isn't available...don't link to it. At one point, I actually got a gross 404 message, without the right font no less!)

Would I Use It?

Not in it's current condition.

Overall

Re-design time! (seriously...) Get a logo, some navigation that doesn't involve .jpgs, a grid based design where you don't have chaos and clutter at the bottom, and maybe even some typography. If it ain't there, don't link to it! You've got some work to do.

Hey! If you want to rant about my site you can but I personally don't think your's are much better.

1. If you think links in images are bad why don't you just search something in Google and see if the logo is clickable?
2. The header wasn't made in paint. It was made in Paint shop Pro.
3. The sidebar is fine for me so if you want to upload a screenshot, do it.
4. If you say my header is bad, why don't you go check out your own. I personally think mine is better than yours so I'm not getting rid of my "horrific header".
5. If the text is tiny, get glasses! It's fine for me and I never received complaints for it except for you.
6. I like my construction message just fine. I never received any complaints for it either!
7. I also like my 404! If you think it's so bad, check yours! My font is fine, thank you very much.
8. When you said get navigation without .jpgs, look right here!
9. You're calling my site chaos and cluttered? Check your's!

Unless you have anymore comments to tick me off, I'm posting this and logging off.

**mmklon** · 06-18-2008, 01:09 PM

If you did not want feedback on your site, you should not have posted. FGU is pretty spot on about most of what he said, and of course I can not speak for him, but I really don't think he meant it as a personal attack. He brings up some good points. I would accept the criticism and work on your site, because it really needs it.

Just so you can see the difference(keeping in mind these might not even be FGU's sites):

http://www.diligentdesign.net/asdf
http://www.deadlyclever.com/asdf

Your Site:

fungamesuniverse.com/asdf

**LadynRed** · 06-18-2008, 03:20 PM

I have to agree with the above, if you didn't want an HONEST critique you should not have asked !

Now...
Using images for navigation is very bad for accessibility - and not good for search engines either.

Quote:

2. The header wasn't made in paint. It was made in Paint shop Pro.

That doesn't change the fact that it's not all that great of a header, it looks very amateurish. At the very least, make it so the edges blend into the solid black background.

Quote:

3. The sidebar is fine for me so if you want to upload a screenshot, do it.

While it's not broken on my end, it IS crammed against the left side and sitting over there as it is makes the whole layout unbalanced.

Quote:

5. If the text is tiny, get glasses! It's fine for me and I never received complaints for it except for you.

You miss the ENTIRE point of a web site - it's not about YOU, it's about your VISITORS. Not everyone is you, not everyone is 15 with perfect eyesight, and when you nail a font size with px or pts, you prevent anyone using IE from making the text READABLE for THEM.

Quote:

6. I like my construction message just fine. I never received any complaints for it either!

"Under Construction" should just not be used, it's just bad form if nothing else.

Quote:

7. I also like my 404! If you think it's so bad, check yours! My font is fine, thank you very much.

I didn't see your 404, but again, web sites are not about YOU!

The overall site looks like a refugee from 1995. That all-things-centered string of 'stuff' is soooooo old. You need to update it using MODERN web design methods.

I'm not even going to get into your code.. much. Divs inside <p> tags ?? Bad coding; <font> tags ?? horrible. I'm not gonna go any deeper, it's pretty ugly under there.

**Sneakyheathen** · 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FGU

Hey! If you want to rant about my site you can but I personally don't think your's are much better.

1. If you think links in images are bad why don't you just search something in Google and see if the logo is clickable?
2. The header wasn't made in paint. It was made in Paint shop Pro.
3. The sidebar is fine for me so if you want to upload a screenshot, do it.
4. If you say my header is bad, why don't you go check out your own. I personally think mine is better than yours so I'm not getting rid of my "horrific header".
5. If the text is tiny, get glasses! It's fine for me and I never received complaints for it except for you.
6. I like my construction message just fine. I never received any complaints for it either!
7. I also like my 404! If you think it's so bad, check yours! My font is fine, thank you very much.
8. When you said get navigation without .jpgs, look right here!
9. You're calling my site chaos and cluttered? Check your's!

Unless you have anymore comments to tick me off, I'm posting this and logging off.

"Yours" possessive, has no apostrophe. I never said my sites were perfect (does everyone really think my portfolio is going to stay a white webpage with the copy slapped up there? I should just take down my sig links...) And I wasn't ranting.

(1) Makes no sense...but I assume you meant it offensively.
(2) Yes well...you wouldn't know it.
(3)

^^ If you want the subscribe to be in the footer, cool. It still looks cluttered.

(4) Which header? The placeholder logo on my "portfolio" or the logo on my blog? And should I feel threatened by the quotation marks? I'm not.
(5) I have glasses, and who did you ask?
(6) Again, who's going to email someone and be like, "hey, you're construction page sucks!" That'd be a ridiculous waste of time. The image is pixely, and just looks off-putting.
(7) My pages don't have broken links? Heck, my "portfolio" doesn't have links...and once again - under construction.
(8) That's not a navigation list. That's the games list. And yeah, there's a diff. Navigation is the global way of getting around your site. I wouldn't expect you to make image links for every game anyways...
(9) Dude, do you have a money contract with apostrophes? "yours" Also, what did you find cluttered about my one white page of paragraphs? Or was it the blog, because supposedly it has IE issues. (hence, le' redesign.)

@mmklon

Wait...those links are my sites. Are you talking to me? Or to FGU? (that was my review too...and I'm a girl.)

LadynRed makes some good points. Please don't personally attack me in public for looking at your site and trying to be helpful. I apologize for perhaps stating my opinions roughly, but the base opinions still stand.

**Convert2Ryan** · 06-18-2008, 08:05 PM

Checked it...

No comment from me, you've had enough to look at from the other members.

**ArsonistX** · 06-19-2008, 12:51 AM

I would take Sneakyheathen's opinion for granted, if it was my site. Nobody is making fun of you, nor your website. You can't give an honest review by lying about it, so the truth is what Sneakyheathen told. If it were my site I would do everything he said and then more.

**SiteFlipAcademy** · 06-19-2008, 02:13 AM

Sneakyheathen is right, hope you'll find the adjustments for your site. It really need a design and this is for your own good.

**FGU** · 10:37 PM

Sneakyheathen, I apologize about my earlier post. At first glance it got me sort of cross but now I figured that you were just trying to help. I'm redesigning and I need some personal opinions. I'm looking for a nice background to fit in with the awesome logo FoundationFlash made me. I found another cool site with plenty of backgrounds. It's at www.designdrops.com. Any suggestions? Thanks! Also, any suggestions to where to put my text links? You might want to know that the services link doesn't work on deadlyclever.com

EDIT: Wow, Smashing has alot, too! http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008...la-wallpapers/

**Sneakyheathen** · 06-25-2008, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FGU

Sneakyheathen, I apologize about my earlier post. At first glance it got me sort of cross but now I figured that you were just trying to help. I'm redesigning and I need some personal opinions. I'm looking for a nice background to fit in with the awesome logo FoundationFlash made me. I found another cool site with plenty of backgrounds. It's at www.designdrops.com. Any suggestions? Thanks! Also, any suggestions to where to put my text links? You might want to know that the services link doesn't work on deadlyclever.com

EDIT: Wow, Smashing has alot, too! http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008...la-wallpapers/

No problem, and I'm fully aware that the link doesn't work on Deadly Clever, because I'm lazy and it's still under construction.

On backgrounds:

Backgrounds

The background should compliment the website color scheme, but it shouldn't be amazingly busy. Use patterns that blend in (unless it's on an emphasized element, like a title or header) and add texture, but don't distract. (Diligent Design has one of these...in my opinion) Here's a few more examples:

http://www.jeffsarmiento.com/
http://pointlessramblings.com/
http://www.viget.com/extend
http://bradfrostweb.com/blog/
http://blog.popstalin.com/

Put your text links where the image ones are now...just use inline display with a list.

**FGU** · 06-26-2008, 06:50 PM

Sorry if I don't understand much. I haven't learned CSS yet. What would the code be for an inline list?

**Sneakyheathen** · 06-27-2008, 09:30 AM

#menu ul {
list-style: none;
padding: 0px;
margin: 0px;
}

#menu li {
list-style-image: none;
display: inline;
}

Visit this site for all of your coding needs!

**FGU** · 06-27-2008, 08:46 PM

For some reason Microsoft Frontpage 2000 (Yes, I know. It's really old.) keeps on moving the script to the <head> area. Is it supposed to do that? Also, it doesn't show on the preview. Is it supposed to do that? It also doesn't show in preview. Is it supposed to? Again, I apologize for being the last person to not learn CSS.