Uh-oh...i'm starting to enjoy this
- Please note, if i ever come off rude or harsh, I'm sorry! I just take reviewing things seriously... -
Constructive Review:
Initial Reaction (the first words that came to mind): "Clean"
Second Reaction: "Joomla! 1.0.x - I know it's not, but that's what i see..."
Third Reaction: "Double Title??" (ref the header followed by "Superior Radiant Barrier Insulation.")
Layout(8/10):
Overall, your layout is really good, it's very clean, and very straightforward. When i said that it reminds me of a Joomla! layout, that's a pretty good thing, as i particularly
like Joomla!'s layout.
There's just a few problems...
First: you've got a double menu thing going on. That's not necessarily a problem, and in most cases is ok, but it would be best if the menu on the left was a more detailed one, you don't really need the menu repeated. Some users, particularly users who are not as familiar with the web, can get a little confused with redundancy.
If you were to make the top menu a drop down with additional categories, and then add those to the menu on the left, it would be more appropriate IMHO.
CSS specific: You need to adjust your padding in the questions box - probably need to add at
the least 4px. to the padding.
Consider: Using an external CSS file for this project. CSS is very useful for streamlining and making site wide changes with a quick change in a centralized location, by changing the dec. for one id tag, everything can be changed quickly. W3cSchools has some very good tutorials on CSS. As it stands now, editing the entire site once it's complete will be a nightmare. You're using Dreamweaver, right? (The Spry's are a pretty good indication) If so, use DW's CSS properties to link each page with a css.css page, and edit global div id's instead.
I'd also use a custom bullet graphic for the menu on the left if you decide to keep it. The standard UL bullets are a little too stock for a nav.
What's the difference between FAQ and Info? Maybe make Info into About us...
Overall, though your layout is
solid
Concept(9/10):
Clean, clear, detailed site explaining exactly what is going on with this company. You can't get much better than that.
Design/Color(7/10):
Ok, two major things stand out to me here.
Firstly, it's your pictures and graphics. The logo in the header is good, but i just don't think the white background is doing it for me. That's not to say that it isn't appropriate, but it just looks bland. For starters though,
this is probably the best independent contractor/construction site i've seen in a very long time. So that's worth, like what, 5 million points?
Further on the pictures, the windmill, followed by the hands, followed by the boy - well, they don't join properly, it's off balance due to the heavy #FDFDFD background behind the hands. Also, you can just tell that it's not #FFF so it breaks with your white background. My eyes are drawn automatically to the right because of that balance issue, and there's no particular reason to adjust the flow of my reading the way that the site is laid out. You should want me to see the mission statement, i would think.
You've also doubled up on the picture of the rolled aluminum, and the one on the right has a bg of #FFF, which clashes with the #F7F7F7 of that panel's bg. Consider a border, or some other way of blending.
Secondly, it's the bar at the bottom, that transition is just too rough.
Consider: adding a drop shadow to the transition at the top of that bar., that would give it a sense of depth, and bring out the footer. Make the drop shadow deeper on the left and right panels to further enhance the sense of depth that you have already created
Also, the black border around the right pane is a little harsh. It's good to offset that, but use something a little less drastic. And consider the menus at the left, they have a 3d-ish top, but the outline is 2d. Not bad, but... lacking.
Your fonts aren't uniform, the panel on the left (the one with the mission statement) is not the same font as the panel on the right, or in the sidebars. It looks off, mostly because you are mixing Sans-Serif with Serif.
And, finally, consider changing the mission statement from red to bold black. Just my personal preference, really, but the red seems a bit too much of a transition. The blue links work well on this site in the main area, they actually go with the color of the sidebars, but in the sidebars, I'd highly recommend you not use blue... I guess you could but that's blue on blue when the rest of the site has a different type of contrast.
Overall(7/10):
Good start on this site - it really could be a boost to sales for the company when you finish it. A good web presence is the way things are done these days, and this site is definitely on the straight path.
I would consider making some minor tweaks to the layout and using a linked CSS doc to save yourself some headache when you have to edit the embedded CSS on 6 or 7 pages! It always seems like the first template you make will be the last, but there are always the little changes you have to make later on that haunt you!
Dev.
