Website Review and Suggestions

**feros** · 11-09-2008, 09:17 PM

I just finished my "personal professional" blog/portfolio redesign:

http://www.mattcoddington.com

Tell me what you think

**Sneakyheathen** · 11-10-2008, 11:05 PM

Nobody has responeded yet, so I guess I'll do my thing and deliver you an in depth review. Hope you don't mind.

First Impression

"GIANT HEADER OF DOOM!"

Design

I really like the concepts and colors you've got going on! The use of icons is a really nice touch.

I do have a few suggestions, though:

The top is hit-you-in-the-face big, and the rest is way too tiny. I would highly suggest scaling down the header on the main page. It looks fine on the other pages. I would also personally give the posting area some kind of light background, to make the text more readable. Or increase the text size by a pixel or two. It's kind of tough on the eyes.

The layout is very structured, though. I would go with some kind of lightbox script to enlarge your portfolio images, as opposed to downloading/redirecting as you currently do. Also, your website has no footer. It just kind of...ends...and it makes the "previous" and "next" buttons look kind of messy.

Content

The posts are pretty funny. I know it's more of a portfolio than a blog, but I enjoyed the post about your 2007 projects. I dunno what the blog does for you by way of attracting clients, but it's always fun to have a personal ranting spot.

Overall

Nice design, interesting content, strong portfolio examples. Just, ease up on the header, huh? And for Cthulu's sake! Finish your -

**feros** · 11-11-2008, 11:22 AM

Thanks a lot for the comments!

My thinking was the header was this... I really want the site to be 2 in 1. The main site being a portfolio/freelancing site. The subsite to be a blog. But I didn't want to separate them - I wanted them both on the same page. So I built the top half of the site as if that's all that was going to be there, ie. the portfolio part. Then I just added on the blog design to the bottom.

**Antoni** · 11-11-2008, 12:32 PM

Its not bad, but I would stick to one content. Your website is a free lance webdesign website, so I would stick giving them that service. The blog is sort of extra, you can keep it but only if it talks about the website it self.

**Sneakyheathen** · 11-11-2008, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by feros

Thanks a lot for the comments!

My thinking was the header was this... I really want the site to be 2 in 1. The main site being a portfolio/freelancing site. The subsite to be a blog. But I didn't want to separate them - I wanted them both on the same page. So I built the top half of the site as if that's all that was going to be there, ie. the portfolio part. Then I just added on the blog design to the bottom.

I would go with devoting the entire front page to your portfolio and then just adding a link to the blog. Right now the blog is taking over.

**miksy123** · 11-11-2008, 02:44 PM

The blog looks great, but I also think that you should put the portfolio as the main content,and use blog as a "second website"!

**feros** · 11-11-2008, 06:28 PM

That's kind of the point of it ... I want the user to hit the front page and have no doubt in their mind as to what I do - I'm a freelance web designer. Hence the gigantic header.

But I also want them to *accidentally* start reading my blog. That way not only have they already started forming a personal relationship with me through my writing, they have at least some idea of what I know about the industry.

A link to a blog in the menu just doesn't create that experience.

But I really appreciate what you guys are saying!

**MattCoops** · 11-11-2008, 10:19 PM

I think you most certainly achieved your design goals with an A+

Your site is definitely 2 part. With a portfolio "look" for the header
and a blog in the lower "content" section.

But do you know who your target audience is for your website?
And what your purpose is in providing your audience?

Does a two-part schematic work for accomplishing the tasks of your website?

**scotteryboy** · 11-13-2008, 08:30 AM

It looks good matt, the design is nice. I would be very suprised however, if you can keep visitors interested in a blog that only has 6 or so posts in as many months!

**aleem** · 11-13-2008, 10:59 AM

Nice Desighn, But Colours are not so good

**rogem002** · 11-13-2008, 11:47 AM

*As I see it:
It's slow to load, I suggest you look into slightly better hosting.
It looks nice, but the header is a bit on the big size (Taking up more then 50% of my screen height wise is never a good idea).

The navigation is sexy! It's very 2.0 but not intrusive.

*Looking again
This is going to seem silly, but you see that paper look, i think you should extend that to the entire page instead of just stopping into a solid colour.

Awesome ^^

**eautocad** · 11-13-2008, 05:12 PM

yeah agreed on the header, get it down in size for low resolution viewers... They'll see that header and run like hell. haha

Good site though overall, i like the idea behind it and with some proper marketing i think it will flourish.

**full house** · 11-13-2008, 09:19 PM

code enough but you got a very big header that made me confuse of what the site is all about.