Posts: 107
Name: Roy Dixon
Location: Iowa, same as Kirk
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Nice concept, ShaunJ
In my opinion, there is a lot to like about this site's appearance.
I like the colors. There is a professional look and feel to the page and it's due, in a large part, to you color combination.
I like the favicon.
I like the simplicity of the set-up. Book people don't need a bunch of bells and whistles. There's no flashy banner or animation. This site is intended for readers, and I think you hit the mark.
I also like the introduction to the site. It's simple and easy to understand. By using a very light blue text against a very dark blue background, you stayed within your color palette and made the section "Pop". You also presented the viewer with a reasonable offer and a link to join. The graphic in that section is nicely done as well. The "sample pages" that are shown overlap the border on the right just a bit. That's a nice little touch.
The rest of the page looks good to me as well. No visual problems with it that I can see.
As far as the logo, I have to respectfully disagree with PBScott. I like the logo and the banner.
There are a couple things that I would do differently, however.
I would offer a virtual tour of the site. Let the prospective members see a little bit more of what's going on in there. You could have a few sample pages for the visitor to see.
After the initial registration and login, there are a few things that start to bother me.
Take the member to the profile page instead of these little prompts to input information a little bit at a time. It's annoying. You are dealing with book readers here, not first graders. Instead of going to the meat and potatoes of the site, the viewer is forced to endure 3 or 4 pages of "See Spot Run".
After someone logs in I would have a different home page. The way it is now, the logged-in user is redirected back to the original page and the "Sign Up Now" button is still staring them in the face. Have a separate home page for logged-in viewers.
Have the member's name displayed somewhere on the pages after they log-in. This is a visual reminder that they are actually logged-in to the site.
Where are the links to go to the features of the site? After I log-in, I should be able to click a link, from the home page, to create a bookshelf, join a group or discuss and review books. There is nothing there. How do I get to my profile from the home page?
In order to go to any of these features, I have to click on another member's review, profile or books. Then I am taken to a page that contains links to these features. It's not intuitive at all and rather frustrating. All of these navigation problems can be easily fixed by simply taking the logged in member to a different home page that includes these links.
You have a great start... Carry it through to the end and you'll have a great site.
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