Website Review and Suggestions

**NightShade** · 11:49 PM

I don't know if there is some clause some where that states all pages shown in section have to be surfable but I will take a chance on this one.
I am working on a design for a friend and would like to get some real opinions on the design itself since it is not sliced or turned into HTML yet.

Any comments would be greatly apreciated since most that have viewed it yet are not used to giving feedback on page layouts.

-->Here It Is!! <--

Thanks in advance....

BTW - the buttons on the bottom left are the roll-over buttons so when you roll-over they become lighter and the text stands out more...

--> Here <-- is what it was like before the text was added...

**jammin411** · 03-31-2004, 11:42 PM

I do not like anything about that. I do not like the background, the buttons, nothing. I especially do not like the background that is behind the table. I recommend not using this for a professional site.

1 out of 10

**fastball1945** · 02:25 AM

i agree...i would go with something more simple. It is hard to read the text with the tree there!

**NightShade** · 03-31-2004, 11:54 PM

Ouch... that hurt... any constructive critisism or are you saying it is all trash?

**Kyrnt** · 04-01-2004, 02:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fastball1945

i agree...i would go with something more simple like one of my designs. If you want you can buy one for really cheap.

Easy, Fastball. We want to keep this about the poster's site. There are other forums for self-promotion.

Nightshade,

I think that is almost impossible to say whether this design is functional or not without having some idea of what kind of site it will be used for. For a personal web site, I think it could work after some revisons.

I would agree with jammin that, on the surface, it's not well suited for a commercial web site. My issue with it is the tree. Your top "link" buttons are less opaque than your bottom ones letting more of the tree through. It is awfully distracting and takes away from what I think are pretty decent visual delimiters you have on your content pane. You need to rethink your fonts, but the "steel plates" you have at the edges of your table are good.

The background reminds me of the bad old days of the internet where everyone used a background on their web site. From that perspective, it automatically looks a little dated.

I hope this more descriptive feedback serves you a bit better.

Regards,

Kyrnt

**fastball1945** · 02:31 AM

sry...i got in one of those moods...NightShade, now that i look at it it has potential, all you need to do is change the color to a 'prettier' color like blue. and change the tree to an ocean or something blue. Then lower the opacity ALOT, to the point where you can barley even see it, just to add the effect. you could even scratch the bg.
then you need to round up the corners and make them smooth. Add some dark, dark blue text and you have a decent site. You could even change the font to something more thick and soft. My favorite font is 'Aurora Cn BT.' the only bad thing bout this font is that it is near imposible to read when spall...but PERFECT for headers...very professional.

on a different look...You could have a white or light grey bg. Change the frames to black and dark grey...the header font to something really lite, like white or light grey. Change the font to a white arial. add some moving objects in the header like several balls circling in a corner, and you have another site right there.

Hopefully you saved your file!

hope this helps!

sry bout earlier!!
i think i might delete what i said!

**jammin411** · 04-01-2004, 09:28 AM

This does have some potential, but there would be quite a bit of work needing done to get it right. For starters, that see through table would have to go, along with the entire tree background. If you want to use that tree, try making it smaller and working it into the design somewhere. I think that with a lot of work, things could be done to make it better, but to recommend it, I would need to see a working version. Maybe make it live like it is now, so we can see the RO effects and such.

**DaveMo~** · 04-01-2004, 11:05 AM

I agree that there's potential with that. The first thing I thought of was a site selling Bonzai Trees. Even at that, it needs work to make it more legible.

There's lots of suggestions above to help you with that. I wouldn't dump it since it may come in handy someday.

Dave

**NightShade** · 04-01-2004, 01:15 PM

The site is intended for a commercial company selling bonsai tools and accessories along with other tranquil products like fountains and all that jazz... The tree is a bonsai that was restyled after the picture was taken and in my opinion did not do justice to the tree...

your suggestions are all very good and give me alot to try out on this design. I will look into making a rough html of this layout for further testing just with RO's and viewability...

**Kyrnt** · 04-01-2004, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NightShade

The site is intended for a commercial company selling bonsai tools and accessories along with other tranquil products like fountains and all that jazz...

Well, NightShade, that might make a bit of a difference! You might have mentioned that!

I still believe that the tree needs to less visible through the table.....

**NightShade** · 04-01-2004, 04:38 PM

Sorry about that... should have mentioned it off the start...

**NightShade** · 04-14-2004, 11:10 AM

I spent alittle time doing some updates to this layout and took into consideration some of the changes that were suggested.

I removed the textured background that was behind the tree, also increased the opacity of the white content sections so as to put the tree futher into the distance... I also changed the font on the buttons and then sliced it all up for a working HTML version so you can see the roll-overs...

I am interested in finding out how the improvements have influenced everyones opinions...

HERE IS THE PAGE

**Thom M** · 04-14-2004, 05:23 PM

I like the idea and concept, but that blank area above the menu and to the left of the logo keeps drawing my eye from the text area. Also if you centered the bonsi in back of the text and fixed it so it woud stay there as you scrolled down the page this might help with the focal point. And maybe some other pics of bonsi to the right of the updates to even out the width and give the visitor some eye candy and increase their excitement of the companys products. Overall I would give it a 6. I think it has great potential.

**simon71** · 04-15-2004, 02:36 AM

Hi

Its better know with the white behind the text the first attempt was a little scary. the buttons need to change they take for ever to appear. Have you thought about using the Bonsai tree theme more??

Mabey put the links into the tree, Have the picture of the tree add some text links that fit into the tree, add some text at the bottom of the picture to explain a little about the site?? something along those lines!!

Mabey try mucking around with some design programes to make the front page look like a tree....I don't know its early in the morning and I can't sleep maybe I'm just ranting?

I think It would impress a lot of people if you could pull it of!!

Hope this of some help!!

**NightShade** · 04-16-2004, 10:56 AM

great input... any other suggestions...