So, do I have a future in web design? [Archive]

Lillymon

01-13-2004, 05:19 AM

> i asume you refer to the splash graphic on the home page?

Most likely. Looks like you exploded and smoothed the logo, hoping no one would notice it.

<marquee direction=left scrollamount=8><img src=http://home.graffiti.net/lillymon:graffiti.net/images/keletav.gif></marquee>
!luos ruoy tae lliw stelek ehT

SharkESP

01-13-2004, 05:23 AM

> Most likely. Looks like you exploded and smoothed the logo,
> hoping no one would notice it.

Actually I blurred it afterwards, then reduced the outside to 40% opacity to match it.

Peace Sells, but who's buyin? - Dave Mustaine

Lobster Cowboy

01-13-2004, 06:41 AM

i mean everything

the sizing of the typography is very awkward, and the spacing is jarring. don't get me started on the color selection.

i recommend going the true corporate website route, and ditching these graphics altogther in your navigation. think amazon.com. this will also save on bandwidth costs.

http://socialistlobster.tripod.com/lobsterranx.txt</img> (http://www.mozilla.org)

SpaceTiger

01-13-2004, 07:08 AM

> Please read and review.

Other than the blurred logo in the center, I kinda like it. I don't know shit about graphic design, though, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

http://qonos.princeton.edu/nbond/tiger5.bmp

SharkESP

01-13-2004, 01:56 PM

First, the colors are pulled from the logo, and i think it's universal to agree that the dimmer color is much easier on the eyes.

Secondly, the entire website (every last page and element) is a total of 250KB. That's a tiny freaking website.

Lastly, all you've done is given pure criticism without any suggestions on how to improve. Granted, I didn't ask "Please tell me how to improve, general public" but damn...

Pure criticism without any hint of constructiveness could be seen as an attack to the eye.

Peace Sells, but who's buyin? - Dave Mustaine

IceWolf20

01-13-2004, 02:18 PM

> Actually I blurred it afterwards, then reduced the outside
> to 40% opacity to match it.

Re-trace it in Illustrator, add some shading and such, and you'll have a decent looking large splash.

Besides, its a ton better than the one I did for my former chapter....but then again, I was in a hurry and didn't really care that much
<img src=smilies/magbiggrin.gif>

<div align="center">http://stuorgs.lvc.edu/acm/_private/ZMD.gif
...the way to be!</div>

SharkESP

01-13-2004, 02:31 PM

> Besides, its a ton better than the one I did for my former
> chapter....but then again, I was in a hurry and didn't
> really care that much
>
I care a good deal about this page, because it's the first website I've created that I can actually place in a portfolio and say "This was used by the real world, and was used by many people"

I've been making websites for a few years now (for fun), but i've made them for topics so obscure that I could not be proud to show them off as previous work.

Perhaps one day I can have a side job in web design, or something on those lines.

Peace Sells, but who's buyin? - Dave Mustaine

IceWolf20

01-13-2004, 02:50 PM

> I care a good deal about this page, because it's the first
> website I've created that I can actually place in a
> portfolio and say "This was used by the real world, and was
> used by many people"

And I'd say you've done a very commendable job. Keep up the good work and always work toward improvement, and you'll do fine <img src=smilies/thumb.gif>

<div align="center">http://stuorgs.lvc.edu/acm/_private/ZMD.gif
...the way to be!</div>

StormsInHerEyes

01-13-2004, 03:02 PM

> i mean everything

>
I agree.. it just seems a bit, over sensing.. I think the sizes are a bit too big for the average user.. its very intimidating for the reader

http://www.digikitten.com/gallery/data/507/5105signature_alba03.jpg

SharkESP

01-13-2004, 04:31 PM

> Other than the blurred logo in the center, I kinda like it.
> I don't know shit about graphic design, though, so take my
> opinion with a grain of salt.
>
I fixed that up a good deal... look again, plz

Peace Sells, but who's buyin? - Dave Mustaine

SpaceTiger

01-13-2004, 04:40 PM

> I fixed that up a good deal... look again, plz

Definitely better, but it seems a bit bright. Maybe you could try dimming it a bit.

http://qonos.princeton.edu/nbond/tiger5.bmp

Isildur

01-13-2004, 05:03 PM

> http://www.csee.usf.edu/acm
>
> Please read and review.
> Thanks!
>

A tip about graphics: If they have areas with flat coloring (e.g. a background color), the PNG format can often compress them pretty efficiently. In this example the savings aren't that dramatic (a little over 4 kB) but it's something to remember that could come in handy sometimes.

<center>http://pages.nyu.edu/~jc73/misc/FieryAshNazg.gif</center>

C:Serverxampphtdocszopharoldwwwthreadsattachmentst itle.png

CEpeep

01-13-2004, 05:07 PM

> I fixed that up a good deal... look again, plz
>

Much, much better. You could always rebuild the logo in something like Adobe Illustrator if you wanted it to look even better.

<hr>
<img src=http://www.thepeep.net/cgi-bin/randimg.cgi align=right>
Just leave me here, I'll tend to this place.
I'm good at gardening.
--Robo

BetaHost (http://betawww.com)

MooglyGuy

01-13-2004, 05:09 PM

> First, the colors are pulled from the logo, and i think it's
> universal to agree that the dimmer color is much easier on
> the eyes.

That may be so, but try to name a single large corporation that has dark colors on their website. Almost invariably a corporation will stick to a white background simply because it promotes a clean, uncluttered, and professional look.

http://www.zophar.net/Files/mooglish.png
"Kupo, motherfucker!! DO YOU SPEAK IT!?"

Fla Flash

01-13-2004, 05:13 PM

I like it. <img src=smilies/thumb.gif>

<img src=http://www.freewebs.com/mewscorner/mean.png>
The Gift, a Christmas Story...at Mew's Corner...... (http://www.freewebs.com/mewscorner/)

Dark Macc

01-13-2004, 05:29 PM

> That may be so, but try to name a single large corporation
> that has dark colors on their website.

ADV Films, a large corporation who releases anime/live action movies/TV series. TRSI does it as well.

I understood what you were saying, and how rarely it comes about, but there are a few companies that do.


< Juggaleaux > wait. I think DarkMacc is Christ.

Lobster Cowboy

01-13-2004, 05:37 PM

> Lastly, all you've done is given pure criticism without any
> suggestions on how to improve. Granted, I didn't ask "Please
> tell me how to improve, general public" but damn...

the thing is, the improvement you need must be taught. the errors are fundamental design flaws, not a few cosmetic mistakes. my only suggestion (since i doubt you'll have the time to go take classes), is to look at websites that are doing it right, or read some books that feature top graphic design examples. to improve, you must compare your work honestly against the best and see what needs to be changed.

http://socialistlobster.tripod.com/lobsterranx.txt</img> (http://www.mozilla.org)

Lobster Cowboy

01-13-2004, 05:42 PM

png is good, but until IE displays them properly, stick to gif for anything important. i hate saying that, but microsoft's unwillingness to improve their browser has single-handedly crippled the growth of png as a viable alternative to gif.

http://socialistlobster.tripod.com/lobsterranx.txt</img> (http://www.mozilla.org)

Isildur

01-13-2004, 06:13 PM

> png is good, but until IE displays them properly, stick to
> gif for anything important. i hate saying that, but
> microsoft's unwillingness to improve their browser has
> single-handedly crippled the growth of png as a viable
> alternative to gif.
>

They seem to come out ok in IE as long as you don't try to use transparency. Are there some other problems that IE occasionally has with them?

<center>http://pages.nyu.edu/~jc73/misc/FieryAshNazg.gif</center>

Lobster Cowboy

01-13-2004, 06:17 PM

> They seem to come out ok in IE as long as you don't try to
> use transparency. Are there some other problems that IE
> occasionally has with them?
>

yeah...IE doesn't display the colors of a png image exactly as they should be. the difference is most noticable with blues. i'll try to show an example

**edit**

check out this thread (http://www.zophar.net/wwwthreads/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=test&Number=215066&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=0&vc=1)...and turn up the gamma on your monitor

http://socialistlobster.tripod.com/lobsterranx.txt</img> (http://www.mozilla.org)

Isildur

01-13-2004, 07:00 PM

> check out this thread...and turn up the gamma on your
> monitor
>

Ack. I didn't even have turn up anything on my monitor to see that. Damn, I didn't realize PNG support in IE was that bad. Lack of alpha channel support is irritating... but not even getting the color right? When you consider all the thousands upon thosands of lines of code devoted to other stuff in IE, would it really kill them to get something as simple as that right? <img src=smilies/banghead.gif>

<center>http://pages.nyu.edu/~jc73/misc/FieryAshNazg.gif</center>

SharkESP

01-13-2004, 11:03 PM

> the thing is, the improvement you need must be taught. the
> errors are fundamental design flaws, not a few cosmetic
> mistakes.

Your only suggestion is to scrap my design and go with a cookie cutter buisness template someone put in Frontpage while flossing thier ass.

But people like you don't think about how everyone who visits the web is bombarded by constant pure white. Imagine people who go through searches, spending hour upon hour looking through the screen for data. It's like staring at a light bulb, for God's sake...

Buisnesses don't go with white for it's design implications, they go with it because it's default. Which means they don't have to think about it and don't have to pay anyone to deal with it.

So sure, take your 15 extra bits to clear out the body tag. I'll spend the extra bandwidth (2kb/month per 1000 visitors) to give my visitors a welcome reprieve.

You've never had anyone ask you to present the website at a meeting and then watch as 10 people come up to you after the presentation to shake your hand and tell you of the great job you did, have you?

Peace Sells, but who's buyin? - Dave Mustaine

Phoenix

01-13-2004, 11:31 PM

> http://www.csee.usf.edu/acm
> Please read and review.
> Thanks!

Wow. I think it looks great.
I know very little about designing web pages but if I were surfing the web and saw this I would think it looked very professional.

<img src=http://www.somethingwrong.bravehost.com/phoenix.jpg>

Richter X

01-14-2004, 01:41 AM

I wonder how it'd look using Flash?

I don't die... I just ascend.

Lobster Cowboy

01-14-2004, 02:41 AM

yikes, you're bitter.

i was hoping you'd see the simplicity of an elegant, high traffic page, and synthesize it for your own purposes. god forbid you shelve your pride and learn something.

http://socialistlobster.tripod.com/lobsterranx.txt</img> (http://www.mozilla.org)

Danoz

01-14-2004, 04:22 AM

Having a future in design is more about being able to create something exactly the way somebody wants it. I like the way you have things laid out, logo in the center is too blurry... keep working with it!

http://spazticplastic.com/banner.jpg (http://www.spazticplastic.com)

packardmelan

01-15-2004, 03:36 AM

Not bad. It looks a little 'amaturish', for a business though. I'm not sure what I'd suggest for improvement, however.

But if we're tossing out examples, here's something I'm working on at the moment: redoing my personal web page.

http://www.kaisha.cx

It doesn't matter if you?€™re 7'8" and weigh 100 lbs, or you're 4'9" and weigh 300 lbs, or black, green, or blue. That's Gene's greatest legacy to all of us - inclusion for the world. - Robert Blackman