[Ben Evans]

Okay here goes nothing...

What do you think?

Portfolio

[Chosen]

I'm struggling reading the fonts - strains my eyes. Your done work is solid, but the portfolio itself looks distorted(intended, yes, but not attractive) and low quality. That's my opinion.

[jay76]

that really does strain my eyes, hard to read and I just wanted to click off the website.

I am no expert but if I was a potential client it would put me off, sorry.

[.dark .negativ .antisocial]

I read a article somewhere about the dangerous of using to much css3.
Here is a example of using @fontface in a bad way.
Its just to much.

What I like is the rollout for your work but again to much use off css3
shadow way to much.
animated gif pictures - serious?

the b/w background also looks not good. I think its wanted but the quality sucks

You´re using the new technology. Thats good. But I think you do not know how really to use it.
Lots of good idea. Try to make new graphics and take new fonts. Take readable fonts.

[Ben Evans]

.dark .negativ .antisocial, on 20 November 2011 - 09:42 AM, said:

I read a article somewhere about the dangerous of using to much css3.
Here is a example of using @fontface in a bad way.
Its just to much.

What I like is the rollout for your work but again to much use off css3
shadow way to much.

You obviously never pressed the max CSS3 button. Now that's what I'm talking about!

[oakleaves]

I agree 100% with the other members feedback on this thread.

Quote

I'm struggling reading the fonts - strains my eyes. Your done work is solid, but the portfolio itself looks distorted

Quote

You´re using the new technology. Thats good...

Lots of good idea. .. Take readable fonts.

Quote

hard to read and I just wanted to click off the website

This post has been edited by oakleaves: 20 November 2011 - 11:51 AM

[Ben Evans]

Oh well maybe next next...

[DannyG17]

Can't read the font, have to squint to be able to read it.

[Ben Evans]

I know it's the most unreadable font I could find. It's a good'n innit!

[Ben Evans]

Ben Evans, on 21 November 2011 - 07:24 PM, said:

Oh well maybe next next...

Obviously that didn't make any sense and what I actually meant was "next year..." but I got bored and made some adjustments. My new font is equally as bad so don't go getting your hopes up!

P.s. It's a portfolio, it's not for getting clients.

[JimmyPitts]

For your contact section, and the section above it with the links, I don't agree with the hover effects. When you click on a text input for the contact form, you get some weird jump action. Same goes for the hover of the links.

I like the concept of it, and it is quite unique, and I like that, but I think there are quite a few places that you could make it look better. Some of these are: the background pattern, the text is hard to read, your buttons look a little outdated.

I like the idea though, keep it up!

[pilgrim_fgau]

Ben Evans, on 01 December 2011 - 09:46 PM, said:

P.s. It's a portfolio, it's not for getting clients.

what is it for then?

[Ben Evans]

It's kind of a digital extension of my CV.

[lukeluukeluuuke]

Ben Evans, on 02 December 2011 - 02:48 PM, said:

It's kind of a digital extension of my CV.

That you give to clients so they can see you know what your talking about and then you get a job?

I do agree with the others though, not a very good use of font-face (Love the CSS options you have though!)

Grey version of you site is too 'noisey' though

This post has been edited by lukeluukeluuuke: 02 December 2011 - 11:07 PM

[Ben Evans]

Lol, No! Look...

Wikipedia Portfolio

Nothing to do with clients, to do with employers.

I love the unreadable font. The text isn't there to be read. It's just padding, for search engines. It's like the vocals of a band called Battles. It's just part of the overall structure but you don't need to understand it.

[WebSetGo]

Ben Evans, on 02 December 2011 - 11:43 PM, said:

Lol, No! Look...

Wikipedia Portfolio

Nothing to do with clients, to do with employers.

I love the unreadable font. The text isn't there to be read. It's just padding, for search engines. It's like the vocals of a band called Battles. It's just part of the overall structure but you don't need to understand it.

That is a really bizzare point of view, man.

[rallport]

• That css level switcher is one of the most pointless features I've seen on a site for quite a while.
• Font is awful to read
• Contact form submits to a seperate page - are we back in 1995 again? Things have moved on since then
• Footer text is just lol - it's doing you zero favours seo wise and definately isn't useful to visitors. May aswell remove it totally.
• Adding font-weight normal to text you've boldened, again, are we back in 1995 again? Search engines (and the rest of the internet) have moved on

Based on the awful useability of the site you following quote kind of made me chuckle as your one page site far from useable:

Quote

Take websites for example; I produce clean, functional, user friendly interfaces [.....]

[Ben Evans]

Yeah I produce clean, functional, user friendly interfaces. This site, however, maybe not one of them. I like 1995 and pointlessness is my speciality. I agree about the <b> tags though. I did copy, pasta them from 1995.

It's 8bit backend design.

[oakleaves]

I think Ben Evans is just trying to be different. If that's the case Ben, you definitely win the award.

[greyhat]

Not a bad idea but poorly executed in my opinion.

If a portfolio / CV is not for getting you work then what is it for??!

Anyway...... I absolutely agree that the font is wrong. Also, there is too much empty / wasted space, it just looks unfinished.

I think your designs are realy good. i think it would pay for you to focus on graphics and team up with a web developer instead of trying to do everything. You obviously have talent........

Just a thought and no offence, as a developer my most profitable work is when i team up with a good designer. It is rare to find somebody who is good at both.

Good luck!

[brightonmike]

I do appreciate the desire to be different - but it still need to work, on some level at least. This isn't.

If you want something a bit retro, almost deliberately dated, I get that. But you can do that without it being ugly and impossible to read.

[porkchops]

brightonmike, on 06 December 2011 - 12:57 PM, said:

I do appreciate the desire to be different - but it still need to work, on some level at least. This isn't.

If you want something a bit retro, almost deliberately dated, I get that. But you can do that without it being ugly and impossible to read.

This, plus what other people have said.

Hiring managers or creative directors are going to take one look at this and put it in the reject pile. With a portfolio site, especially if you are trying to find employment, needs to be legible, aesthetically pleasing and be an accurate representation of your ability.

[Ben Evans]

Yes! My jQuery is now even more ridiculous! Now all it needs is some transformer sound effects

Portfolio

[alzer81]

think its all too dull. there is no life in it. looks like a website for a undertaker or something

[Ben Evans]

Yeah! 'Goth Transformers' coming to a cinema near you.

[D.Schuster]

Reminds me of Myspace ...and not in the good way, too much textures, especially in the forms, the background image MAYBE should not repeat itself in the main field, too dark for my taste, the addition of red gives it a bit of a sinister look, which potential clients may not like, love SOME of the CSS effects like the hovering on the thumbnails that are a bit too small for my taste but oh well....
too much line patterns(texures)

but the main problem is I don't know where to look, I know, I know, I sound like a broken record with my "use colour to direct the visitors view and feel" but honestly this website needs more...colour I know you're going for a dark portftolio as that is what's "cool" now and usually looks nice and elegant and sleek, but you need colour, I see and understant you want/like a dark portfolio so here are a few useful inspirational links hope you get some good ideas from them

http://psdcollector....iring-dark.html

http://www.boostinsp...tfolio-designs/

http://www.inspiiire...ebsite-designs/

all the design work in here is top notch and modern, hope it helps get you inspired.

[MikeChipshop]

Ben Evans, on 02 December 2011 - 11:43 PM, said:

Nothing to do with clients, to do with employers.

...er?
Employers pay you, clients pay you... they both want to see pretty things.

Anyway on to my feelings about it...

I see what you're going for and you should stick at it BUT there are way to many clashes with what's there now.
Some of it is smooth some rough some grungy some glossy. Decide on what you want and stick to it.
Tone down the amount of fonts, two (maybe three at most), don't use the background water texture in both the background and the main container as they are clashing too. Either drop the container texture or make the container transparent so you can see the background through it (but make sure to tone it down so you can read the words over it.

In short, carry on with the idea but think it out more.