Richard_A

Neat. Bland.

Positive: Initial impression is very strong. Really nice look and feel. Negative: text formatting looks crude and basic, with fully justifed text used in places and excessive line spacing.

It's certanly more interesting and creates a better first impression. More if I have time.

Unsolicited music is (still) really annoying. I went straight for the close browser button. End of feedback.

Actual content might help show how it communicates, as would movement of the featured work item(s) at the top. However, I'm not sure why you want to give the blog so much prominance. It should backup the core purpose of the site rather than compete with it. Do you want clients to view this site and talk to you about your services, or do you want people to read your thoughts on a range of topics? The two aren't mutually exclusive, but, they're not the same thing. Maybe you aren't clear about this in your own mind and that's coming through in the layout and design? I'd replace the main content area currently occupied with the two blog entries with an engaging summary of your key services. This should make the 'surrey web design' bit redundant and that smaller, subordinate right area could be used for feauring the latest blog entries, with the testimonial remaining below perhaps.

For a personal portfolio site I think it looks perfectly respectable, proficient and fresh. Could do a bit more on the about page and the portfolio item summary notes are difficult to scan and digest quickly. I think it's fine though. Gary's right - he was very negative.

The blog highlights are the most prominent thing on the page. They dominate the main white page of the page, which jumps out of the dark background. The work at the top is recessive, given its position within the dark header section. The design encourages the user to look at the two blog items. If it's a web design portfolio/service site, shouldn't the homepage communicate and promote that - the work, the services, rather than those two blog entries?

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/01/13...-shouldve-seen/

Finishing is simple but proficient. Overall it is dull. The colour scheme is fine, but there is no colour in the feature slots or header breaking it up. Colour could be sparingly used to really make key elements and headings stand out. Page doesn't communicate - 'lateral thinking' is ambiguous and is at expense of a clear statement of what you do. 'Jquery content slider'... is that a USP? What do you do? What's the angle? Doesn't answer either of these questions very well.

I think the site is lacking and rather amateurish. That's not meant as an insult - it's not to suggest there's no raw talent - the attempt to create a clean, contemporary sense of space is interesting for example. I think you should get agency experience first. Get a job. Get stuck in. Refine your skills, learn the trade, then use your experience to start something. That's my honest advice. Find a junior designer role, get your foot in the door. Grow. Starting a web design company on the basis of this site suggests of something between naievety and arrogance. I'm not suggesting that's the case, but that's how it could come across.... you know... 'anyone can do this'... 'easy money'... a bit like it was in 1997-1999. See this other thread in this section: http://www.webdesignerforum.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=19527 Look at their own site too, links further down the thread. This is the kind of standard clients will expect in 2009, and its the sort of standard you should demand of yourself.

I can't be bothered nitpicking. It's clearly of a very good standard and makes a very positive initial impression. One of the best entered for feedback in this section. I was pleased to see it was coming out of the Liverpool region too. Are you employed at the moment? Freelance? Looking for a permanent role?

I wouldn't use it. It is overly complicating a relatively simple process. After all, what are you doing in this simple, conventional forum thread but asking for feedback on your concept?

Bin the fully justified text: http://www.newagesmb.com/about.htm The spacing between words can't be controlled like it can for a print layout. The result is rivers of white space (see your 'articles' slot on homepage) that make reading difficult for people with dyslexia. For everyone else, reading with a pace and rythym is disrupted by the constant changing of spacing. Orphan words (single words on their own line) also become more frequent. On the web, people want to scan content quickly. having variable line lengths in actually a help, not a hinderance. The undulating shapes created on the right on left aligned text act as visual pointers and help orientation and give a sense of place. Taking that away makes it very hard to keep a sense of location in bodies of text. I ban people from using it! Overall - site looks reasonably proficient and there are a few some nice touches. It is very dull though and could benefit from some design flair. Tight colour schemes are often a wise move, but in this case, the blue and white only approach adds to the sense of dullness. If there were some engaging photos or illustrations containing colour and energy, the subdued style might work better. Main headings in Arial 24 pixels might add a hint of typographical interest too. Depends what sort of tone you want the site to achieve of course. Also - given the prominance of the map flash, I'd want to see more from it. The promo headline suggests a global client base. If that's the case, the world map flash could be made to work harder and add much needed visual interest - plotting the clients on the map, perhaps with work being shown in the main banner flash, might make the page more interesting. There's a lot of space taken up by it, afterall.

Google - Use this: https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal Do some keyword research. Identify niche phrases that suit what you do. Give up on the most competitive phrases - ie. 'web design') - you'll never rank well on them. I could give you a lot of specific pointers for on page and off page, but I think the best thing to do is just Google 'seo techniques' and similar phrases. There's a lot of advice out there. As for the site - if it is more than a test site - if you want it to be the beginning of a business, I'd stongly recommend that you get commercial experience with an existing agency first. I'd say the same to a number of people on here who've created their own 'web design' company websites.

I agree - the notion of an avalanche easily lends itself to engaging abstractions.... Avalanche of colour for example... That is just a stock photo of course, but taking a clean, abstract route will look a lot better than trying to create falling rocks, snow or anything tacky like that. Imagine an original take on an image like that that you've produced yourself, with a cool, simple, modern typeface on top, just in white even... avalanche << sh**ty forum font approximation!