just a portfolio site (no customer), but I've been putting a couple of hours a week into it...

 

http://www.bn1food.co.uk/

 

any opinions on how to improve it?

It's a nice and easy listing of good restaurants, and serves it's purpose like it should. Though the design is a bit tame and doesn't really catch the eye. The banner should be better than just a happy chef, make the logo and message more visible. Also the ratings system goes from 1 to 5 stars yet the vote is from 1 to 10 which doesn't make much sense. I tried the rating system on the Akash Tandoori restaurant to see if you'd secured it with some SSI like PHP, which you obviously haven't, as it allowed me to replicate the form on my computer and cast a vote of 100. This caused the restaurant to jump to the top of the page with the best rating. You shouldn't underestimate what people will do for a good rating especially when it comes to their business. Sorry about the intrusion though, I just wanted to know if you were securing your ratings! The rating for Akash Tandoori was set at 4 after 1 vote. I recommend you reset it and look into some PHP to thoroughly secure the ratings system.

cool, fixed the voting thing, will rethink the header,

 

I also thing the right bar needs removing?

 

and I'll add a search later, can't believe I havn't added one yet.

Remove that background! I don't think it fits.

 

Design wise, I'd have a large photo in the background, of one of the many restaurants in Brighton. Then I'd have content over that, with a light alpha over the top. I'd keep mr chef though, but cut him out and stick him up top?

 

 

Btw, I live in Southwick, just 20 minutes drive down the road

 

 

Also, the idea above just randomly came to me, I'd happily make a quick/rough mockup in photoshop if you want? (free of course, just feel like it).

LOL, love the picture of the chef with the cheesey grin giving the thumbs up! Change the background though, it's awful and totally the wrong fit. Last thing... on your smaller pages, make your content height 100% and float your footer at the bottom as right now it looks empty and disjointed on larger monitors.

Remove that background! I don't think it fits.

 

Design wise, I'd have a large photo in the background, of one of the many restaurants in Brighton. Then I'd have content over that, with a light alpha over the top. I'd keep mr chef though, but cut him out and stick him up top?

 

 

Btw, I live in Southwick, just 20 minutes drive down the road

 

 

Also, the idea above just randomly came to me, I'd happily make a quick/rough mockup in photoshop if you want? (free of course, just feel like it).

yea cool, be good to see that , I like the apples though

 

LOL, love the picture of the chef with the cheesey grin giving the thumbs up! Change the background though, it's awful and totally the wrong fit. Last thing... on your smaller pages, make your content height 100% and float your footer at the bottom as right now it looks empty and disjointed on larger monitors.

 

ok, and what about the larger pages, think I should limit to say 20 results, and what about the border around the resualrants too strong?

obviously needs smoothing over but what about this?

 

Woa, I completely forgot about this entire forum for the last week. Anyway, I'll get working on a quick mockup

It's a nice and easy listing of good restaurants, and serves it's purpose like it should. Though the design is a bit tame and doesn't really catch the eye. The banner should be better than just a happy chef, make the logo and message more visible. Also the ratings system goes from 1 to 5 stars yet the vote is from 1 to 10 which doesn't make much sense. I tried the rating system on the Akash Tandoori restaurant to see if you'd secured it with some SSI like PHP, which you obviously haven't, as it allowed me to replicate the form on my computer and cast a vote of 100. This caused the restaurant to jump to the top of the page with the best rating. You shouldn't underestimate what people will do for a good rating especially when it comes to their business. Sorry about the intrusion though, I just wanted to know if you were securing your ratings! The rating for Akash Tandoori was set at 4 after 1 vote. I recommend you reset it and look into some PHP to thoroughly secure the ratings system.

 

 

I gotta agree with adx ^^ well said. Aside that I think you have something cool there...useful for anyone visiting the area.

I think the header lets it down completely, I'd do some more work on the header, this may sound silly but you can really tell that the chef shouldn't be there, it's all about blending stuff in buddy, so perhaps have a play around with that for hours and hours to get it perfect.

 

Also, the curved bit at the top left of the header, it's got a few white pixels, pixel perfect remember .