Hello all,

 

we've just issued our new web site live and would welcome some external feedback:

 

Our website address is:

 

www.redbox-media.co.uk

 

NB: The site is Flash based and best viewed on a wide screen monitor.

 

Many thanks in advance.

I didn't find it easy to use sadly - firstly, the main text on the landing page is displayed at an angle, which is not very easy to read. Secondly, the content is not search engine friendly as the text is rendered as image.

Secondly, when viewing the portfolio, some of the business card images were cut off by the bottom of my browser window and I was unable to scroll. It took me so long to notice the yellow sticker to close the page that I almost closed the window and the site in frustration.

My pop up blocker prevented me from viewing one of your portfolio sites without changing my settings.

I have to confess that I'm not a fan of flash, so feedback from someone who does would be good for you, but I would have preferred a simple css site with HTML content. You obviously have goog graphics skills, I just think they could have been put to better use.

It is a lovely concept, but I don't feel it's correct for a front of a web design business.

 

I agree with most of notbanksy's points.

 

The small slanted text is hard on the eye, especially with the amount of text your displaying, I actually gave up reading after the first paragraph. If anything, make the font size bigger, and make it horizontal.

 

SEO will be a big problem with your content.

 

You have way too many things that look like they are links/clickable. It actually took me a while to work out how to move around, and what I could click. It turns out the only really clickable link on the main page was the text with a big arrow saying "Click here". This was most apparent on the Services page, where I didn't even realise if you clicked on the icons of the software at the top, you got taken to a new page.

Hi Guys, thanks for the honest and speedy feedback.

 

I think the divide between Flash and CSS builds (from a builders stand-point) is a large one - with an almost MAC / PC user comparison.

 

I personally like both and see potential in either... although I do like the freedom - from a graphics point of view - that Flash gives me.

 

I totally take on board your points with regards to the text size and it's difficulty to read. I've had the same feed back on other critique forums already and am currently thinking of a way to solve the issue without loosing too much of what my text has to say. I think the quickest most straight forward way will be to trim down the text content, and make the font size larger.

 

Thanks again guys....

Hello again,

 

I've upped the font size by one on all relevant section to make the font more readable.

 

I think its an improvement.. any comments?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against Flash as a design medium, I just don't believe it is suited for web sites, which primary purpose revolves around content/text. Currently, you can't achieve 100% standards compliant, accessible web sites with Flash. Neither is it suited for SEO yet.

I have to be honest...

 

I don't see anything I don't like on this website except from the top where it says 'REDBOX MEDIA', It looks like it says 'REDBOX NEDIA' but maybe it's just my screen?

 

I like the Flash work, it isn't overworked like on some websites where the flash actually is a pain to use.

Easy to use, at least for me it was...

 

Very good work.

Loved the design, very clever, but...i consider myself pretty sharp navigation wise and i really struggled for find the pages, it was all kind of frustrating guesswork. and just revisited and at last found out how to get off the services section!

 

Additionally things like not being able to increase text size and the use of Adobe, Mac etc logos/icons kind of bugged me. Oooh and Red Box sounds very like Red Bee Media!

 

Positives - scooted over to Howard Marks site and loved it all round, your a very talented designer clearly.

 

'Nowt wrong with Flash in my book.

 

Just needs a bit more usability, now I've got the hang of it (oh 30 seconds) it's great, but sadly most people re too impatient or lazy or perhaps even not bright enough to work it out. Shame in a way that.

 

By the way did you ever play Operation Stealth computer game many years back? Was just something in the choosing menus and the click sound that reminded me strongly off the sound effects in said game.

 

I take my hat off to you sir.

 

website concept is very good .

"work" section of the website is very nice.

Just because you *can* use Flash, doesn't mean you *should* use flash.

 

Is your website gorgeous? Yes. Is it attractive? Yes. Is it usable? Not so much. There's nothing *obvious* about anything on the website, and that makes it really hard to navigate, not to mention the fact that I need to turn my head to the side and squint, just so I can read your text.

As ever Flash is dividing people.

 

It's a really interesting debate, I always aim for "usability" across my sites, but I do worry we are losing sight of 'experimentation' and play within the constraints of navigation and usability.

 

I did some research when at Uni last year asking people amongst other things - a) what do you dislike on websites and provide links to 2 or 3 websites you like. Flash was mentioned as a dislike but then 2 of these people pointed me to a site using Flash as their favourite website - these both had fairly long Flash landing pages!!!

 

No doubt adding Flash in some ways can make usability difficult, but I also think we are moving towards a 'received wisdom' whereby people hear others say oh Flash bad and are influenced by this, kind of a wave of anti-Flash. Our approach can become dogmatic from there and perhaps encourages a website homegenity that is actually bad for us all in the long run.

 

A bit far fetched I know but this fixed approach has a logical conclusion of a universal website - all the same code, colours, layout, placeholders, design etc Owned by say Microsoft...scientifically tested and usability proofed. Easily navigable.

 

Would we want that, I certainly wouldn't.