Ok, well I have been re-designing my company's website. I did most of it last night and its still a work in progress. I just wanted to get some basic ideas/opinions before digging in deeper. So what do you think, the bottom will have a quick contact form, and some basic info Thanks

 

The link is www.boyleswebdesign.com/v2

This is a nice looking site, but a few things jumped out at me straight away: A little about me states that the company is just you, but then on your nav bar you have 'about us'.

Also, I think your headers would look nicer without the underline.

Nice colours, nice layout, nice texture on the header, and your logo works well. Code doesn't validate though.

Looking nice on the whole

Thanks! Ya i know about the me, us thing I'm still trying to determine if I want to pass the company on as a company, us or a as just me as a freelancer, if that makes since. Also thanks for the headline idea, they do look better without the underline Thanks

It seems a bit rushed and TBH very ugly. From a typographic stand-point its a mess.

Your logo uses a Sans Serif Font. But yet Boyle's web design is in A serif. and the handwriting font is very un fitting for the design. Under a little about me the image is 320px wide.... but your content is about 400px wide breaking the flow of the layout. the some of my recent work is a bit cramped and shouldn't need a description and the images are a bit too small.

Also the wood(?) pattern is a bit Plain and really needs to be carried throughout the site in places Pour Example the footer.

Overall the site needs a better solid structure and depth. Also needs a bit of code work because right now its plain and really doesnt make me say wow how did he do that?

header is nice, content looks messy, footer is far too big.

 

Text underneath your logo looks out of place I don't understand why you would use a serif font when the rest of your site is sanserif.

 

 

It looks as if you have just lost directions, and because of this your site looks very disjointed. At the moment your site is a mash of different styles, you have one image with rounded corners and the rest with square ones. This big block of white for your content that make no sense. I think that you need to just look at it and try and think of what direction you want the site to go in. You need to learn to take your ideas and blend them so that it works as one, rather than thinking of them as header, content, footer...you have clearly separated these and have took them all in different directions which makes your site look a little messy.

 

Also I have noticed with a lot of the sites you design is that you have this tenancy to rush them, so even though the layout is ok, you don't look at all the little details that could take your site from looking ok or good to looking great. Overall advice to you would be, step back and take a look at the site as a whole. Don't rush and think of little details you could add to a site to tie it together, as the details are what make a site.

 

 

If you want to be a Web designer you are going to have to learn to pull it all together and to not rush a design...you need to get good at finishing sites as you have it in you to be good, you just don't seem to have the patients to try.

Thanks for the advice helen, as I said though I am not even close to done with this site, I just wanted to get the general idea out there, and get some starting ideas/advice. Thanks though!

Thanks for the advice helen, as I said though I am not even close to done with this site, I just wanted to get the general idea out there, and get some starting ideas/advice. Thanks though!

 

 

Well in that case the short speech is in order:

 

Focus, think of details and what you can do to link all three bits of your site together and don't rush it

 

 

Also I agree with Kip in that you shouldn't use so many styles of fonts, too many font styles can spoil a design.

Hey I added some stuff and fixed some stuff any better?

Hey I added some stuff and fixed some stuff any better?

No.

as Dizi said , your sites are rushed and you need to slow down and develop a design , yes the code may be the important part but the design is as well. your users aren't going to look at the code... They want a nice website no matter what. Slow down with your design process , Read a few articles on web Typography [http://webtypography.net/toc/] and learn how to make your layouts less cramped.

 

To me it seems like you throw whatever looks good together at the moment together. You have potential but you can't rush great things , I used to redesign my site every week but they were crap. Now im taking my sweet time working on the site that's going to be around for a while. I've sat down with a friend and worked up a content management system which i directed ( he coded ),all i have to do is style the back ends and the main site.I digress Take your time and think of how it pieces together. Web design is not like a patchwork quilt , not everything can go in it , Think of it as a carefully crafted orchestral piece everything must flow together and make harmony to your ears but in design your eyes in this case is your Margins and Typography , Stick with one style of fonts ,( i personally mix both but i know how to successfully ). Happy designing

Aside from my way of designing does anyone have any ideas/opinions about the site?

Hey, i do like the new look but it seems everything you have on your navigation already seems to be there somewhere on the home page. Also you have mentioned where you live twice in the about me section & is there any need to have jake boyles in the cool links part?

Thanks for the advice, I listed where I live twice because i'm going for local seo results and listing where I live twice increases the seo results. And what do you exactly mean about the navigation already being somewhere else? Im a little confused on that, Thanks

Just following up on what others have said here really. The typography is all over the place, the thing that sticks out like a sore thumb is the serif font underneath your logo. While it's good to keep a visual identity I don't think your logo is doing you any favours in this case. Perhaps try keeping certain elements of the logo and changing others depending on the visual style of the rest of the design (take a look at the BBC logo for example, it's changed throughout the years but still keeps a lot of identity within it). I dislike the background used on your header, it looks like a wood effect but this doesn't fit the rest of the design, especially the footer (why has the header got a background whereas the footer hasn't?).

 

One more thing is that you don't have a JavaScript PNG fix (available here, thanks for whoever originaly gave me the link to this) so right now on IE6 all of your PNG images show up as a white block making navigation next to impossible.

 

Also one thing one of my lecturers always says is that you're always remembered for your worst piece of work, so be careful which websites you include in your portfolio. Not that i'm saying any of them are bad, it's just that the one that won the design competition doesn't really stand up visually to the rest of the websites.

Ok, Thanks I am still going to put the png fix in, I just hadnt gotten around to it, also what would you suggest for a footer background? Any ideas? Also Im going to get around to making a new logo. Thanks For the Ideas Cabbage!

Ok, Thanks I am still going to put the png fix in, I just hadnt gotten around to it, also what would you suggest for a footer background? Any ideas? Also Im going to get around to making a new logo. Thanks For the Ideas Cabbage!

 

You don't necessarily need a footer background image, often I just take the main colour of the website and darken or lighten it a little for the footer and then put a border between the content and the footer. It's worth pointing out also that your footer is rather large compared to conventional footers.

Thanks for the advice, I listed where I live twice because i'm going for local seo results and listing where I live twice increases the seo results. And what do you exactly mean about the navigation already being somewhere else? Im a little confused on that, Thanks

 

I was on about the home page containing contact details, about me, a portfolio section and still having a menu with all of these on. I don't think things like the contact page would be used if there is a form at the bottom of the website.

Ok, Thanks guys, as for the footer its not really a footer, I was going to put a footer underneath that that has copyright info etc. also I just want to have the contact page for a more in depth form. Thanks

I added some small changes, such as a headline under the portfolio, and bordered the contact form, I spaced out the layout more, is it better or worse?

I added some small changes, such as a headline under the portfolio, and bordered the contact form, I spaced out the layout more, is it better or worse?

Little things aren't going to help this design , as me and numerous people have said they typography is all over the place. things are positioned hap-hazardly and things are too closely spaced together. you need to go back to the drawing board and make the design polished and stop rushing it. then code it, not design and code as you go. also. why do you have BWD in a sans serif and your sites name under it in a handwriting serif font....

 

Ok, Thanks guys, as for the footer its not really a footer,

that makes no logical sense.... you adressed it as a footer... But its not really a footer?

if I am totally honest it looks copied.. or i recognise it

 

I can't remember, correct me if im wrong but didnt Rob (Rawkes) used to have the same header but with a image saying no templates?

 

Not fond of the whole site

no

if I am totally honest it looks copied.. or i recognise it

 

I can't remember, correct me if im wrong but didnt Rob (Rawkes) used to have the same header but with a image saying no templates?

 

Not fond of the whole site

Rawkes had a wood header. his is a blurred porous wood im guessing. it hardly looks like wood. but it does seem slighlty Rawkes inspired.

Iv never seen that site the only site iv seen of his is the one with rockets

This might insult you a little Jake but I will say it anyway.

 

 

I believe that Jake didn't rip off Rawkes...ok that bit won't insult you but my reason why will. Robs site was made with detail in mind and things on his site were well placed and well thought out, I think if Jake had copied off the site then a few elements would have been a little more considered, as I know Jake can design well when he puts his mind to it and isn't in a rush, so if he were to copy his site would look better than it does at the moment.

 

I was going to write up a full crit of your site tonight as I think you need something more than everyone telling you not to rush But it is quite late and I need to get up early so will do it hopefully at some point this weekend

This might insult you a little Jake but I will say it anyway.

I believe that Jake didn't rip off Rawkes...ok that bit won't insult you but my reason why will. Robs site was made with detail in mind and things on his site were well placed and well thought out, I think if Jake had copied off the site then a few elements would have been a little more considered, as I know Jake can design well when he puts his mind to it and isn't in a rush, so if he were to copy his site would look better than it does at the moment.

 

I was going to write up a full crit of your site tonight as I think you need something more than everyone telling you not to rush But it is quite late and I need to get up early so will do it hopefully at some point this weekend

i started to write one this morning but Notepad crashed.

Please dont lose your sleep over me, I have plenty of time. Anyway thanks on the ideas. Also anyhelp on typography is welcome, I have truthfully never really looked into it and really have no idea what to do in that area. I made a small update with a new font family and some other stuff but im not sure it did anything . Thanks

Hi BWD!

 

I'm late into this thread because (and I'm going to be brutal to help you not be nasty) I think you need to put the brakes on this design and literally go back to the drawing board. Get away from the screen!

If you're groaning and thinking "oh no, not more generic advice" - then I'm sorry to say it's because the current design needs so much reworking that specifics are pointless.

Harsh? Probably! Meant to help you - definitely. We all want to help and so here's my advice:

 

You need a strong theme, a brand.

You need to decide what your most important message is.

You need to write a good draft of what you want to say.

You then need to use that to drive your structure and subsequent design.

 

"Oh sure, there goes Wizely on about copy again - I asked for design advice". Hah! I am giving you design advice!

 

To me it seems you want to push the local angle? So what is there about Cincinnati or even Ohio that you can use? I have no idea about that part of the world - but a quick wikipedia leads me to the 'Cincinnati Reds' rounders (er, sorry baseball) team. If their colours are red with some white (which are 'all-american' colours) why not use those colours? Their website is a little garish for my liking but you could use some elements inspired from it to give your design direction, personality and make it very local. Why not put a link to their site or a little feed of their latest news? etc. etc...

 

I don't know what else your region is known for but look there for inspiration. Find a theme to help guide your design. It can even help with typography if there is an easily recognisable font used by say the Reds or the local paper or a big local company...

 

A strong theme to work toward I think will help you put in place what the others have been advising.

 

I hope you take this the right way - I just spent 10mins writing this only to help!

 

Glad you still use that old logo i made for you, but i think the font(Boyles Web Design) doesnt look that great. You should play around with the carracter proprieties and im sure youll get a better result. Other wise the color, and texture are really nice.

 

wisely said

but a quick wikipedia leads me to the 'Cincinnati Reds' rounders (er, sorry baseball) team. If their colours are red with some white (which are 'all-american' colours) why not use those colours? Their website is a little garish for my liking but you could use some elements inspired from it to give your design direction, personality and make it very local.

 

 

 

Thats actualy a good advice as i always been more inspired with the color of my country flag/local hockey team so... maybe it can help you.

 

cheers!

Thanks Wizely and Kenv, wizely ill look into that thanks for your time, also kenv thanks, I totally forgot you made that logo, lol Ill put A link for you into my site and Im still messing around with the text underneath. Thanks to both of you.

its aight, i never ask you anything for that logo so just enjoy it

I think wizely has covered it all, but if you still want be to pull apart your site and give you ideas for improvement just let me know, although I think coming up with a clearer concept and brand is what you should look at doing

Congrats on the CSSMania feature

 

http://cssmania.com/?start=26

Congrats on the CSSMania feature

 

http://cssmania.com/?start=26

Yeah, congrats on getting on CSSMania!

Congrats on it Jake

Nice work. Congrats! But you could make it even better!

 

Notice your design's vertical lines. Why's not the logo, "a little about me", the image and everything in the left column aligned? Maybe you want your design to look relaxed, but that's not complete working for me. (The same with "some of my work", the menu's not completly right aligned, "got a massage" is out of position.) I think you understand me.

 

This is a good design, so don't take this the wrong way. This is great even if you don't fix it, but it looks a bit random after all.

 

Good luck.