Hi.. I am new to web design ... I am a coder in MYSQl and PHP. Any way I am developing a website for a salsa club and have produced a Draft ( i put quite a lot of work into it). The process I went through to produce the design was as follows :

 

1- Created a theme around a Flyer they gave. I scanned in the their picture and done some basic photo shop effects to extract their figure ( I used a very poor scanner).

3- Created a Logo (G an G Salsa).

4- Found a free template from Open source template site which roughly matched the color scheme of the photo image.

5- Took out the crap bits to simply it. Added bits to the CSS file to format it.

6- Incorporated Php and Mysql code to make it into a content management system where they can put up their events and shows ( This is a Myspace type free style posting section where they can produce their own style).

 

So from a design point of view what areas do I need much improving on. I will appreciate any comments as I do want to improve on my design skills to get better and bigger work.

 

The web address is :

http://www.test.pointze.co.uk/

 

 

Ps. I think webdesignerforum is a great site and have picked up quite a lot of tips on tools and techniques already in the last fews days. Keep up the good work

Having been a bit of a terror on the salsateca dancefloors of Quito - I love my salsa!

To that end I would've like to have seen a vibrant, sexy and fun latino theme for the site. The design's not bad or anything, but salsa is all about passion, rhythm and that latino-chic which would work really well for the site to give it a strong brand and identity.

And, I know that there's no real copy in there yet - but there are plenty of mistakes already! I know it's only to 'pad' the design out. But remember to give the copy attention. Strong, evocative copy and a sultry theme would have me meringue-ing as I browse.

Having been a bit of a terror on the salsateca dancefloors of Quito - I love my salsa!

To that end I would've like to have seen a vibrant, sexy and fun latino theme for the site. The design's not bad or anything, but salsa is all about passion, rhythm and that latino-chic which would work really well for the site to give it a strong brand and identity.

And, I know that there's no real copy in there yet - but there are plenty of mistakes already! I know it's only to 'pad' the design out. But remember to give the copy attention. Strong, evocative copy and a sultry theme would have be meringue-ing as I browse.

 

 

 

Its a bit of a pleasent coincidence that you are a salsa expert as well as web guru. I totally agree with you there.... I am very new to designing and All I had was the flyer they gave me. I would need to find some sultry pictures of latino babes doing their thing... may be create a small flash animation with few images of sexy babes to fill in the gap to the top right of the screen. And more pictures down the right side. But In terms of the content They have to give me more info on how they want to brand it. I am in two minds at the moment as this is my first site I am am doing it cheap for them and as a favor ( £300 with a content management system) so I am not really going to go out my way to make it too good. As the work I have done on this I can reuse for other sites to turn a template into a content management with my code.

Any way much appreciated for the wise comments and advice.

 

Pointze

http://kuler.adobe.com/ Search for salsa and find a great color scheme! the site just needs vibrant colors

Its a bit of a pleasent coincidence that you are a salsa expert as well as web guru. I totally agree with you there.... I am very new to designing and All I had was the flyer they gave me. I would need to find some sultry pictures of latino babes doing their thing... may be create a small flash animation with few images of sexy babes to fill in the gap to the top right of the screen. And more pictures down the right side. But In terms of the content They have to give me more info on how they want to brand it. I am in two minds at the moment as this is my first site I am am doing it cheap for them and as a favor ( £300 with a content management system) so I am not really going to go out my way to make it too good. As the work I have done on this I can reuse for other sites to turn a template into a content management with my code.

Any way much appreciated for the wise comments and advice.

 

Pointze

 

I said I was a terror, not a salsa expert - it was mainly toes I terrorised!

Even though it's not salsa - I'd consider looking for Tango images as that's the most sultry of all and, when they're stationary, who can tell the difference! On telling the difference - I'd go for latina not latino babes or you'll be in for a shock if you take them home!

It's tough to do a design without the copy - I can never understand the logic in clients not having the copy ready and not giving it to the designer.

That's a big favour (very cheap) you're doing so I understand not wanting to go mad making it the perfect design - especially as it's the functionality you're the expert in.

Considering all those factors I think it's a good design - just liven it up a bit as Kip suggests and then move on, having learnt something for when you are paid a proper amount!!!

I said I was a terror, not a salsa expert - it was mainly toes I terrorised!

Even though it's not salsa - I'd consider looking for Tango images as that's the most sultry of all and, when they're stationary, who can tell the difference! On telling the difference - I'd go for latina not latino babes or you'll be in for a shock if you take them home!

It's tough to do a design without the copy - I can never understand the logic in clients not having the copy ready and not giving it to the designer.

That's a big favour (very cheap) you're doing so I understand not wanting to go mad making it the perfect design - especially as it's the functionality you're the expert in.

Considering all those factors I think it's a good design - just liven it up a bit as Kip suggests and then move on, having learnt something for when you are paid a proper amount!!!

 

 

 

Thanks Guys I have learnt quite a lot for one day... I tried the theme site.. just need to register and stuff but looks great can use all this info for the next job. I am not an expert in salsa But luv it too.... ain't nothing like spending a night out just dancing with luvly women.

 

Cheers guys ...signing out

 

Pointze

Without being too 'i'm so much better than you' about it, I can see that it was designed by a developer.

I think you have the basics there, as the others have commented.

Just spend some time looking at colour schemes and subtlety.

I can dance just as much as I can speak fluent Brazilian, but to me the site lacks the basics of dance - fluidity, vigour and style.

I can dance just as much as I can speak fluent Brazilian

It's not showing correctly in FF2 or IE7. It's the images in the red bit that are screwy in FF, and there's some text in the same section that looks wrong in IE.

 

The main image of the two dancers is looking very washed out. Could do with more contrast.

 

The header part looks very templatey, probably cos it's all plain text.

 

Frames are really not a good way to go for a bunch of reasons. SEO is one of them, which is probably important for a client like this.

 

A few code errors (easily fixable ones, though).

 

Design-wise, it's.. well, kinda boring. Like PointandStare said, it doesn't reflect the subject matter. It should be making people think it's fun, interesting and something they really want to do. Instead, it's more like "we do dance classes. Sign up if you want."

It's not showing correctly in FF2 or IE7. It's the images in the red bit that are screwy in FF, and there's some text in the same section that looks wrong in IE.

 

The main image of the two dancers is looking very washed out. Could do with more contrast.

 

The header part looks very templatey, probably cos it's all plain text.

 

Frames are really not a good way to go for a bunch of reasons. SEO is one of them, which is probably important for a client like this.

 

A few code errors (easily fixable ones, though).

 

Design-wise, it's.. well, kinda boring. Like PointandStare said, it doesn't reflect the subject matter. It should be making people think it's fun, interesting and something they really want to do. Instead, it's more like "we do dance classes. Sign up if you want."

 

 

Hi, Bumfluf,

 

Just a query on your remark about using frames... I haven't used frames I never intend to use frames. Can you elaborate on where I use frames in my web site. ( I have used PHP to make the page Dynamic).

 

I will need to test look into how to solve the IE7 and FF2 browser problem (Insert something in the CSS)

 

I put plain text at the top because It would pick up in Search engines (I can replace that with more fancy graphic text and may be insert the details in the main body somewhere).

 

I Do agree with you on your valid points on the design ( Have to give the page life , make it more fun, vibrant and sexy).

 

Thanks for the comments

Hi.. I am new to web design ... I am a coder in MYSQl and PHP. Any way I am developing a website for a salsa club and have produced a Draft ( i put quite a lot of work into it). The process I went through to produce the design was as follows :

 

1- Created a theme around a Flyer they gave. I scanned in the their picture and done some basic photo shop effects to extract their figure ( I used a very poor scanner).

3- Created a Logo (G an G Salsa).

4- Found a free template from Open source template site which roughly matched the color scheme of the photo image.

5- Took out the crap bits to simply it. Added bits to the CSS file to format it.

6- Incorporated Php and Mysql code to make it into a content management system where they can put up their events and shows ( This is a Myspace type free style posting section where they can produce their own style).

 

So from a design point of view what areas do I need much improving on. I will appreciate any comments as I do want to improve on my design skills to get better and bigger work.

 

The web address is :

http://www.test.pointze.co.uk/

Ps. I think webdesignerforum is a great site and have picked up quite a lot of tips on tools and techniques already in the last fews days. Keep up the good work

 

 

 

A further point to note regarding my website. My website appears as frames but it has nothing to do with the coding, what has actually happened is I am with Fasthosts and they do no have a proper system for sub domains, they use frames for sub domains. I cant figure out how they do this or why they do it but just a cautious note to others who may be with fasthosts ( I want to leave them very soon, they are crap).

 

This has baffled me all day and finally I found out from other forums that this is what they do.

 

I shall keep working on my site. And post further improvements

::edited::

 

(doubleposted my reply before I'd seen that you'd noticed the frames as well)

::edited::

http://kuler.adobe.com/ Search for salsa and find a great color scheme! the site just needs vibrant colors

 

Wow, great app, added to favorites