updated site

[oatesj77]

just got through a full revision of my site using css and php, just wanted to know what you guys thought? i'm still working on refining my css, it is a bit messy, but it all validates. anyway if you have any thoughts, good or bad about the site let me know.
thanks
new site (http://oatesj77.com)

[jatticks]

I like it.
I'm not a php expert and I don't know what css even is. So technically, I'm of no use to you at all.
What I can say is how the site makes me feel and give you my opinion of the look of things. So here we go….
Your site is very easy to navigate and get a feel for. Trying to find things to improve was not easy. Here are my little nit picks…..
It’s very clear that you are a web designer with a number of services to offer. I would highlight these services on your index page and get rid of the gray titles. The gray is blending with the white background making it a bit hard to read on my screen. I think a bold black would draw the eye to each topic a bit better. The fact that you don’t have any capital letters except in the Resume section also drew my attention (not sure how I feel about that yet).
In your web site you use the words “we” in describing your company. Are you a joint venture or solo designer? It seems to me that you are independent with your productions based on your resume and your about page. I think you should make this clear in your index page. Also, what is your name? I’m guessing.... J Oates.
I saw your email and was confused for a moment. I would change it to info@oatesj77.com and not spell out the 'at'. The (at) looks weird and I think many users might type that into the hotmail address area. A hyperlink to outlook may be a good thing too.
I was looking at your other sites you’ve created was very impressed. I viewed your old Stylepoints Design site and thought the header was much more…designed. The space invader guy doesn’t really show your talent or relate to your name, Stylepoints. It’s simple and clean (and even changes color) but doesn’t look quite right to me.
Hope that is of some use to you,
J.Atticks
www.lifesessions.com

[oatesj77]

jatticks,
thanks for taking the time to look over the site and for the great feedback. the site is for myself and a partner, both specializing in certain areas, and i guess what i will do next is buil personal areas of the site to just showcase my work and resume. as for the header, just haven't addressed it with that much detail, will look into changing it in the future. again thanks for looking at the site.

[linnetwoods]

Hi there! I'm no technogeek either but I, too, can tell you what effect the page had on me, in case it is any help:

1) Like jatticks, didn't find the grey text worked very well.

2) In this particular instance, the lack of upper case letters, even at the very beginning of your mission statement, gave the impression that I was looking at a chunk of text extracted from a larger piece - I had to force myself to read it. I would, at least, start a paragraph with an upper case letter - all lower cases works in some instances but I don't feel this is one of them...

3) The perforated lines irritated me too - like borders that are not intended to be seen by the visitor but somehow manage to insinuate themselves... I would make them solid or dispense with them altogether. That yellow looks pretty grim in the monitor I'm using, incidentally - the red is far superior!

4) What tells me that the site needs to be given far more strength of visual attraction is that I didn't actually think to click on anything whatsoever to see where it went, the first time I went to the page, I just wanted to get off it again as quickly as possible - I don't know why except that, perhaps, it reminded me of some other site (s) where nothing worthwhile was on offer.

I had to open the link on your post a second time and take another look when I realised that I had forgotten to browse... will other visitors react in the same way? If they do, they will be missing out because, in fact, your project sites are absolutely fascinating!

Your links just are not begging to be clicked on - I think the positioning of the table of links may be erroneous - much of the public has become accustomed to the right-hand side of the page being a place where other people's links and advertisements are put - I didn't even realise that set of links were the main thrust of your page until I had looked around some while and the sad truth is that people don't usually take the time.

You might want to experiment with swapping different parts of the page to different locations and seeing what effect that has on how people browse it. I usually offer three or four unconnected people some inducement - I'll cook them a meal or taking them out sailing, buy them a drink at the local or whatever - to look at my new sites without having a clue what they are going to see and I watch them to see what they do. By seeing where (geographically) they are inclined to want to click first and then asking what made them choose that link, I find out if they are showing me the 'hot' spot of the page or simply exercising personal taste - I do not tell them anything, on the basis that the webmaster of any other site they visit is not going to be on hand to tell them anything either, I just ask questions...

Based on their browsing activities, I might move things about and then ask another set of people (or even the same set) to browse again, and see what they do. Combined with a companionable Sunday lunch and a few slurps, for example, this can be very helpful and doesn't have to be an ordeal for anyone participating...

[jatticks]

good comments Iinnetwoods. I like your idea of having various people see a site without knowing what it is...see where they click, etc. thanks, J. Atticks

[oatesj77]

thanks again for looking at the site, i went ahead and made a few changes, mainly in type color, now it's all in black or very dark blue, changed the header to reflect my style of work a bit more, but still don't know if i like it, will probably make a few more revisions on that thru the week. went thru and added caps to the type, just lazy and copied from my old site and didn't take the time to check if everything was the same.

as far as the navigation problem, does it just not stand out enough or are there too many links on the index page to start with. for the most part i am happy with it, but if you guys have any ideas please let me know.

and yeah i am an individual freelance designer who works with a partner, i'll have his work up later this week if anyone want so take a look and have begun creating individual sections for each of us to showcase some work, have client stuff and post resumes.

thanks again, some very good help.