Intelligent Studios

mikka23 · April 7th, 2007, 07:30 AM

Hi I havent changed the site in ages so thought I would change it around. All comments and tips are appreciated. I designed the pig by the way. I need to smooth the tail.

Ryan Fait · April 7th, 2007, 08:53 AM

The top menu is really screwed up in Safari (see attachment).
Also, is that side bar supposed to be navigation? The rows change color when my mouse moves over them, but there appear to be no links. That's not good at all!
Remove that enormous gap above the header.
If everything on that pig was symmetrical except for the tail, I think it would look a lot better. That shadow is twice the size of the pig, too. Looks odd.

To be honest, I don't like it at all. I can't really say why, but it just doesn't strike my fancy.

Lchad · April 7th, 2007, 09:09 AM

I love it! See two people can have totally opposite feelings about the site.
The pig is adorable.

My only suggestion is the text. You talk about wanting to get the site hits up to 10,000 on one site, another site was for your brother, I want someone to pay $60 for one template, etc.

Turn all those statements around to "sell" yourself rather than sell yourself short.

I'm not sure people buying a site design from you will really care how many hits your site is getting. Telling someone that knows nothing about websites might be turned off by 300. Some new business owners have visions of getting millions of sites without putting an ounce of effort in.

Don't tell them the one site was for your brother. Let them think it was a paying client.
Finally place a price of $60 on the template.

Good job!

Ryan Fait · April 7th, 2007, 09:43 AM

Hehe, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's horrible, it's just not something that I'm not attracted to

I agree with most of what Linda said, as well.

mikka23 · April 7th, 2007, 09:50 AM

I don't have safari, will try sort that out alothugh I have never actually tested in safari before therefore don't really know what the problem could be. The so called shadow part actually wasn't supposed to be. It was merely something to show it was like standing on something. Any ideas what could cause the safari problems? Oh and yeah the left isnt supposed to be a nav. I will just remove the on over effect. I was just experimenting a bit.

Ryan Fait · April 7th, 2007, 09:58 AM

There's a free Safari screenshot service around. I can't remember the name of it, but moojoo will know.

Ryan Fait · April 7th, 2007, 10:01 AM

I take it back, I found it...

http://www.browsrcamp.com/

mikka23 · April 7th, 2007, 10:15 AM

Yeah but I cant get a screenshot of the hover effect.

Ryan Fait · April 7th, 2007, 10:20 AM

No... but it's better than nothing! I will say this, though. Safari is more compliant with CSS than Firefox. Take a look at your CSS and check to make sure you're not doing something silly.

pa007 · April 7th, 2007, 06:00 PM

I think it's a nice design and all but it's just not right. In the 'about' section you're quite friendly and talk about this client relationship that you believe in. Well that starts here, from the second a potential client loads your site up you need to start communicating with them. The design looks like a template, which is compliment because it means that it's professional, but it also means that it's generic and too clinical. It needs some character, put your personality into the site. It leaves me feeling cold at the minute.

Pete.

mikka23 · April 7th, 2007, 07:17 PM

Well I hear what you are saying but I feel having a cartoon pig makes it the opposite from generic and makes it very personal since its the only animal I can draw

pa007 · April 7th, 2007, 07:24 PM

I like the pig, it's really different and that's a good thing but a design needs to be consistent. You can't have a clean and clinical design then stick a pig on it (not saying you did this) and expect that to make it a personal site full of character. Use the pig as your starting point and flavour the site with the pig and other little bits of your own personality. But it needs to be throughout the design not just in the logo or header.

It's not a bad design, don't get me wrong, but you're a competent designer by the looks of things and I just think you could get more out of this design. Add some splashes of colour, go crazy on the links; do something you wouldn't normally do, something that isn't 'done'. It might turn out rubbish but you might find something that works, something that's individual and sets it out from the norm. This is what gives sites personality and will ultimately define it as your site.

The pig is cool though.

Pete.

Lchad · April 7th, 2007, 07:45 PM

I kind of agree with Pete now that I think about it... maybe use a very small pig as your bullets or buttons or divider.... somewhere else in the design.

tanjh · April 8th, 2007, 02:23 AM

I love the design and the colours, match well. Maybe you can consider using white for your background?