Web Design Newb

[nativejam]

I recently just finished designing a website for my grandmother, but what i want to know is what some peoples opinions are about the site, like about the design, first impression, do you think it needs improvements, or even if you just hate the color, it would be aprreciated to know. I spent a lot of time into making it, so any opinion counts

http://www.creativelanguageresources.com.au

(Yes, I am australian)
Thanks

[nativejam]

hey thanks Hicham-A,

at least one person replied,

i still need to do some work on it, but from what i understand that it was a good design for a first website, despite having flaws. I agree with the red color I will have to change that.

As far as a logo goes for the website, that will take me ages to do, as i can't think of how i would do that or how it would look like.

Agree with the comic sans text as well, i might just do a redesign of the website and maybe get a professional photo of my grandma as well

Once again thank you

[fred]

I have to agree with the "good" features... however don't agree with some of the other points...

I think the problem with the red is the percieved "perspective" of foreground red and background red.

I don't have a problem with the red. However, if it's feeling a bit overwhelming, then experiment with making the background (areas outside of the content window) a slightly darker red. This will provide a visual perception that it's receding and "further back" than the red in the forground. (header background, etc.)

You might even indtroduce a gradient starting with black at the borders of the content window, and returning to red. That will also give the effect of depth.

I agree with the FONT used for the nav links -- it should be DIFFERENT from the text in the rest of the content area -- to make it stand out as a 'button' or link. It would also be more 'user friendly' to make those nav buttons rollovers -- easily accomplished in your CSS.

SAME goes for the TITLE across the top. This should be a different font too -- probably match the navigation.

It's refreshing to see a "clean" presentation, free of blinking screen spam and gratuitous Google ads.

:D

[Bennie]

This site is clean and easy to navigate, but...

The title, Creative Learning Resources, and the first sentences of content
suggest this is an academic site offering literary comments about books
by the pictured author - the type of material students might reference in a
school report. I was surprised to discover that this is a commercial site for
selling the author's books.

It appears you are gradually leading into the main purpose of the site, but
this is not an effective method of selling. You want to tell and "show" the
visitor right away that you have books for sale.

Material about the author and about the books themselves are necessary and
desirable inclusions but are not the proper content for the first paragraphs of
the site. This material should serve as support for your contention that your
offerings are worthwhile.

As others have mentioned, you do need a banner of some sort. First, visitors
expect to see some identification at the top of the page. And second, the page
looks unfinished - as if you planned to include a banner and then forgot to put
it in. A banner can be small and simple. You could go with a text-only heading
created quickly and easily with CSS.

Your sections on "books" and "in production" are very useful and very well
presented. And I enjoyed looking at some of the links listed on the site map.

You have excellent material to work with. Just make sure these features are not overlooked by a visitor who like myself was mislead by the title and layout of the site.

[nativejam]

First off it is Creative Language Resources….not Creative Learning Resources which the banner at the top of the page says
http://www.creativelanguageresources.com.au/images/banner.jpg
along with the title and yes it is already included, it just might not have loaded on your computer, whether I need to redesign the banner, with a logo and better graphics is an issue I am currently working on doing, but at the moment I already have one in place.

I personally do not see how you got the website to be an academic site from the content when within the first paragraph it clearly says

“Hi, I'm Karan Chandler and welcome to Creative Language Resources, a website that contains an insight into books I have published and am currently writing. To find out more about me then click on the "About Karan" section, where you can find all you need to know.”

Which to me clearly indicates that the website is by Karan Chandler, an author who has a website containing information about books she has published and books that she is currently writing. It also indicates in order to find out more information about the author then go to the “About Karan” section.

To me that is not misleading……..it tells me that this is a website where I will be able to find books that Karan Chandler, an author, has published and is currently writing, what the books have to offer, such has titles, target users, even a glimpse of inside the book. The site doesn’t have an emphasis on selling books as a commercial website, other wise the content on the main page would have been worded differently and the navigation menu ordered differently as well. The “Order Books” section is there to show the approximate pricing of the books and then has a link to where the books can be bought…….otherwise if this was a commercial website, I would have taken the time to install and apply a shopping cart to the website.

[Bennie]

There is no banner visible on my computer whether viewed in IE6,
Firefox, or Opera. The source code as displayed in all three browsers
fails to include any code for an image that could serve as a banner.

I apologize for reading the title wrong. But I do not think the title is
the best choice in any case because it is too generic. It would be more
appropriate as the title of a series of sites about authors of language
books. I would call your site something very pertinent such as "Karan
Chandler's Books."

(I personally do not see how you got the website to be an academic
site from the content when within the first paragraph it clearly says
“Hi, I'm Karan Chandler and welcome to Creative Language Resources,
a website that contains an insight into books I have published an
currently writing. To find out more about me then click on the "About
Karan" section, where you can find all you need to know.”)

The word "insight" implies a rather in-depth study of someone's work.
I misinterpreted your introduction because of this.

(The site doesn’t have an emphasis on selling books as a commercial
website, other wise the content on the main page would have been
worded differently and the navigation menu ordered differently as well.
The “Order Books” section is there to show the approximate pricing of
the books and then has a link to where the books can be bought…….
otherwise if this was a commercial website, I would have
taken the time to install and apply a shopping cart to the website.)

If there had been no mention of offering the books for sale anywhere
on the site, then I would have eventually grasped the idea that this
was a site created simply to describe an author and her books.

It is true you do not emphasize the sale of books. But if you do not
care much about selling the books, we are left with a site that must
be considered literary (pertaining to books) if not truly academic.

What would be the purpose in reading about an author and her books
if you did not intend to purchase and read the books, adopt them
as textbooks, or to comment on them within the circle of literary
criticism?

[fred]

Sorry, but let me throw this out there:

I can't get past the picture.

Pictures that make eye contact need to be engaging and superbly rendererd. If I had no better picture than this one -- I'd use none at all.

Do yourself a favor.
Spring for a sitting at your local portrait photographer and get a GOOD picture. They'll know how to handle the glasses, and all the other details of this photo that shout "AMATEUR"

You're certainly appealing, I can tell, and the energetic smile, tilt of the head and all that -- but it's ruined by the poor quality of the photo.

Take a look in magazines and find a pose and styling photo of a writer, author, or someone that appeals to you, or that you think would look good in the web site.

It shouldn't cost much. But it will pay off over and over again.

After all... what are you "selling" in this site?
If you're selling yourself, then the "product" has to be inviting and perfectly rendered.

:)

[nativejam]

Sorry i haven't replied sooner, i was on holiday.

I will get a professional photo of my grandma done, but i am currently working on the site design and cleaning up the code and minor things. I am also learning how to do SEO by optimizing the content for certain keywords and also how to get quality backlinks and also from what i have heard google is going to change the algorithm to also include the click rate for a link. so at the moment i am learning.......but i do have a long way to go in terms of fully understanding how to do a website to its full potential

and yes i got the image of the redesign........i will use it as a guide but i don't think I will do it the way that you have designed it.

Thanks

[nativejam]

i have made some slight changes to the site, some things i haven't done yet but that is a work in progress.......for example i am trying to learn some more css so that the navigation, you should be able to click anywhere instead of directly on the text.

Tell me what you think please
http://www.creativelanguageresources.com.au/

nativejam

[tscreative]

Not to invalidate all the work that you have already put into this site, but I would suggest that you table the CSS, Java, PDQ, or whatever else you are working on and go back to the design. The main problems reviewers have been trying to point out is in the design NOT the coding. If the design is inaffective or just plain bad (I am not making a judgement here, just a general statement) all the coding in the word is not going to help it.

You need to focus on what exactly what it is you want this site to accomplish and how you want the view to perceive it. Dispite its personal nature, you have to loo at this from the perspective of the viewer and what it is that is going to capture and engage them.

Read the reviews again, take a deep breath, and then go back to the drawing board. I don't know you happened to construct this -- whether you code by hand or used a program(s) like Photsohop/Dreamweaver -- but think of the aesthetic first. Design it to be functional but pleasing to view; readable but reflective of the personality of the subject; thorough in content, but consise and without embellishment. Code should be the last concern.

Its a tall order, but you obviously have the skills. Good Luck.

[admin]

This site is still alive ... and merits another look!

---------

I have been pruning the forums, and most of the early sites in the Site Critique thread have gone dead. Amazing how many people let their domains go dead.
:cool:

[annahussy]

Hi, I check you site here which you share in this forum. It is really such very nice site and looks really good. You share such great information related to language resources. It seems that you spend a lots of time to create this site.