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Main Content => Web Design => Topic started by: CorvusErebus on January 08, 2010, 04:49:28 AM

Title: onSite Reviews - An Open Call <CLOSED>
Post by: CorvusErebus on January 08, 2010, 04:49:28 AM
All right. In the near future I will begin writing some articles on Web Design. I will ALSO be looking at one website a week for the foreseeable future. I'll offer my advice as a designer on what works, and what could do with a change. But there's just one problem. . .

I can't do it without your help! I need some brave volunteers to step up for constructive criticism! If you feel like you could use some help, and want a free evaluation, Step right up. If you're feeling brave and think your site passes all the tests, You're welcome too ;D!

Volunteers will be backlogged and reviewed in First Come First Serve order. Step Right Up!
Title: Re: onSite Reviews - An Open Call
Post by: mwytrykus on January 08, 2010, 06:11:09 AM
I'm always fretting over my site design. i'm never totally happy with it. It's okay right now, but there's almost always room for improvement. So I'll volunteer my site. Feel free to tear it apart or praise it. www.grimstone.net
Title: Re: onSite Reviews - An Open Call
Post by: mattstout on January 08, 2010, 10:31:21 AM
I KNOW my website design sucks, but I'm just not good enough at web design to do anything about it.  I'm planning a redesign sometime in the near future, so this is right up my alley.  I'll submit my site for criticism, and don't hold back cause my feelings are not at all attached to my web design skills.

http://www.bigsandygilmore.com (http://www.bigsandygilmore.com)
Title: Re: onSite Reviews - An Open Call
Post by: Westly on January 08, 2010, 07:14:43 PM
Okay, I can do this.

Ignore the opening page, it's not final because I'd been doing it, then stopped, but now I'm in the process of doing it again. 

So, how would you make this site work better?

http://www.sacredgroundscomic.com

Title: Re: onSite Reviews - An Open Call
Post by: ran on January 09, 2010, 04:59:59 PM
I'm on the verge of redesigning the layout of my comic Hollow (http://www.unpretended.com/) because my host has made some changes to the way my dropdown archive and archive page work and they'll have to be redone, anyways. I already know that there are some issues (for example, the header is way too large--I originally intended to make it that large so that I could put an ad above the logo, but at this point in time I don't get the traffic to justify it), so I want to consider everything fully before I redo the whole thing. Someone else's eyes might just be what I need before I make some decisions.
Title: Re: onSite Reviews - An Open Call
Post by: mattstout on January 09, 2010, 08:27:56 PM
Westly, I know you said to ignore your front page, but in my opinion, you shouldn't redo it, you should just get rid of it altogether.  Put your comic on the front page, and incorporate your blog on the same page.  

The harder it is for people to find your comic, the fewer people will bother to do so.  Make your comic the first thing people see when they type in your URL.
Title: Re: onSite Reviews - An Open Call
Post by: CorvusErebus on January 09, 2010, 08:34:53 PM
Wow. I didn't expect such a warm response so soon. And such a variety of site types too! I'm very very pleased! We've got an interesting few weeks lined up.

Matt stout has some very good advice, and it will be touched on and explained more in depth in the review. But please, for future reference, this thread is for volunteering your website for a front page review only. Let's try to keep critiques of websites in their own thread. (And only when the website owner asks.) Thanks a ton.

Also, the name of the review article is very much in the works. Feel free to make suggestions on that here as well. I really don't like "onSite reviews". But it was the best my sleep-deprived brain could think up.
Title: Re: onSite Reviews - An Open Call
Post by: Nuke on January 11, 2010, 02:49:18 AM
Shoot, I could use a few pointers as well. Web design is not my forte. Put me down for a pummeling.
Title: Re: onSite Reviews - An Open Call
Post by: Westly on January 11, 2010, 03:11:07 PM
Westly, I know you said to ignore your front page, but in my opinion, you shouldn't redo it, you should just get rid of it altogether.  Put your comic on the front page, and incorporate your blog on the same page.  

The harder it is for people to find your comic, the fewer people will bother to do so.  Make your comic the first thing people see when they type in your URL.

That's actually part of the re-design, getting rid of that nasty intro page, and putting the newest page of the comic right on the frontpage.  I just have to design around it.  I originally had it there because there was a 'working' version that I was working on, and an archive version.  Both linked to different types of comic pages.  I just haven't redesigned /index.html yet.

Any other suggestions?  ^_^
Title: Re: onSite Reviews - An Open Call
Post by: Alectric on January 12, 2010, 02:19:36 AM
I guess I'll have to wait a while, but sign me up as well.
Title: Re: onSite Reviews - An Open Call
Post by: Pete on January 12, 2010, 09:48:52 AM
While I can't say I'll take whatever advice is given (I'm far too stubborn to let go of the things I like), feel free to tear my site apart at your convenience.
Title: Re: onSite Reviews - An Open Call
Post by: Rob on January 12, 2010, 10:44:33 AM
Oh my so many volunteers. We're putting up your first review tonight aren't we Corvis? Hope you're ready.  ;)
Title: Re: onSite Reviews - An Open Call
Post by: CorvusErebus on January 12, 2010, 11:12:39 PM
While I can't say I'll take whatever advice is given (I'm far too stubborn to let go of the things I like), feel free to tear my site apart at your convenience.

And what comic would that be exactly? You really should post a banner ad or a link in your sig. Or on your profile at least.
Title: Re: onSite Reviews - An Open Call
Post by: Mutt on January 13, 2010, 12:05:08 AM
You can add mine to the list.  it's due for a redesign soon, so feedback would be nice.

www.thetempestlegacy.com (http://www.thetempestlegacy.com)
Title: Re: onSite Reviews - An Open Call
Post by: CorvusErebus on January 13, 2010, 12:38:12 AM
Just a note, Rob got a bit mixed up. Website reviews begin This coming Friday! Not Wednesday.
Title: Re: onSite Reviews - An Open Call
Post by: Rob on January 13, 2010, 01:21:16 PM
Indeed... so mixed up. ???
Title: Re: onSite Reviews - An Open Call
Post by: amanda on January 15, 2010, 01:00:28 PM
Oooh oooh, pick me!  But Not Really (http://www.butnotreally.com)
Title: Re: onSite Reviews - An Open Call
Post by: JGray on January 16, 2010, 09:20:36 AM
I will put Mysteries of the Arcana up for the slaughter. Links is in my signature.
Title: Re: onSite Reviews - An Open Call
Post by: Dr. BlkKnight on January 16, 2010, 11:41:12 AM
I'll add Crossing Death to the mix.
Title: Re: onSite Reviews - An Open Call
Post by: Xade on January 16, 2010, 06:22:11 PM
im brave, I think I have a dog gone good looking site, everyone says so and best of all it's not a comicpress site, it's blkknight's (http://www.crossingdeath.com) engine!
Title: Re: onSite Reviews - An Open Call
Post by: Rob on January 16, 2010, 06:35:54 PM
im brave, I think I have a dog gone good looking site, everyone says so and best of all it's not a comicpress site, it's blkknight's (http://www.crossingdeath.com) engine!

Ah our community relations coordinator's first recruits. Good job brother. May there be many more! ;)
Title: Re: onSite Reviews - An Open Call
Post by: Xade on January 17, 2010, 02:34:07 AM
Ah our community relations coordinator's first recruits. Good job brother. May there be many more! ;)

*checks down shirt* okay, theyre still there. Who said I was a boy? Girls can make web comics too you know. Besides what boy in his right mind would ever use purple as a theme? *looks around to see if she can display a tag line that states what gender she is*
Title: Re: onSite Reviews - An Open Call
Post by: TakaComics on January 17, 2010, 02:59:21 AM
Ah our community relations coordinator's first recruits. Good job brother. May there be many more! ;)

*checks down shirt* okay, theyre still there. Who said I was a boy? Girls can make web comics too you know. Besides what boy in his right mind would ever use purple as a theme? *looks around to see if she can display a tag line that states what gender she is*

Hey hey! I used pink as a theme for my website for a period of time. You women, always stealing colors from us men. Pfft.

Also, Rob wasn't referring to you with that post. :)
Title: Re: onSite Reviews - An Open Call
Post by: Rob on January 17, 2010, 04:23:22 AM
Ah our community relations coordinator's first recruits. Good job brother. May there be many more! ;)

*checks down shirt* okay, theyre still there. Who said I was a boy? Girls can make web comics too you know. Besides what boy in his right mind would ever use purple as a theme? *looks around to see if she can display a tag line that states what gender she is*

 :D I was talking to BlkKnight. Our Community Relations Coordinator when I said Good Job Brother. From everything you said I assumed he is the one that brought you here, and thus is doing his job well.  ;)

Cheers
Title: Re: onSite Reviews - An Open Call
Post by: Xade on January 17, 2010, 09:06:27 AM
Ah our community relations coordinator's first recruits. Good job brother. May there be many more! ;)

*checks down shirt* okay, theyre still there. Who said I was a boy? Girls can make web comics too you know. Besides what boy in his right mind would ever use purple as a theme? *looks around to see if she can display a tag line that states what gender she is*

 :D I was talking to BlkKnight. Our Community Relations Coordinator when I said Good Job Brother. From everything you said I assumed he is the one that brought you here, and thus is doing his job well.  ;)

Cheers


oh my bad, I thought you meant me for some strange reason, and yes, he is the one who brought me here
Title: Re: onSite Reviews - An Open Call
Post by: Rob on January 17, 2010, 08:28:30 PM
I knew you were a girl. It was hard to miss.  ;)
Title: Re: onSite Reviews - An Open Call
Post by: MenZ on January 17, 2010, 08:46:23 PM
I knew you were a girl. It was hard to miss.  ;)

Bow chicka bow wow?
Title: Re: onSite Reviews - An Open Call
Post by: Rob on January 17, 2010, 09:24:10 PM
I knew you were a girl. It was hard to miss.  ;)

Bow chicka bow wow?

No.  >:(
Title: Re: onSite Reviews - An Open Call
Post by: CorvusErebus on January 17, 2010, 11:26:55 PM
Okay, Submissions are now Closed. Why you may ask? Because you lot where too bloody cooperative! >:(

I have 10 weeks of submissions here. Ten. X. Let that sink in. The next open review date is April 2nd.

Now, If I let these build up any more, I'd have to find a way to do them Twice a week just to keep up. As I'm currently very busy with non WCC affairs, and these reviews do take a LOT of time to write properly, I can't really do that right now. I will TRY to get through this list before April 2nd, but I can make no promises. When I get the list down to 2 or 3 left, I'll open a new submission thread.

Thanks for playing folks, and stay tuned! If you didn't get a chance to sign up, don't worry. Just try to learn what you can from the upcoming reviews, and wait for the next submission group. So long as I'm here, and have the time, I'll try to keep doing reviews!