Website feedback

HippySunshine

Senior Member
Im doing a simple 2 page website design for a local Plasterer. Layout wise, this is what I have so far... http://i30.tinypic.com/33oktpv.jpg

Its a first draft and still has ALOT that needs to be done.
Any thoughts?

EDIT: Please note the image will not be used, I just borrowed it off Google images for an example!!
 
HippySunshine said:
Oops. Ive posted this in the wrong forum!

lol oops!

Nice start, nice to see someone making nice clean designs and not going all out on the "fluff"* that's available now.

What's going to be in the Lorem Ipsum box? Blurb about the tradesman I assume? Maybe lose the red line around it and turn it into 2 columns to make it easier to read. Rather than long lines of text.

I'm also not sure about the dark red phone number on the red background though :( make it stand out a bit more maybe.

Hope I don't sound too mean! It will be good to see it once you've worked on it a bit more. :)


* - nothing wrong with fluff, and sparkly scripts/effects, but sometimes they're just not necessary!
 
Becky said:
Hope I don't sound too mean! It will be good to see it once you've worked on it a bit more. :)

Don't daft. Aslong as youre not being mean and its helpful feedback I dont take offence. It all helps me to learn.

Thanks for your feedback and I shall take it on board and keep this one updated so that you can see the progress.
x
 
Thumbs down for me Hippy.
After the wedding website, this one lacks any sparkle and looks really basic and boring.
Awefull slab of red, dull fonts, no branding, and big slab of lorum, no space or sense of art direction that was evident in the wedding website. Throw it away and look at it again from a completely different perspective. You've made the art of plastering even more uninteresting than it was. 1/10
 
haha we all have them!

Sometimes it's best to leave something a few days and come back, doodle in your sketchbook for a while or go and work on something else :)
 
what colour scheme would you go for on this kind of website?
Is it the layout or the content you dont like Berry? Or all of it?
 
Hi Sunshine,

Just wondering why you need a contact page? The phone no.s at the top and you would have already found the website? Maybe it would only need one page? Would you need a portfolio of work for something like this? eg. images of ornate plastering etc. Think this one might be a good challenge! Good luck with it.
 
All of it..... No layout, or structure. Starting point would be: plastering is about creating a perfect flat surface to use as canvas to decorate. I would try and create the concept of space in your design. If you can make plastering sexy then you'll have design cracked. Your getting sucked onto plastering. See it as a challenge rather than a chore. I would do quick brand I'd as without it your buggered. Think of the website design as an integral part of interior design rather than men in overalls. Brand values - Perfect flat surfaces, precision, accuracy, perfection, opportunity. This is the design playground you should play in. Now.... Are you excited or depressed? Off you go pet........

Ps. Eyes read visual imagery left to right - your avatar should be flipped so your face is pointing into the forum page. It leads the eye travel into the page not out of it. Tidbit of important design pyscholgy to implement into any form of design communication- even an avatar!
 
Berry said:
If you can make plastering sexy then you'll have design cracked. Your getting sucked onto plastering. See it as a challenge rather than a chore. I would do quick brand I'd as without it your buggered. Think of the website design as an integral part of interior design rather than men in overalls. Brand values - Perfect flat surfaces, precision, accuracy, perfection, opportunity. This is the design playground you should play in. Now.... Are you excited or depressed?

Sound advice from Berry, I was going to reply to say it lacked any real direction, and to perhaps look at the style of architecture websites to create a more aspirational feeling, clean lines and a smooth grid to help reflect on the craftsmanship you're selling through the site.

Think of Grand Designs and Kevin McCloud getting excited about a render, that is if you've watched Grand Designs :)

Good luck, I always find Thursday's creative! (Think it goes back to having Design on a Thursday at school!)
Greg
 
Design and creativity is simple - ask yourself - would you get a job on the strength of your last piece of work - bb book of life. When you say yes, you've arrived....
 
My opinion is that it doesn't really say plasterer. Theres no identity either the font at the top just looks too generic. The red on red is just really hard to read too. I also think the spacing between the image and the red border for the text is too big compared with the top.

Having just been doing a fair bit of plastering here, the main colours are a dirty white (plasterboard) and an earthy muddy pink colour, not a colour I'd personally pick for a website so I'd see what the client likes. :).

If I was doing this layout I'd also look at using more than one image of finished work and having a carousel in the middle section, its not like plastering in itself is that nice to look at :)
 
anyone who doesnt watch grand designs should be shot. Mc Cloud for prime minister.
 
Hay just an opinion but the information architecture of the site could do with seriously improving.
Where does he operate?
Location page?

I would stick with a contact page and make it an email page as well, what if they want to contact him on a Sunday?
Will then phone or leave the site?
If they leave the site will they come back on Monday?

Try shortening the text at the bottom of the page, and instead having a separate about us page.

1 page sites suck in the search engines and more pages might give you more inspiration TBH.

Try thinking about site layout first, then when you have a rough page count you know how big the main nav has to be.

Just an opinion.

Jaz
 
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