Advice for a Newbie

Moving to Website Critique Area...

I'm not much of a designer/critiquer, but here are my thoughts..

-Background sounds can become annoying.
-I want the lines to meet at the bottom to form a box. I think it feels weird with it open like that. Kinda like the text is going to fall out or sumthin.

I need some sleep... 8P

I wouldn't use the intro for this site. There is really no need for it. Just go straight to the site. The music is boring. It is the same 16 beats over and over. No way to turn it off. I wouldn't use it. The page transition is annoying too. I wouldn't use it. I am with Mark on the "Kinda like the text is going to fall out or sumthin" thing. The pages need closure. Don't particluary like black backgrounds but I think you have done well using the colors that you have. The black background with the music that you have makes it feel kinda errie to me. Not very inviting for an education site. Needs to be more upbeat.

Other than my own opinions I think you have done a great job.

OMG...that music is gonna send me to an insane asylum. EEEEEKKKKK!!!!
DM

Hey, Lukster! Welcome to TWF. We'd really appreciate if you could help us out and post your thoughts on some of the other sites posted here.

When I load this site I see an option to play an introduction for "Corvica" - at this point I have absolutely no idea what this site is about and whether or not I want to look at it. If I was just a regular visitor to your site I would probably just leave at this point. Get some sort of information on there that tells the visitor what the site is about, or better yet, lose the introduction altogether.

Now, I see that the site is about e-learning. Is this a special company or institution offering courses or is it more of a collection of resources? I'm not sure about that. I can see that your content is not finished yet so I won't complain about that right now.

Onto the design which is probably what you want to hear about. You've got your text done as graphics - you're not going to keep it like that are you? Bad idea. Overall the design is very very plain, although it's starting to grow on me. I'm actually not too turned off by the black base, but I would like to see something more interesting somewhere. Maybe add some photos of people taking the courses, some testimonials about how great they are, mouseovers to the navbar buttons... nothing too flashy or complex, but just subtle additions.

It looks as though you have a command of your graphic editor.

For a test, try going about the layout as though you had never started it. Try different colors, different layout scheme, navigation etc.

Show yourself another side of this, try white background etc.

I think you are going for a cutting edge professional site, really consider brightening up the site early on. Dark works for specific content (Multimedia companies, niche sites, etc. This is an online learning site, pay attention to your viewers ease at using the site (Easy to read, easy on the eyes, etc)

Quote: (critercise hearvily)

- start over.

I have to agree with what's been said before I'm afraid

I don't like the black/white/red too dull and if it's about learning you want to keep someones attention.

Loose the intro, it doesn't do much for the site, you want people straight into the content.

Loose the tranisition, I would leave the site after the second time of having to sit through it!

Don't do the main bulk of text as graphics as that'll cause all sorts of problems and the search engines certianly wont like it.

The actual idea of the table/frame isn't bad but definitely finish it at the bottom.

I'd say choose some different colours, make the logo more interesting, do something different with the links (even it is just rollovers in different colours) & make the text bigger (not as graphics) as many people will find the size you have very hard to read.

Have a look around at some of the sites here for a start (& give your opinions) it'll give you some ideas.

I have to agree with much of what had already been said. Top of my list of amendments would be to get rid of the sound!

In spite of all the foregoing, it has the makings of a nice site. I would suggest that you experiment with different colour schemes and settle for one which is more easily readable.

Having said all that, let me confess that I always feel a bit awkward when criticising other people's sites - you'll see why when I've qualified to have mine looked at!!

Best regards to all from a very wet Hong Kong.

Thankyou all for your criticisim

If anyone would be kind enough to go a step futher and give me some suggestions on what i should design, eg. give me URL's of sites that have a nice look/feel i can take inspiration from it would be great.

Though i might add a bit more information about the site so you have an idea what it is on about.

The site is going to be an online learning centre that will offer courses in project intergration management to start with and follow with things like software dev/networking later on. You will learn from the website and then once a week attend a class at your local TAFE institution (we have the infrastructure for this in place already).

Thanks in Advance

Lukster
:gandalf:

I agree with everyone else - GET RID OF THAT SOUND. sorry but it drove me nuts.

the intro and slide do da isnt needed, people go to a site like this for a reason, they dont want a show and tell, they want what theyame for, info.

as far as the layout, i like it (except all the blank space at the bottom)I'm not to fussed about the red thou, maybe swap the red for a blue or two, donw right, black, white, blue and even grey can work very well together.
Big black space is worse than big white space, pen two browser windows, have one on your site and one on a blank screen (white), now read your page then switch to the white, then back to yours. the black is actually blinding you, not the white. black is good but has to be filled.

on your links I notice you have "courses" and "subjects" arent these the same thing? I also notice you have a "fees" section, but I cant find any information (and I realise the sites not finished) about certifacation. Why would anyone want to pay for something and not get anything at the end of it, the web/net is full of eLearning sites - free ones. If you charge you need to be better than the rest and offer something at the end or your wasting yoru time.

For a little bit of colour you could add mouse over text links, these can be effective. is that eLearning or eBearning?

You ask for web sites for inspiration, you could go look at coolwebsites (or coolwebdesigns or somthing like that) but most sites are built around the content, think of your page as a magazine, you need to place everything on that page so it is all clearly seen, but not over powering, to much will scare them away, to little can do the same. I'd say look thru this forumn, at previous critqued sites, see what is common mistake, note what feel they are wanting, learn from our mistakes.

I hope you wont use graphics for the final version (the text etc) as its very hard to read

Is this associated with the TAFE institute? (sorry I have no idea what TAFE is),maybe use there logo, or at least their name somewhere, will give it more credibilty. If its not directly linked to Tafe you could always ask for some sponsorship.

Thanks for your reply Busy.
Ill try and answer a few of your questions..
- Courses and Subjects are different categories because you will be able to enroll in either a full course or a single subject.
- TAFE is a teaching institution you can attend after you finish school, its below a University standard. Im helping one of the TAFE staff to create this as a joint money making venture that isnt associated with the TAFE, (although we are using alot of their resources)

Thanks for the input i might try out that blue/grey/black colour scheme.

Lukster
:gandalf:

Start simple

The site is in total graphical form that way too many would find looks not done.

The transitions need to go, they do not look like they add anything but slowing down the load time, which might be compensation for the all page image. Learn to slice out and a little html. If you need help simply ask and about anyone on here will help you through the process. I am not saying you do not know html, the slice just begs a slice out.

K

Geez thanks for the starting simple thing Keegan. I think the major problem i have is that i only have intermediate skills in using fireworks, and my photoshop skills are shot. I can see a great creation forming out of your demo page for me, if i was to create a rough of the way i thought it should look would you be able to put together a few of the elements to get me started?
Any help would be MUCH appreciated.

Lukster
:gandalf:

Of course, I would be happy to help. Keep it within this thread though because it fits the title.

Create away and I will slice it out for you, package up the contents and send them. You can then use your favorite editor to see what I have done, and bone up quickly on basic html WYSIWYG style (LOL)

K

I just read the "keep it simple" and think Keegan is on to something, His graphic looks good but maybe a little to deep in the white area.
since this is going to be a before and after schooling tool, maybe make the layout as a text book style, you dont need fancy stuff to make it look good, remember they are there for the content.

There are freeware dicer programs out there (as well as ones built into psp and ps), one I used is called "dicer" from shoe string projects, its a small stand alone program, very basic (doesnt cut into sections) but cuts up images very well then displays them in the .html file it creates for you. You can get creative and recut sections and/or add others. http://www.ziplink.net/~shoestring/dicer01.htm

one small tip, make your graphic as a .bmp then dice, adjust etc THEN convert (save as) .jpg or .gif

I'm not saying go with Keegan as he (I hope Keegan is a he lol) sounds very clued up. this is just another option.

Ive taken Keegan's advise... -start over.
Ive spent about 4 hours redoing the interface and then about 4 more hours trying to find a decent logo (unsuccessfully).
Please tell me if this site looks any better than the other one, i think it would look decent once i get a logo and the full content into it....

Http://www14.brinkster.com/corvica/newpage/test.htm

Lukster
:gandalf:

I'm not sure if this is a graphic for demo purposes or if you are missing one of the main points being made.

Do NOT create your page content in an image editor. What you wind up with is a web page that is nothing more than a glorified image tag. No text to be indexed, searched, copied, etc.

As far as the new look goes - much more suitable to the subject. Text is much easier to read (despite the typos).

You are right in saying that you need a logo. Personally, I find the project much easier to go with if there is a pre-existing logo. That quite often supplies me with my colour palette, theme, and mood.

Certainly, you need to determine your site's architecture first thing. After that, I recommend that you step away from it a bit and play with colours, fonts, shapes, and themes before trying to make the whole thing work together.

Good luck

You need to tell us if you plan on using one big image map or are going to cut it up and use text as text, as both ways can be commented on.

example if you plan to use it as is, turn off "show pictures" in your options and view your site, a lot of people view web sites with images off, I didnt know you could but once I found out (many moons ago) I too decided to surf with images off to find what I was after - having a 14.4 modem didnt help either. but all you need is one little typo and your sites contents history.

But the content alone is looking good, the top banner is a little dark, the dark blue and dark grey are to dark, also think a icon would go well up there.

looking at it, maybe it needs to be extended to the edges of the page (top and sides)

a couple of typos in there "once uopn a time ..." 2nd paragraph. i dont usually point out typos as i rely on spellcheck - I couldnt spell to save myself

Who made this

corvica.com

K

Ok first of all i will be using text as text and will be slicing up[ the images. I like to design in a graphic editor as my skills are not all that great and it makes it easier to get a full view of the page.
Keegan i made that page with a template off the macromedia website; corvica.com (which you cant use for commerical purposes).

Now I see the problem.
You don't develop into html all the way when you start.

Make the image.
Logically slice out the images out of the main image.
Put it together with html saving download time by slicing ahd tiling where you can.
Test it
Then replicate it.

You are making the image.
Putting it into html.

You are missing a few steps.

K

I like the logo on corvica.com (the three circles) try using that in the new look as it will give you more of a corporate logo.