Concept Feedback?

Splash page - nice, not a typical uselss splash page. The only thing I'll complain about with this (since you know the photos is bad), is the bright red mouseovers... I'm trying to think of another colour you could use there....

Into the site, again, the bright red needs to go. Maybe black would work??? I would definitely agree that a drop down would work well for your navigation - there is too much on there now. I don't like the way the submenu's work either - too many lines there.

On the sub-pages, you need to do something different with the page headers. The three parts there - the main section heading, the page heading, and then the site heading are just conflicting with each other in a bad way. Maybe the main section heading should have a background or underline that stretches all the way across the page - it seems like the right side of the page is sort of hanging there.

For the logo, either make it bigger or get rid of the small text underneath the stick people. No, here's a better idea - do the logo the same way you've got it on the splash page (only maybe closer together, or one on top of the other), instead of having the logo area with text too small to read and the "Habitat for Humanity: National Capital Region" graphic conflicting with the page headers I already complained about. See how that looks.

It is rather slow - glad I'm not trying to look at this at home.

I think that your site looks really good. I am really not a big fan of splash pages, but as they go yours is one of the better ones that I have seen.

My only suggestions that hasn't been made yet is to maybe incorporate some cool colors into your design. You will be suprised by what a big difference it will make adding a touch of blue here and there.

I would have to agree with Megan on the mouseovers. I don't think the two colors go very well together. Right now it is pretty ugly. The nav is okay but maybe a few too many links. Right now it is very boring. Certainly pictures of people building a house and having fun doing so would help with the boredom.

So I think that you have a good head start except for the pictures and colors.

Habitat Hi.

My overall feeling is that this has been very well structured and planned, which conveys the impression of a well organised and focused committed team of people, which is good,. But as has been observed, there's always a danger that your emotion and passion get hidden, which is a problem for an 'enrolling website'.

I like on the splash screen your choice of words on the buttons.

As already mentioned, it is a shame about the colour red on the links on the inner pages as otherwise they are impressive. I don't know if there is a colour you can place behind the navigation bar on the left to alleviate their garishness?

The 'recognition' link - I would have expected to read there about comments and/or awards etc. you have received from others - the sub-headings imply you have something else planned, but maybe it will be clear when there is some text there .

On the splash screen: I think that if you have a picture, perhaps have a tag that explains what the picture is about on mouseover, and I could suggest a colour such as "#FFCC00" for the button mouseover, but that colour would not work for the navigation links on the inner pages.

Good luck with it.

Definately needs an alt tag on the first picture and also is missing one on the left logo.
I would also give the page a more meaningful title to it rather than splash. On the mousovers why not have the text changing colour instead of the background?

I really don't think you need the links on the page twice, there are just far too many of them. If you are going to have a javascript menue system I think that'll help, otherwise put the main headings only.

Definately needs pictures.

Other than what's already been said, good basis to build on

Thanks for all the feedback folks!

I had a feeling the red wouldn't fly. It works for me on the page headers (shucks Megan, that was one of the few things I liked!) but not for the navigation.

I found myself somewhat stumped as to what works with maroon (what rhymes with orange?) which is somewhat ironic being my own company colour. I'll play around with the colour suggestions made here.

Once I start receiving content (both text and photos) I'm sure that it will help to further define the site.

alt tags and page titles (not to mention metatags) will all be in place eventually - just a demo right now.

Megan: ah yes, I should have mentioned that the logo was another problem I'm aware of - scanned off a piece of letterhead paper and I just can't get a good one right now.

Webmistress: good call on the text navigation. I think I will keep it but just as the top 8. There WILL be a site map after all.

In defence of splash pages: Yep, I was all prepared to come to its defence. I was pleasantly surprised to see that no one really hated it.

In my opinion, virtually every site deserves an into, as long as it isn't overly garish or gimmicky. Indeed, it it the garish and gimmicky that have spoiled it for the rest of them. I wouldn't buy a book without its cover nor an album without its jacket - why is a web site so different? Sure its what's inside that really matters but don't you all just linger a wee bit before turning the page or opening the jewel case?
/end rant

Thanks again folks. It is nice to have found a group of such constructive critics - you shall be seeing me again

Oh, one more thing. One of you (Megan?) was viewing the site with Netscape6. The javascript works ok?

Yup - that was me. Seemed to work fine.

I know that the red color for links and headers has been questioned here but I think that while it is questionablly ugly, it also suits the client perfectly.

I'm not sure about this, but, it looks like you are dealing with a non profit agency that is under the umbrella of Ottawa and I think the site looked like an "offical" representation. It might be less than beautiful but you have a good Canadian "look", red and white like the flag.

I used to get funding out of the CDN government for a living (I looked at federal and Ontario documents till the end of time) and your site looks the part. The one thing our literacy centre strived to do was to look like we were an "official" part of the government. It gave us more credibility when we begged the Feds for cash. Habitat for Housing may not be funded by the government but an official look will help get the dollars.

Keep the red and white. It screams Canadian government and legitimacy.

Andrew

LOL Andy!

While I'm not sure that "questionably ugly" would make such a good addition to my design portfolio, I like your argument. Frankly, I never considered the red/white=canadian angle. Not much of a flag waver I guess.

The navigation as stands is much too overpoewering, this I know. I've been working on a variation but opted for citron's colour suggestion in place of the red (citron, yellow... hmmm)

While this colour is working fine for me visa-vis the navigation, I dislike it in the page headers and it certainly doesn't work as a link colour.

Perhaps I'll keep working the red in tandem and throw them both back up for review.

Thanks for the input!

ADDED:

In fact, the red is growing on me and "concept 2" just isn't. I've uploaded some changes to the original if anyone is interested.

Still waiting for a decent splash page image

I just don't like the marroon and red together.

The links on the splash page are okay in size, but on the secondary pages they look too thick.

I don't mind the pull down nav - but I really dislike the colors together. What about blue, dark green, yellow etc. Those will help to add some color.

That's all.

Brooke
:snow:

here is what I've done so far in yellow - all I've touched is the navigation:

http://www.sitesunseen.ca/clients/habitat/concept2/about.html

That looks good! But try something different for the sub nav text mouseovers - it's hard to read the yellow part against the white background.

Very good & much much better. I would have the sub links changing colour to the reverse like the lines are.

You folks are liking it but I'm not sure I am

Webmistress, I didn't go with a complete colour reversal for the very reason Megan pointed out - Yellow doesn't work well on white. I just may have to box the subnavigation as well if I go this route.

Or just have the lines change. You don't have to have rollovers for everything.

I had my client on the phone. Warning her that it was a very rough draft, I bit the bullet and directed her to Concept1:

"Very nice!" she exclaimed. "I REALLY LIKE THE RED!"

go figure

That yellow isn't working all that great with the marroon. I would try a different color. What about black?

Make sure you change your header colors and your links throughout to match the new color.

Brooke
:snow: