Official Site Launched

Anyone?
Im not Competing directly to any web design site here coz my demographic is different; I'll start small with the locals here; so what do you think?....

I see the colors you are gonig for and everything - but I would tone down the red into probably a more burnt look... rather than a bright red.

Also - your homepage has only a few seconds for people to see and remember your domain - and your logo is hard to make out. My recommendation is to use another gothic font that is easier to read for your logo. Logos should be scalable to a business card size and your current one would get really tangled at small dimmensions. For your site though - get that domain written legibily a few times on your homepage. If someone wants to return that did not bookmark - they will be more likely to remember demonhale. BTW - I would emphasize the spelling in hale too... maybe make it a different color than DEMON... like this:

DemonHale .com

Honestly, Demon, this has got so many problems I dont' even know where to start. This is going to be harsh - if you can't take it, don't read any further! It is meant to be helpful.

To be honest, I think you're not close to being ready to sell your services. I barely consider myself qualified to do that. We've given this advice here before - do a search for reviews we gave heebie on his attempt at this.

Didn't this have a dark outer background yesterday? I seem to remember that.

Lets start with the larger problem: the overall look and feel. It's rather incoherent for starters but you've done a decent job coming up with something. The problem is that it will likely not be attractive to your target audience. Think about them: small businesses? Probably more conservative, definitely older. You should be targetting non-profit agencies such as local librarires or things like that. They would also be conservative, older, and often female. The demonhale thing, overall, just isn't professinoal. Fine for a personal site or screen name but for a business? Only if your'e targeting very specific niche audiences.

Now, lets talk about some of the design elements. That gradient is not looking good at all. Gradients on their own generally look pretty ugly, IMO. Good for masking and creating more complex effect but as a stand-alone they're pretty ugly.

The logo looks jaggedy and is hard to read. The text next to it doesn't relate visually at all. Read up on a set of design principles called PARC (or CRAP if you prefer: proiximity, alignment, repetition, contrast). All of these elements are used to unify a design. Proximity and alignment would apply to this situation.

Browsing around the site - you don't even have a consistent look for all the pages! That is absolutely essential. They don't have to be exactly the same but the same basic design is required.

It's fine to use a site like this to play around and show some stuff you've done but offering design services for sale is another matter altogether.

Reading some of the text: that definition on the front page is pretty lame. this is a pet peeve of mine - used when people can't think of what they want to say so they get the dictionary to say it for them. Also, in some cases you're referring to yourself as "we" and other times as "us" (don't lie). On the "how we work" page you go into some stuff about how all your sites are cross-browser compatible but on the same page the bottom paragraph of text is overlapping the footer in Opera 8. There is a whole lot of stuff on here that shouldn't be said at all (clients don't care much about the technologies you're using - they care about whether the site is going to improve their business).

I could say more but I'm getting tired of this here. Again, I know this is harsh but it's only meant to be helpful.

Ok first off the page for "How We Work" got messed up coz I tried to use an online html editor that cleaned up the file, (good thing I had the backup; Its fixed now); I really spend too much time making it cross=browser compatible coz I want to promote standardization...

I always Appeciate Comments Good or Bad; Thanks Always megan for being comprehensive... Anyways I posted the same site here (in an old domain) to be critiqued... So the result is now what you see, the Jagged look of the logo has been commented before (albeit I did it that way) I guess your right at that, senger made a right thought of it; I dont want to lose that name coz it has built me up since the beginning (thats why I spent some time defining what it means)...

Ok the dark background before is my tripod "free" domain version which where I post most of my personal stuff (yesterday my www version wasnt even up yet for that long and I never had a black or darker BG)... You people convinced me enough to get serious and have my own domain, as well as a new looking site with all recommendations before...

Thanks Again for bringing up my name thing Problem... I cant seem to lose that; but you know what?, in my Brag Book (a folder I have with site design portfolios; off-line) the demonhale thing raised quite some curiousity that folks started to ask questions on their own (I still have to re-think the name thingy though; they think im some kind of anti-christ)

I can have a look same as every design site, but the gradient I have I seem to classify as a "shadow effect"... nough about that I still need to re-think again thats why im asking critiques... I think I'm gonna lose the logo soon, but then its connected to my naming problem...

Ok look consistency Ive done for all the pages under my demonhale.com domain (white); But I mentioned I'll still post the links from my old site demonhale.tripod.com which in this case Darker and Gloomy (many hated that design)... All it contains are downloadable and personal stuff... (I'll remove them soon and put an entirely different link with full explanations there that where there about to go is on an entirely different site)

Hey we all started somewhere; We; Us; (since my business is quite small now and I do have a handful of clients, i employed a secretary, and hired a marketing assistant for local dissemenation as a start...)

HELP ME MORE, I NEED IT

Thanks again...

I have to agree with Megan. You've got the passion...good! But it takes time and a lot of work to hone skills and talent into something you can sell.

Personally, I played around with a personal site for *years*, before I felt ready of offer services.

Also...focus...why are those types of downloads offered on a web/graphic design site?

'Graphics Designs' sound childlike and unprofessional... it's 'Graphic Design'.

On the photo restoration....sorry, but that needs a lot more work. People pay for that service and they expect professional results.

Spend a lot of time designing and coding simply for the sake of learning. Read a lot....a lot of very good designers have blogs even.

Study well designed sites and learn from them. Study design everywhere...magazines, billboards, products labels. Ask yourself questions...What makes this so appealing to the eye?

Learn how to *plan* out a design.

Do not be discouraged....it takes time, work, and practice...lots of it.

Hey, am I correct in assuming you are quite young? You may want to look into some schooling. Even community colleges have good visual arts programs.

Thanks Roo; But the Other links i placed there inappropriate as it may seem is actually from my personal site which I played around with... The Downloads and The restoration tutorials were my first attempts to graphic work and some of my other interests before... Its actually located at my old site http://demonhale.tripod.com ... The white themed one is of my demonhale.com site, which (ill correct the graphics designs there soon once i figure what to do with a new header design) a Graphic Design and Web Dev site for my local clients which ive been serving without having my own domained site before... So heres the attempt, I was overwhelmed here too coz i tried to learn php for this new site... Thanks again...

I am sorry demonhale, but I'll have to wade in and be a touch harsh too.

You are not ready to try to sell graphic/web design services. You're just not. You have the desire but not the technique (talent?). Unfortunately it takes more than psasion and desire. I am passionate about football and newcastle united, I recognise, however that I don't have to talent to play for them.

If it is a hobby thing, then do it for fun, but don't try to see youreslf as a designer. I studied long and hard, and have been in the industry a long time to learn the paultry skills that I have.

It's hobbyists with grand ideas that bring down the industry, and ultimately drive down the price, and thus take money out of the pockets of people that had the desire, and followed it up with training.

Read, practice, repeat. Learn how to hand code, learn colour theory at the very least

and then do it again.

Get critique of your work, take it in the spirit in which it's intendeed and go back to the drawing board. My first sites were a joke, horrible, but I never tried to sell my services until I was ready.

I know that what I say is harsh, but I am sick of the industry I have struggled to be part of ,degraded continously by people who have no right to call themselves designers.

you might look at my stuff, and say the same. Fair enough (although I think my work to be of a fairly high standard), but I have worked really hard, and studied for years to get where I am. Only know, after 7 years do i feel comfortable selling my design services to people

I'm sorry but I felt the need to rant

Just to add one more thing - just because it passes W3 validation tool, doesn't make it accessible necessarily - try using the drop downs on your nav with javascript turned off (millions of people surf without j/s). If someone clicks on downloads , then nothing happens - you need to have a page to take these people to.

Ouch.

If your selling web services, that's not the way to go. Make it short and sweet and simple, not crappy and bloated and javascript-ridden. I hate images and javascript: both should be avoided at all cost.

Thanks for the comments; I need to clarify certain things...
First even without my web site before ive been creating designs and developed sites; with all the standard layouts wanted by clients; What they want is definitely different from what I want, point in case is that Ive made logos or banners, business cards, and most recently simple web presence for these local clients... I've been teaching basic html to students here as well as instilling to them to think global than local... Yes I agree im new to this, but first I was an artist before I was a coder or webdev, I didnt ask to become a developer by choice, they see my work and asked me if i can do the same for other medias... I have began with CRAP as megan has said, and with all your feedbacks ended with crap again? Its a way to improve aint it? But hey your points are well taken, I like what I do and will continue to do so, regardless of age...

Better use javascript than flash; demographic shows that most visitors already have new browsers supporting old javascript (i hate them before but hey I need to learn more) If they cant see my menu, my scripts are backed with CSS versions (except for the adverts of course also the menu dropdowns, but clicking the above menu directs you to a page selection screen, havent finished this site yet)...
Hey keep it coming! I love rantings!

Thanks to Roo and sengerdw also to Megan, I have redone my header...
Looks much better than the old one...

Okay, that header is better than the other. The other screamed 'Rock Band'. Though not quite there yet IMO..

Start thinking 'logo' instead of 'header image'..the is a world of difference between the two.

The big bar thing under the menu juts out like a sore thumb and does not flow with the overall design at all...looks like it was just stuck in there.

Ditto that Yahoo thing with the screws on each site. Doesn't belong here.

Ditto the orange ball.

First rule.....don't do things 'just because you can'. Don't toss any old thing in to fill up space.

Work on color theory....all of the different colored text is not complimentary.

The navbar looks funky in that it's shadows make it jut out, especially on the sides.

The red on the dropdown nav is too bright...while gray and reds go together...not that color red. (Note the scheme right here at WMF)

Done on the Nav and Header... Thanks Again Roo!

The little demon guy.....try some logos using him as the O in Demonhale or com or both even.

done...

Forgot to start dishwasher so I had a few minutes....

Forgot? I made you forget it didnt I? Thanks for spending the time and patience with me Roo... I like your logo but I'll save it for next time... My GF dropped by and she liked the one with the orange... (gotta stick to it, ) Thanks Again.... Ive changed the Banners and other images on the pages...

Just because you are actually selling designs doesn't mean you are ethically qualified to do so. There's a reason why web designers have a repuation for being kids working out their basement who don't actually know what they're doing. This is one of those professions that people think are easy and they can do without any experience or training. It gives us all a bad name.

I completely agree Megan... Thats why I'll post my credentials soon;
Im actually a teacher in web development in our local school here teaching basic html to high school and college students... Thats where I first got clients due to the fact that some parents who also have local businesses here need someone to do that for them, but since they are not that at ease to pay for a domain some of them opt for subdomains...
Geographically speaking theres only one competition here in our locale, So I thought I put up a domained site for the service to be more credible... Thats why I said Im not competing in the "global" sense of the word...
Im a graduate in Electronics Engineering, Taken extra units in Computers (maintenance and programming)... Been to art school about a year (paintings and piano) then decided the net is a good media for all these... (a merger of my skills)... But hey remember I posted here when I joined that Im a noob, thats why I needed help... I figured print media is entirely different to web design... So I have to learn all I can in the fastest possible time...

I think you might now be overdoing it with that little guy.... three of the exact same one in the header... maybe try to make them a little different... eyes lookin around or something... Also the 'web development and graphic design' font absolutely does not go well with the 'demonhale' portion..
I think you may be trying to overdo it a bit... start thinking less is more!

Yeah I think so too at first, I got it from suggestions newb; so I figured what the heck, then my gf went in and said ("awwww, so cute!")... Thats the end of the header for me... (its "less" before)

Oh and about the script font i used below it, its different before, but then I read an article about females liking curves and males straight lines, Well an attempt to appeal to both; but hey my gf liked it so what the heck again! (thanks to roo for the header suggestions; )

Hi,

I see you have a lot of graphics on your main page. I assume you want to let your visitors see your designing capabilities.

That is fine, but with all the different graphics and fonts on the main page, it's a little over the edge.

Why don't you add an easy to create portfolio page. Or a style sheet change script that makes your main page load in different styles?

I think that your desiging capabilities, which are very good, will get much more appreciation.

Good luck with your site!

Thanks A Lot hostingspeeds!
Have A nice Day!

Ok here are my suggestions make the background color (maybe #ccc or #999 or somthing like that) grey and get rid of the outside gradient. make the header graphic and the navbar the same size as the main content box and put a subtle drop shadow on the main content box and maybe a little shine at the top.

Ill leave it as it is at this moment, I have a pending job for a client, But I'll take into consideration suggestions given by Vibins and HostingSpeeds at the next update...

Thanks All!
Just keep the suggestions Coming...

opopoop

Moderators, request here...
Kindly remove picture link on post dated:
Aug 11 2005, 12:58 PM
(My Site Stats gets messed up)
Thanks

hiya

havent read any other reviews before posting this to stay impartial

i like that name and its explnation but im not really sure this should occupy the whole first fold of the site

it doesnt after all tell the prospect you can solve their design needs

from a content architecture point of view you dont actually have a 'what we do' section. which strikes me as odd. thats the first thing i would look for...

the gallery section has a different design which i dont like. and im not sure i see the link between flowers and web design?

if you are targetting local biz. say it. make me people employ because your local. its a good opportunity to get clients as you cant compete against bigger design firms so push the local aspect

J

Ok. I'm afraid i am going to have to be negative as well, please don't take it the wrong way. I say things because i want you to do well, i'm not out to have a pop at you.

The problem with this site as someone has mentioned is that it looks like a hobby site, it doesn't look professional.

You are targeting local businesses but you have to remember sole traders and the like are by and large, technophobes and computer illiterate. Therefore, you can't have a website take as long as it did to load as it did on my connection (around halfway between 56k and 512k).

I am really not keen on the script you have used on the top banner, and using the logo as a substitute for the 'o's hasn't worked. It's just not cohesive.

Get rid of the JS rolling banner under the menu, it doesn't do anything. Less is more.

You need a 'proper' e-mail, not a Yahoo one.

No one cares about how many badges of accessibility you have, especially a builder who doesn't know what the hell it means anyway!

You cannot have that content on the front page, people will think they are on the wrong site!

Remove Downloads, Feedback, Chat and Tutorials and put them on a hobby/personal website. Your potential clients DONT CARE.

Let the gallery be of some use, allow people to download wallpapers.

Is your Demonhale name actually trademarked?

Get rid of the graffiti logo at the bottom. Not only does it make you look 14, there is no continuity with the top banner. You're supposed to be a designer yet you can't work out your own brand. What message does that give out?

I wouldn't mind knowing how old you are. I'm 20 and got involved in all of this business at 16, jumped in the deep end. It was hard work and i've had to deal with many difficult lessons along the way. Looking back i can't believe how stupid i was. I would advise going to the library and getting some books on design for some inspiration. Try looking at some sites like linkdup.com too.

The problem really is taht its not just being a designer, if you want to make money you need to be a businessman. You need to grasp sales, marketing etc.

My idea would be as follows:

Home
Intro
Quick Contact Details
Latest client/News announcement
A pretty picture.
About
More about you, qualifications, abilities and experience
Why you are different - If you are a one man band try and get a balance of being a personal company and professional one. Your target market can relate to that.
Services
If you are aiming it at builders/plumbers etc. why don't you produce one page websites as tasters?

My best advice on writing effective copy is after you've written something think "So what?" You have to be thinking about benefits to your customers. Don't get too involved into yourself as people just won't care.

Let me know if you want any more advice, your basically where i was 3 years ago and trust me i've been over every hurdle along the way. I can tell you though, its worth it

Cheers,

-Rob

Hey I haven't been on these forums for a while, hello everyone.

Ok, when I first saw the homepage, I liked it. On first sight it looks ok. But then I started to read and look at all the images and noticed some flaws.

1. Your banner.

I don't like the way you've replaced the Os with your logo. 3 of them on one banner doesn't look right, and why doesn't the background colour of the logo on the right match with the background colour of the rest of the banner? Also, maybe a more legible font for the "Web development and graphic design".

2. The toolbar.

Your banner says that your a web developer and graphic designer, so why do you need a guestbook? It would be ok if it was for people to leave comments about your site etc. but isn't that why you have a support e-mail? And also, you wouldn't want potential customers to see your flaws, would you? Plus, I don't like the way the Logo syats in the bottom right of the guestbook. Secondly, why do you need a photo gallery? There is no need for this. If you're making websites for people, why do you need a photo gallery? Then we come to the tutorials...why are you teaching people to do what they are paying you for? People will pay you to do things that they can't so why take that away? Plus when you click on tutorials, it takes you to your old site then there is no link back to your site.

3. Homepage

Your homepage should be a quick guide to what your website is about. The only clue as to what this is about is your banner. People aren't interested about how you got your name, they want to find out about your services and prices. Put a quick summary of this on your homepage, and go into more detail on separate pages. The "contact us" gif background colour should match the colour of the site, white. this isn't and makes it look slightly ugly, and making the image a mailto link would work aswell. Then we get to the gif in the bottom right. Same problem as before, the background colour. If you just changed this with the images this would look so much better. Also, try to make the validation images links to your validation page to show that it is valid instead of people doing it themselves.

Sorry if that was a bit harsh or anything, your site shows potential but if you fix these things it'll be sooooooooooooooo much better!

First Off, Welcome back!

Thanks karriston, Ive explained some points on the above thread...

Anyway I like the points youve given, and Ill be up with the draft Ive mentioned on the previous post, ok ive got some differeing opinions here, but Ill be doing some editing soon, thanks again!

You've got a great attitude about this demonhale which is great. If you act objective with the critiscism, then you'll never improve, but you're listening and improving.

And well done on perfect HTML!

If I were you, (and I taught HTML) I would go back and remove all of the deprecated HTML elements in your code.

you should use defintion list or ordered list for the dictionary entry not s

THe inner shadow looks 'cheap' and makes your site look like a hobby site. Look at cameronmoll.com for an example of how subtle use of inner shadows can look beautiful.

There are too many things moving around on your home page. It's very distracting.

Half of the links in your download drop down don't work - and one them caused firefox to crash - along with the first attempt at this post.

Why do you have a chat function? It makes no sense - you're just asking for comment spam - It looks like you found a script on a free script resource site, thought it was cool, and decided to use it - what function does it serve? I can see how it would be useful (though I would never use it) on a personal site, but if this is meant to pormote you as a professional designer, then it in fact does the opposite - it makes you look amateur.

The design in inconsistent - there's no real brand identity happening. It makes it disorientating for the user, that is something you really should remedy

I'm not sure that you should be trying to sell your services as a designer to be 100% honest. Maybe as a programmer, if you like writing scripts, but the front-end design isn't up to par - I can't imagine you doing well at a design school for example.

I might be wrong, but get the impression that you are about 15 years old. (in spite of the way you've handled critisism on this forum, which has been admirable, I mean the 15 thing more from the naivete of your design)If I am wrong, then I think that signals a serious flaw in your design. If I'm right, maybe you shouldn't be trying to sell you services.

I've studied and worked long and hard, and I respect and value my craft - I feel that you decided you wanted to be a designer and so picked up dreamweaver and photoshop and thought that was all you needed.

I think that's the problem with this indusrty, there are too many wannabes who think that it's a nice easy thing to do, and that it sounds cool to call yourself a designer. But they're not prepared to put the work in. I studied colour theory, typography, graphic, web, architectural design... in order to gain the very limited skills I have. I still don't feel comfortable calling myself a web designer, even though that is what I am paid to do. It is people without the necessary skills, selling there "services" and laughably cheap rates that undermine and undercut those of use who have really worked to make a livng in this silly field.

I'm sorry for the rant demonhale, and I know you must hate me ,but I don't think you are ready yet

Hey, Ive had many much worse comments than you have chris, thats is why I need to be criticized to improve, Whats the use of having myself critiqued when Im really really good anyway?

As far as you can see this is as fast a page draft I could make to have an instant presence on the web, and as reiterated several times before, my target is our local businesses here, now I didnt ask to be a web dev, or designer at first, You see I taught very basic html to students here in a local school, my day job is actually systems admin for the local intranet. Im an electronics eng'g grad, I majored in communications, had extra units in computers, enrolled after graduation for a year in art school, taking contemporary design and piano...

Anyway Im on the process of honing my craft, I agree I wasnt trained to do this but people asked me and clients that I do a site for them without even my own... They liked what ive done for them so it doesnt really matter what I like... Then they suggested I put my own site up, and most of whats in my contents are their requests (Im also using it to demo what actually a web page can do to students)...

See ive mentioned I didnt even know about CSS 4 months ago nor PHP 2 months before... Ive read much in w3c schools and know about these depreciated tags, but then It still proves useful and many are still using it, if it breaks my pages then Ill remove it, See Ive spent most of my time also practicing to make all my sites cross-browser compatible... Im not branding myself the BEST or the BRightest in Web design nor development, but then by circumstances I came to be and come up for the challenge... I needed support to grow, I found this forum, I thank all members for being so helpful, Ive always tried to help in return,

Now in a couple of months youll have another page of mine to rant about, Im on the process of making the new one...

Aside for typography (and really then, just very basic font size stuff) I didn't know CSS 4months ago either. However, until I had the necessary skills, I also didn'tr try to sell myself as a designer

If the purpose of your site was as a playground for you to experiment with this new stuff then that would be fine. My point is that you are selling yourself as a designer, but, by your own admission you don't have the requisite skills yet.

It's merely another example of why this industry is looked down upon, why we are perceived as slacker arty people, and why the value of our services is consistently driven down by people who don't know what they are doing, offering sub par design work very cheaply to clients who know no better, ands why we're seen as spotty, friendless 16 year olds churning out websites from our bedroom, while our parents desperately try to get us to go outside for some fresh air

I think that it's great tha you have the passion and desire to learn, and that you have an outlet to do so, but I really don't think that, ethically, you should be selling your services until you are ready to do so.

Ok let me Reiterate This again, Ive mentioned this before, and again and again...

Without this Demonhale site before Ive already been making banners, logos, Flyers, Designing Booklets, Invitations, Modules, books etc locally... I have in employment a secretary, and a marketing guy as well as labor guys... Since I was fairly adept in html I was also teaching basic html to students here, about 10 sections of 50 persons per class... My actual day job as Ive said is as a systems admin for a local intranet... Since I was in this circumstances as the only viable source of a mixture of the two, even without choosing to... some local folks with businesses here have asked me to build them a website since they liked the print stuff ive been doing for them, so i tried to learn as much as I could the best way to be in times and design an actual website for them, sadly they dont understand clearly the importance of having their own domain, and they fear reliablility since I dont offer personally a hosting plan, just the design and development... Since then theyve been nagging me, that I should try it for them, and show them that I could code better and make better Sites for them if they had a paid domain and have an actual web host rather than on a free subdomain... So the demonhale site was born... Im not getting actual income from the site, just another form of marketing for me there, since then they were quite enticed of trying it out, but since business is still busy with the old stuff weve been doin, Ive been asking and needing help design wise here in the forum, coz I know people are experienced here... I cant say Im a 16 year old kid churning out and selling sites like hotcakes, which you say is unethical, their are actually better 16 year old kids making better sites than the so called professionals... I went to school, worked my arse off getting a degree, working double by working a day job as well as putting up my own business, Im trying everyday to be as positive as possible, Im not living off from this site alone, But several years from now, no one will have gripes about this coz I also learned the hard way about web building... Now if I can show my worth for the years time, just please remember this thread, read this note now, I thank you guys for me becoming ETHICALLY a web Designer...

Ok I redrafted the Site according to some suggestions you have, Made some changes, retained some things... So what are the comments now?...

Thanks for taking a look at it again, Anyways if my sites images are pre cached, please refresh the page... Thanks...

Oh if you still see the old site use the non www URL
try either http://demonhale.com
or http://www.demonhale.com

It lags updates on IE and Opera, in the www URL the site is still the old one...

Ok its all in synch now, BTW I added up the link to the TWF forums in the Whatsnew drop menu, to thank the site...

Million Thanks WarriorFX!!!
Fix that soon...

Time for a Site Update... Don't want to start another critique thread for this so I'll use the one I have in the Archive.

Tell me what you think about the new Look and Layout I'm going for, compare my current one with the soon to be launched Index page...

My Current One
To Be Launched One

Thanks for your time!

I am being re-directed to your current page...

Theres Nothing wrong with the links... hmmm. I wonder why you're redirected...

Anyways you can type in you address bar:
http://www.demonhale.com/index3.php for the old one
and
http://www.demonhale.com/index2.php for the to be launched one...

Thanks for taking a look...

here is the redirect that I get: http://www.cataluna.com/demonhale_rd.gif

I have typed it in, I have copy>pasted, I have tried in several browsers...

Ok, i get it, the host server hasn't updated all my pages for different IP's I guess tomorrow the page will be visible. It's the first time that the update took too long though...

okay - I will look tomorrow!

Thanks! Looking forward to your inputs...

oh and btw if you still dont see it tomorrow, use this proxy URL...

http://www.mysp4c3.info/cgi-bin/nph-proxy.cgi/000100A/http/www.demonhale.com/index2.php

There are 3 different designs that I see...

1. Gray background with green accents
2. Gray background with teal/blue bar towards the top with the nav in it
3. White background with a black header

Which one is current? Which one is new design?

The first one you mentioned (green and gray) is the circa early 2005 - 2006 (like I can't sit on the design for a while, experimenting with a cms)... the second one is from 2006, (gray and teal blue)... And the newest would be the black header (I'm planning to stick with that for a while)... You can compare all three if you like so I can see the strengths and weaknesses of each... My plan for the latest reiteration is to show-off some of the things I made that I haven't shown well on the previous ones... Thanks for your time...

Yeah! Thanks!

I like the green one the best (at first glance) because it is so tight. There are different sections - it is very easy to find things.

In the green one I do not like that gray/paper bkgnd or the showdows on the right that are around the boxes. It's your old one so...

In the teal one:

• the header feels like it should be centered over the white box - not the whole thing.
• the logo is on white, the rest of the header is in gray, then there is the nav in blue - too much division all at the top.
• when you click on some of the nav and go to outsides sites, there is no way to get back to DH. Are those other sites, or other sites of yours?
• I like the rounded corners.

In the black one:

• I like the logo a lot!
• the welcome to...(that is below the logo) and the logo are taking up too much space. Try the welcome to...smaller, in the back, all across the top under the logo, or to the side of the logo...
• the nav is too tall imo. I am also not a fan of the orange hover thing. Not the orange (that's awesome) but the shape and size.
• email us now - too big!
• the portfolio thing - cool, but - it is too tall. It takes up a ton and there is no room for explanation of the site. Now I know that it is in the header - but that text almost has to be just right above so people will read it.
• It feels disjointed - things don't look alike. The logo, header, nav, portfolio, and the logo boxes at the bottom. They all seem to have different styles.

That's all I have. Let me know if you want more explanation! Good job on such different looks!

Thanks for the thorough and clean feedback...

What makes the first one tight is because of the way things are organized on the CMS...
What maid it obsolete however is the Corporate feel some of my client think it expresses, and that the look is generic to all kinds of sites... I liked it since updating was a breeze due to the CMS, the organization is better and this was the longest running theme DH has ever had...

The second one I have trouble organizing, so it jumps all around my older pages and some of the partner sites...
The thought of this one was a quick whim, the way I organized it (same as the new one) is too unorthodox, although this one received some kudos and admiration from design and webmaster sites. What makes this one fall off the list is the lack of showcase of the designers ability, and I received complains on font size, and too much blah blah...

The third one evolved because of the two above, the navigation shape I'm currently contemplating, but the height is that way since I want the navigation to really stand out. Some elements are of different styles but the cohesive form are the three colors I chose... Oh and I'll put this one up for single review once I got all the pages up...

And btw, I think it will look a bit large in 800x600... although I'm not forcing the visitors to change res, most of them on my stats at a very high res...

Thanks Again!

~chris

Launched it Today... With additional pages in the works... thanks for taking a look...