Portfolio Website

drax0r · 1st July 2008, 08:30 PM

Hi guys,

I decided enough was enough with work and thought id start looking else where, so I needed to make a portfolio site and now it is done, id like to get some critique.

Anthony Bliss | Portfolio for Multimedia, Website Design, SEO, Print Design & Photography in Kent

Let me know what you think, or more importantly if you spot any glaringly obvious mistakes

Tim · 2nd July 2008, 07:59 AM

I'm afraid I had to quit the page as soon as I'd opened it due to not being able to read blue on black/white on black text. Lot of people about like me who can't handle such contrasts.

Sorry I couldn't be more positive, but good luck with the site

MrBen · 2nd July 2008, 02:31 PM

White on black is OK as are the heading colours but that blue of the body copy colour (darker blue) against the black is impossible to read.

The links to the right of the portfolio and resources pages have some text which is in, I think, a dark grey colour. That is even harder to read than the body copy particularly as it's quite small too.

I'd also loose the email link in your header. That's just an invitation for spam. Either obfuscate it or have a contact form.

Ben

Terra · 2nd July 2008, 03:16 PM

I think the main thing for me is that there's no quick "this is what this site is about" text. Like a short paragraph about what you do. For commercial websites, it's important to quickly establish what it's about & then offer more info later once the visitor has established that the site is relevant to them.

Maybe it's just me but I just don't like CVs - a short overview of services/skills & recent projects would be much better. CVs to me are more for interviews / permanent jobs - for self-employed I' d need to know skills, rates, availability etc.

knapper · 2nd July 2008, 04:18 PM

I'm not quite sure what the site is there to achieve. I can't tell if it's purpose is as a CV, as your looking for a job, or it's a business site designed to get you work freelance. It appears to be designed to get you a job, as an expanded CV. Please could you let us know what you want it to do, get you a job or get you freelance work? It might seem we're all being a bit negative, but we really are just trying to give you helpful feedback.

drax0r · 5th July 2008, 10:17 AM

It is purely a portfolio website, designed for permanent employers to be about to see my previous work and get my CV..

The last design was more intended to get me freelance work, which it did, the first page of that site can still be seen Anthony Bliss - Multimedia & Website Designer in Kent, Canterbury, Ashford, Maidstone, Sittingbourne, Sheerness, Faversham, SEO, Web, Print & Photography I get freelance through recommendation and promoting myself, rather than my website generally, I also have other websites which are for my freelance work. This is just a portfolio website

desquinn · 5th July 2008, 11:24 AM

to be honest your old site is much better, and more importantly it is readable. The contrast of the colours made me close your page as soon as I saw it.

Terra · 5th July 2008, 06:49 PM

Yes - the old site site looks much more professional - easy to read, good division of space. Also on the new site the "space" theme make it look a bit like a personal site, whereas the old site has a clear business appeal.

drax0r · 6th July 2008, 06:00 PM

Cheers everyone...

Ive begun working on something alot clearer instead. Stripped out all the useless graphic shite and just stuck to solid css design.

Give the link below a click and let me know what you think if you would

Anthony Bliss | Portfolio for Multimedia, Website Design, SEO, Print Design & Photography in Kent

Terra · 7th July 2008, 10:46 AM

Much better to read! Would inject a bit of colour though, maybe to highlight key links / info. Good, business-like site!

comedy79 · 10th July 2008, 08:43 AM

That is indeed a lot better!

I do suggest you get someone knowledgeable to proof-read it for you to tidy up the text.

comedy79 · 10th July 2008, 08:47 AM

Also, if you are promoting yourself as a web designer and SEO expert, you really do need to validate your sites at the W3C. The page you sent us to has no character encoding!