Please critique my site

It doesn't matter if you do all the error checking in the world, or if you have the most beautiful graphics, if your site or application design isn't usable, it's not going to do well. Get input and advice on usability and user interface issues here.

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alex.barylski
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Location: Winnipeg

Please critique my site

Post by alex.barylski »

Be thoughrough but be professional...if there is anything you don't like please let me know so I may consider changing it.

Fixed width versus fluid arguments are not appropriate. I prefer fixed width designs.

There is little content in the web site itself and the forms are ALL operational. Your information will be stored in my database and various systems. You will receive emails, newsletters, etc. So if you don't want that stuff, please don't submit the forms.

I'm not really looking for functional testing as I've done that to such an extent I am convinced it all works. Mostly design, usability, layout, spelling, grammar, etc.

I have validated the homepage against W3C XHTML and CSS and that seemed to work. If you find any other errors, please let me know.

Cheers
JB4
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Re: Please critique my site

Post by JB4 »

Is it the website in your signature?

if so I really like the layout! It's very simple, yet doesn't look simple if you get what I'm saying?

Things are placed in the usual positions, which is nice. I prefer it that way.
alex.barylski
DevNet Evangelist
Posts: 6267
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 5:00 pm
Location: Winnipeg

Re: Please critique my site

Post by alex.barylski »

The one in my sig, yup...ooops. :oops:

BTW: Thanks for the kind comments I appreciate it. I've redone that damn web site about 10 times in the last 10 years and I was never able to land a design which I actually liked so the whole thing would fall through. I think this time I nailed it for my own personal tastes.

Cheers :)
Last edited by alex.barylski on Mon Aug 18, 2008 12:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Zoxive
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Re: Please critique my site

Post by Zoxive »

  • I see 4 W3C errors. Missing 3 alt attributes,and one cols for the textarea.
  • None of the images/javascript or Css have an expires header.
  • Html/Css/Javascript is not gziped
Other then that, I like the design but I don't like that the blog link, and the company about us and the projects are all the way at the bottom.

Nice job :drunk:
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califdon
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Re: Please critique my site

Post by califdon »

I find it an attractive design. The artwork at the top is very appealing. Do correct your use of "loosing" at the bottom, it should be "losing". That's a common mistake that pinpoints you as a young person (unless, of course, you want to promote that image!), since it only became a common mistake in the past decade or so. :P Another picky point (and I say this from the perspective of being a technical writer and manager of technical writers for some 20 years) is that your pull quotes should be attributed; that is, the gray boxes with statements in quotes should say who you are quoting, if only something like "- a customer". If they are not anybody's quotations, in particular, you should dump the quote signs. I think, too, that I would emphasize your 4 reasons by using a slightly larger font for the bolded first word, or a different color.
alex.barylski
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Posts: 6267
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 5:00 pm
Location: Winnipeg

Re: Please critique my site

Post by alex.barylski »

Zoxive wrote:
  • I see 4 W3C errors. Missing 3 alt attributes,and one cols for the textarea.
  • None of the images/javascript or Css have an expires header.
  • Html/Css/Javascript is not gziped
Other then that, I like the design but I don't like that the blog link, and the company about us and the projects are all the way at the bottom.

Nice job :drunk:
The images and javascript are native files not PHP so how or why would I set a header? I would have to invoke the files through proxy script and set the headers. What is the point of this though???

Where are the W3C errors? I was aware of 4 warnings, but I cannot be bothered to change the background color of my links for the sake of readability. Hmmm..than again...maybe I can...it would make the links stand out a little more wouldn't it?

HTML isn't gxipped but I'm looking into that right now actually. CSS and JavaScript not so much but again I don't really want to introduce another proxy script but maybe I should. Maybe I should.

Great ideas, I appreciate it thanks. :)
califdon wrote:I find it an attractive design. The artwork at the top is very appealing. Do correct your use of "loosing" at the bottom, it should be "losing". That's a common mistake that pinpoints you as a young person (unless, of course, you want to promote that image!), since it only became a common mistake in the past decade or so. :P Another picky point (and I say this from the perspective of being a technical writer and manager of technical writers for some 20 years) is that your pull quotes should be attributed; that is, the gray boxes with statements in quotes should say who you are quoting, if only something like "- a customer". If they are not anybody's quotations, in particular, you should dump the quote signs. I think, too, that I would emphasize your 4 reasons by using a slightly larger font for the bolded first word, or a different color.

loosing...bahaha. I always do that. Not sure it's related to age though, just some words I have a tendancy to ad an extra character:
writting
trainning
loosing
Those quotes...well they are quotes but my own so I dropped the attribution seeing as it's my site and the constant attribution would seem self centered and redundant. I wanted the quotes there to separate the sales pitch from the sincerity of my own personal claims or professional opinions.

Maybe I will try replacing the the bold link with <h3> or similar tags but I'm not sure what that will do to visual design, which is most important to me..

EDIT | califdon I changed the reasons to a larger text and that looks much clearer, thanks for that.
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Zoxive
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Re: Please critique my site

Post by Zoxive »

Hockey wrote: The images and javascript are native files not PHP so how or why would I set a header? I would have to invoke the files through proxy script and set the headers. What is the point of this though???

Where are the W3C errors? I was aware of 4 warnings, but I cannot be bothered to change the background color of my links for the sake of readability. Hmmm..than again...maybe I can...it would make the links stand out a little more wouldn't it?

HTML isn't gxipped but I'm looking into that right now actually. CSS and JavaScript not so much but again I don't really want to introduce another proxy script but maybe I should. Maybe I should.

Great ideas, I appreciate it thanks. :)
You set headers, so the browser doesn't have to check with the server EVERY refresh if the image/files changed. This results in a quicker page load.
I see that you are using apache, you can use the mod_expires module to set what files should not expire for so long. I usually set mine for a few months, and if I have to change them for some reason, all you have to do is change the file name, or add Version numbers for your layout. Ex. home.jpg?v=1 even though they have no other purpose other then trick the browser into thinking its a different image name.

Again with Apache, you can use another module. mod_deflate to chose what files, and or browsers to send gziped data.

http://validator.w3.org/check?verbose=1 ... index.html
alex.barylski
DevNet Evangelist
Posts: 6267
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Location: Winnipeg

Re: Please critique my site

Post by alex.barylski »

Edit | My bad...it's all working now :)
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