Can you please comment on my web design

Martin_Man · 1 Jan 2010 at 21:27

Click here to view the design

I'm creating various web designs to build up an online portfolio.

This one I have shared with you has no meaning to it, it’s for display purpose only so all the texts mean nothing but mumble jumbo.

I would appreciate your comments you have so that I can make better improvements.

THANKS

Martin_Man · 1 Jan 2010 at 21:51

The whole reason I’ll be adding this to my portfolio is so that I can prove I’m capable of becoming a web designer trainee. I want to become a graphics and web designer but with the career I’m currently in, whenever I enquire for a job to become a web designer they think I have no IT experience what so ever. They ask me to build a portfolio and get back to them. So that’s what I am doing.

I have seen methods before when people have created a large bg and centre it and for this design, I thought it would have been suitable. When you say it looks dull in colour, what can I improve?

Martin_Man · 1 Jan 2010 at 22:39

It's nice.

Although to be honest it's a hard thing to do. I've not seen any portfolios of made up design work, I've only seen portfolios of commissioned work.

In my opinion, It might be a better idea to give the website more of a purpose. At the minute it's nice, but you can't really judge your web design skills, because there's not much design gone on.

I'm not affiliated with the profession at all, but If I were an employer assessing portfolios, I would be interested in seeing what people design based upon certain criteria.

I'm not saying your work is bad at all, I'm sure you can create some nice stuff. Maybe though, you could create a mock request and a design specifically for that. Showing your initiative to be able to design around a client's needs.

As for this design itself... Only 2 things I thought. Firstly the navigation menu could maybe be aligned differently, it looks to segregated at the minute and too attached to the top. Maybe it could be on the same line as the site title.

Also, the site title itself maybe could be indented more or taken back enough to align with the vertical margin of "Latest".

But yeah, other than that, and considering what I first said, I do like what you've done. The roll overs are a nice subtle touch.

Thanks:- i have moved the navigation bar in level with the logo and moved the logo slightly to the left in level with the 'Latest' to alight up

I really want to try hard to become a web designer this year and with no advice i thought this would have been a perfect way showing my creativy and what i currently know. When you mention "i could create for mock requests and a design specifically for that ." what do you mean by this?

Dont bother going into a career for it. I do it and its not well payed in the slightest. Stay freelance

Specify? As i'm sure if you looked, there may be something better out there for yourself which pays more.

Martin_Man · 2 Jan 2010 at 09:55

Nice layout but I think you'd benefit from something more logo wise at the top, next to the header text - maybe some sort of generic shape.

I agree with other comments about the colors being a bit dull/bland though.

Ok i'll make a nice new logo for the top

It's not bad... the main problem for me is the typography. All the body text is the same colour, the same font and the same size. It's also arguably too small, the line height makes it difficult to read, and it's ugly because it's not justified. It sits too close to the sub-headings, too.

Sort the text out and it would look a hell of a lot nicer

Thanks for the response, I understand what you mean. I will spread things out a bit more to make it more understandable.

If it was you, what texts would you change in size? All the <p> fonts are 10px which I guess is a bit small so I shall up the size to 12px. Also, whats the best fonts to use for a site like this? Because I’m currently using Verdana

Martin_Man · 2 Jan 2010 at 23:34

What do you think of the above logo now?

Martin_Man · 4 Jan 2010 at 22:22

Hey guys, done some more work to the site today, i added information to the about and contact page

click here

please let me know what you think? after the site is complete i will then start to add my own text rather then crap which is there already, I'll also change the font sizes. For now though i just want to complete the structure.

Martin_Man · 4 Jan 2010 at 22:28

Dom_UK said:
I still think you should consider what I said, otherwise I think it's more or less pointless.

It shows what features you can put together not what you can design.

I shall, Once i completed the structure and give things a little touch, i'll then turn it into a project as if its an actual company.

at least that is what you mean?