New Website - What Sucks?

yhack · 1 Apr 2011 at 18:01

So recently I've been programming this website in php/mysql and I've finally got it to a point where I can show people. It's a website to show my portfolio as I would really like to get work as a photographer some day, so I might as well start now. Even though my photos may not be phenomenal and I might not have many pictures on it, I would like to know what I could do to improve the website. I will add more and better pictures as and when I can

If you think that my website is 'totally bomb' feel free to say.

I posted this is the photography section as I think I will get better responses since that what the website is about.

http://www.3xist.com

Ok, go!

slothmeister · 1 Apr 2011 at 18:05

Despite the lack of photo's, it's a nice and simple site. Doesn't take long to load (always a bugbear of mine)

Good job, just need to pull my finger out and get cracking on my own now.

Amp34 · 1 Apr 2011 at 18:25

A few things that insstantly came to mind...

Font: Really don't like it on the "About", "Contact" and "All rights reserved" bits. I take it it's all the same font on the website? If so then I think making the above smaller and/or bold may make them look much better.

Photo views: You click on a photo and it just loads up in a blank window, perhaps it's not an issue but it's a real bug bear of mine, you have to use the back arrows on the browser. Maybe have them embedded in the same style page as the rest of the site, or use a lightbox (whichever you do make it so you can cycle through the images at full size, ie you don't have to go back and then click a new one).

The only other issue is the greyness when you click a link. Is there a reason for that?

Other than those three, nice layout and logo, just a couple of small things (and they are small) and it will look very nice.

sillyswede · 1 Apr 2011 at 18:29

I agree with Amp34 about the font. It's a simple and clean site, which, IMO, works best for photography (the photos should speak for themselves!), but with the light background, you can afford to use a more striking font and menu!
Again, nice and clean-looking - you're definitely on to something; well done!

yhack · 1 Apr 2011 at 18:49

slothmeister said:
Despite the lack of photo's, it's a nice and simple site. Doesn't take long to load (always a bugbear of mine)

Good job, just need to pull my finger out and get cracking on my own now.

Thanks

I find the best was to build websites is to spend 1 or 2 hours on it after work and within a week there's a huge improvement. Trying to do loads in one go makes it harder because it gets boring. Good luck getting yours done.

Amp34 said:
A few things that insstantly came to mind...

Font: Really don't like it on the "About", "Contact" and "All rights reserved" bits. I take it it's all the same font on the website? If so then I think making the above smaller and/or bold may make them look much better.

I've changed the font size to a bit smaller and a larger line-height too, would you say it's an improvement?

Amp34 said:
Photo views: You click on a photo and it just loads up in a blank window, perhaps it's not an issue but it's a real bug bear of mine, you have to use the back arrows on the browser. Maybe have them embedded in the same style page as the rest of the site, or use a lightbox (whichever you do make it so you can cycle through the images at full size, ie you don't have to go back and then click a new one).

The only other issue is the greyness when you click a link. Is there a reason for that?

When you click the photos lightbox should load the image up on top of the page. It works here, does it not work at all for you?

I'm not sure what the greyness is, which links cause it?

sillyswede said:
I agree with Amp34 about the font. It's a simple and clean site, which, IMO, works best for photography (the photos should speak for themselves!), but with the light background, you can afford to use a more striking font and menu!
Again, nice and clean-looking - you're definitely on to something; well done!

I'll have try making the menu a bit more striking, thanks for the suggestion

Maybe a change of colour.

Amp34 · 1 Apr 2011 at 20:04

Font: I can't tell the difference.

Personally I think the font is still to big/not bold enough.

Grey: Nope, no lighbox here (running IE9). The greyness looks like the start of a lightbox appearing but it doesn't appear when you click the photos, just the other links, infact when i just click your logo (which has no link) it greys the entire page until I click again.

yhack · 2 Apr 2011 at 11:14

Amp34 said:
Font: I can't tell the difference. Personally I think the font is still to big/not bold enough.

Grey: Nope, no lighbox here (running IE9). The greyness looks like the start of a lightbox appearing but it doesn't appear when you click the photos, just the other links, infact when i just click your logo (which has no link) it greys the entire page until I click again.

I downloaded IE9 and got the same problem. There's a new version of Lightbox which fixes that problem, it should work now. Thanks for letting me know, I would never have found that myself.

I've also changed the text size on the about and contact pages to size 11, it looks a bit nicer now.

Amp34 · 2 Apr 2011 at 15:37

Yep, lightbox works now.

When I mentioned font I meant the actual "About" and "Contact" links, not the pages (pages look good now). Just nit picking really though.

yhack · 2 Apr 2011 at 15:50

Amp34 said:
Yep, lightbox works now.

When I mentioned font I meant the actual "About" and "Contact" links, not the pages (pages look good now). Just nit picking really though.

Ah I see, changed them now. I would say that looks a bit better.