Oh Boy...Probably Shouldn't Do This...

[TurtleBay]

:baghead: OK...I'm askling for a web site review. I'm a techie, and this is my first attempt at design...So, if you've got suggestions, lets hear them, but gently, please?

Take a look at www.turtlebay.net/beta/ and let me know what you think....I'm not a genius at graphics (obviously).

Thanks,
John

[LegendHost]

Hey,

Looks good. I am not a web designer or anything but as a regular surfer I would suggest to use some kind of combination of black with red..maybe those red boxes of plans on the main page, their borders make them black..good approach..as professionalism goes try to use white background as much as you can..good luck!

[AWD]

Nice - good work. I have a question, however - why aren't you using the same design that you have on the forums? It's beautiful and very creative and eye catching - the one you have is nice and definitely is fine, but the forum design is great.

[TurtleBay]

Originally posted by AWD
Nice - good work. I have a question, however - why aren't you using the same design that you have on the forums? It's beautiful and very creative and eye catching - the one you have is nice and definitely is fine, but the forum design is great.

Because I bought the forum style from someone, and the agreement is to only use it on the forums...Besides I want to gain experience at doing it myself.

Thanks for the comments, suggestions are welcome....

John

[Living Media]

Hi TurtleBay,

I've been called a "usability pervert" and "standards fetishist" - so I'm more of a coder than a design person (as if that isn't blindingly obvious from viewing my site...) but here are my thoughts:

Nice smooth transitions between the header and navbar backgrounds! That's a very nice efffect.

The dark blue background is perhaps a bit too...mmm, what's the word...jump-off-the-page-and-smack-you-with-a-trout. It's just a bit too dark to be light and unobtrusive, a bit to bright to be a solid backing, and there's quite a lot of it.

In regards to the plan boxes: Think about making your links underlined text - even if they are in the orange boxes. The headings of the boxes look too much like the (supposed) link buttons. People may not know where to click. Any hesitation or confusion, even of a second, can be very bad. You can make things that much easier for them by making those links underlined text (on an orange background, if you prefer)

Also...make the "contact us" an underlined text link. Again, any confusion is not good. Either make "contact us" a nav-bar item (orange background, button or graphic, text underline not necessary because all the leftnav items are understood to be links to other pages), or make it underlined text.

Is it possible to make the design flex to expand the entire width of the browser window?

I would think about fading the blue of the major page background to a lighter shade. The increased contrast between the background and the black text would make the page easier to read.

I would think of using one level less intense of a web-safe orange - unless this is one of your "official" colours. The blue / orange contrasting scheme is very bold, and it nearly works - but the orange can be an overpowering colour (which is probably the reason why few people use it.)

There's my opinion, for what it's worth. You've got a good start, I think.

[VoxKeysGtr]

Originally posted by Living Media
Hi TurtleBay,

I've been called a "usability pervert" and "standards fetishist" -

Interesting...:D

[ZooMan]

I'd like to add my opinion. Your site looks ok, it's a good work specially when you say that this is one of your first creations. I can't really make suggestions on specific issues like colours, positions etc. but I'd like to suggest you some more general things :

- Take an internet tour and visit some sites of various hosting companies. You'll see that many of them have designs that have a professional touch which I don't see on yours and it's logical since you are on your first steps. But what i want to say is that this "professional touch" in reality is absolutely fake. The whole issue is to use some tricks and some standards that in our time get considered as professional. So by just including some of these tricks or design ideas, your site gets immediately a "professional look" which is fake but the others will believe so. Just remember the times of the dotted lines. Just check the skin of this board. It has some graphics that enter in the category of the "professional touch". Be sure that the whole thing is fake..yes they look nice...yes they are well made...but it's the whole design fashion and design movements that make these graphics look in our eyes professional. Fashion!!!

- Follow some tutorials and you'll be able to produce not only good looking graphics but mainly graphics that have a quality.

- Keeping the things simple is the best way. Your current design is simple and I like it. But keep in mind that it has to be relaxed simple not forced simple. This is really complicated but what I mean is that you must try to give the impression to the visitor that the things are simple because you like it this way and not because you can't do something better or less simple. How to achieve this? Oh I couldn't really reply. I believe here enters the term "talent" and the term "culture of the modern design" and then again this stupid term "professional", which terms are property of the 1% of the people that do design. I'm on the 99% part, like almost all of us.

- Then remember to not hear everything that others say. The internet is full of "experts" that talk about everything and promote themselves as experts of everything. So filter what you hear and keep the advices you believe correct.

- And for finishing try to produce your own style. Good looking or bad looking design has always a value if it has a unique style, your style.

I believe I said too much so I close my mouth...oops...no first I'll say bye, now I can close my mouth. :p: :p: