hey, just wondering if anyone could give me some feedback on my online folio, I’ve been looking for work for quite a while now with no success so far. would really appreciate peoples opinions on what i could change or do to improve my portfolio. please be harsh!
Thanks
The website itself is very bland and boring. Grey text everywhere, small text. Why’s your name so small? Why are the category links flash files? Also the popup of the picture is completely useless; it just gives you the same size photo in another window. It also says “My Popup Window”, which to me shows that you don’t even care to change someone else’s code that you used.
Your splash page is also uninviting. Looks like a high school website: no greeting, grey, bland, you have to scroll down to see the full splash page. Lots of white space at the top that’s unnecessary. Splash pages should be succint, grab your eyes with some of your best work, and say something about your self (why should they care about you, your personality) in one glance. You have a picture of some alien thing that’s faded out, with your name in a boring typeface.
Why do I have to scroll down in the normal project page? There’s nothing below to see! Poor coding. If you’re aiming for such a simple website, you have to make it even more perfect. Your hierarchy has issues (like I said before, the font size is the same for everything, as well as the color). I can understand you wanting a greyscale color palette so as not to distract the work (honestly the pictures are so small it doesnt make a difference), but at least use some different font sizes/styles (italics for example)
Also, for project viewing, you are using the PREV 123 NEXT formula, which is usually used for sites where there is NO NEED to scroll. However, you have to scroll to view some of your Graphic work, and that’s two different viewing systems combined into one clumsy version. (I have to scroll down to click to see the next picture).
What’s up with the cloud on the bottom left? Is that your logo? If so, make it more obvious. (Well, rainy cloud isn’t exactly the best identity to give).
Overall the website shows you as an average, boring person who doesn’t care too much about his website/presentation, and therefore his own work. Sorry, but the single-tone, small pictures, bland presentation just isn’t doing it. I’d look at examples of good portfolios from graphic designs (since you pretty much claim to be sort of a graphic designer with your graphic design section, you better own up to it with your website design). Read SmashingMagazine.com, they have great articles/examples for web design.
thanks for been so honest! I’ve never been taught web design and this is pretty much my first attempt, ill work on the things you mentioned over the next few days. just wondered how much of the design process should i show? i realize that is something that is lacking on my website.
thanks again
Eamon
p.s I’m not an average boring person!
It’s not just how much, but how do you present it. You could dump every aspect of the process onto the template you have right now, and it would be overwhelming and boring. There are a couple methods, for example: start with a shot of the final product, describe what the problem you were trying to solve is, your criteria, etc. Then start from the beginning with research, sketches, prototypes, testing, etc. Probably shouldn’t be too long to read (3 short paragraphs) with a good amount of images (But not that much). You could do this via scrolling or the PREV 123 NEXT method.
Again, I’d hit up SmashingMagazine for some good inspiration. You don’t have to poke your head into CSS much, but definitely utilize a basic CSS. A good portfolio site should take you about two weeks (much of it coding). Starting with sketches (draw out the flow of the website: how many clicks does it take for the user to start seeing some of your stuff??), then photoshop mockups, then putting it into code. Keep it simple since you’re just starting out with web design, but simple does not equal bland.
http://www.wilsonminer.com/work/
Check that website. Simple. You don’t have to go to any other page to see his work. Every project can be viewed on the same page, and you only have to scroll down. Brief descriptions, informative pictures, etc. Notice only 3 projects are shown. As you are looking for a job, I’d definitely put more than 3, but show only your best work (indicate this), and the rest of your not-as-good work, put it in another page (or only show a little bit of it).
I didn’t have to scroll around to see the entire splash page, and personally, I like the simplicity.
I’d work less on the site, and more on the product design. There just isn’t anything really memorable there. I think you best stuff is your skate deck graphics. It just looks like you are having a lot more fun there, and it shows your personality. Also, there are just some nice glam shots in that area, everything on the product side feels so stiff and over thought.