What do you think?

[blixt]

I would love some feedback on my flash based portfolio and blog site.
I'm not so much of a designer, so it's sure not a great looking site, but it has some functionality that can be interesting to check out maybe.

It's emulating a lot of HTML behaviour like resizing with the browser window, text resizing, deeplinking, bookmarking and back/forward button functionality.
After having discussions with a few HTML fanatics I wanted to shut them up on the points the normally put forward as downsides of flash, and I do think it's nice to have those features.
Of course it didnd't help and now they also want integration with their FireFox extensions like mouse gestures and dictionary search...well well :)
When I get more time I guess I will have to make the page a bit flashier though to try to get the best of both worlds really.

But enough bla bla what I think about the site....it's your opinions I would like to hear....give it to me straight.

Also, anyone interested can download the flash based blog/CMS system i developed for the site. It also includes the state management code which I will put up separatly as well soon.

URL: www.blixtsystems.com

[slinkyart]

It's okay...wow everything is really big! Might want to scale it back a little bit. It reminds me of those telephones with the huge numbers on it so old people can see them ;)

[Theros]

Reminds of a HTML site. Dunno if thats what you want, although the grey background is a bit boring?

[jonbid]

I would go for a more minimalist style, you have an awful lot of content, and as people say, it does look on the large size.

some of your content covers the scrollbar on your portfolio sections.

very functional though.

[blixt]

Wow...quickly replying here.
@slinkyart
I might scale down the font a bit if you think that would help, but personally I really dislike fixed size pages.
It's nice to be able to use the real estate one has in the browser if one likes to IMO, otherwise I just scale down the window size.
But design wise fixed size smaller designs look tigher of course by default.
So it's one of those tradeoffs between style and useability, and for me the latter take precedence.

@Theros
Yes...like I said it was my intention to make it a bit HTML like.
I'm not really a specialist in making flashy animations, so I figured it's not much point trying to sell myself as being good at that.
IMO there is many ways you can take advantage of what Flash is capable of without making actually flashy sites. Many clients do want sites looking like HTML but still need capabilities that Flash have.
Like I said, I do feel that I maybe should make it more obvious that the site is a Flash site somehow.
But I'm not so keen on making some wierd navigation or lots of things moving about, and since the site don't actually need any RIA functionality really I can't think of what do do to make more use of what flash is capable of.

I will stick up more source code and experiments that actually make use of Flash, but ideed it could just as well be made in HTML, except from the fact that it would be useless at selling my Flash services then :)

[blixt]

I would go for a more minimalist style, you have an awful lot of content, and as people say, it does look on the large size.

some of your content covers the scrollbar on your portfolio sections.

very functional though.
Hmmm....yes...the text is really too long. I'm not very good in making short statements or comments :)

The scrollbar issue should be fixed now...thx for pointing that out.

[Theros]

Maybe just change some colors? Maybe try Colorlovers?

[slinkyart]

Wow...quickly replying here.
@slinkyart
I might scale down the font a bit if you think that would help, but personally I really dislike fixed size pages.
It's nice to be able to use the real estate one has in the browser if one likes to IMO, otherwise I just scale down the window size.
But design wise fixed size smaller designs look tigher of course by default.
So it's one of those tradeoffs between style and useability, and for me the latter take precedence.

No problem ;) Everyone does what they like best. For me, style/design is the most important (plus it has to be useable) but that's just because I graduated from a prestigious art school that hammered good design into our brains!! So that's why I always speak on design and layout ;) Just my opinions.

[blixt]

@Theros
Thanks for the tip...nice site.
Maybe I will have another go at changeing the color scheme, but I think it will serve me better to focus on the content, where I at least might have some possibility to impress :)
I have some useful downloads and portfolio examples that I should prepare to stick up.

@slinkyart
Thank you for expressing your opinion....it's good to hear what designers think about the site even if I don't think I'm capable of pleasing most of them and don't always agree with their ideas.

One thing I'm wondering about though...
Do you think it would be a bit better with a smaller font...or was your issue more with the amount of space you get with a large browser window?

[Theros]

Er, its not the font or window size lol, its that theres too much of it! :ko: So, I mean its fine but theres a lot of text... my eyes will hurt...

[G]

I think this site would look a lot better in HTML.

The scrollabr component in the flash movie gets easily confused with the browser scrollbar :(
in the multimedia section the content flickers.

I thought the graphics look really quite dull and bland.

[blixt]

@G
Thanks for pointing out the sidebar issue. I had been messing up with IE, but thats sorted now.
With the content flickering I'm sure you don't mean the photo effect, but I can't recreate the problem here.
It's probably when the images in a HTML textfield is a bit slow to download that it appears would be m guess.

I'm interested in what you actually think would make it look better in HTML.
The HTMl verion I have now sure don't look better even if I did attempt to make it look the same.
I think the main issue is that my design skills is nothing to boost about.....and I don't think it makes much difference if I do it in flash or HTML :)
Making an HTML site to try to sell my flash coding skills seems quite pointless IMO, so even if I actually could make it look better it would defeat the purpose of the site.
But I do understand what you and many others been saying about it seeming a bit like I don't take advantage of what flash can do.
So I will probably try out some ideas to try to make it look a bit more flashy without loosing clarity and useability.

[StinxX]

Its nice. AS they have writte before, its bit big. Scale it down and would be better.

Fortsätt bara på.

[G]

@G

With the content flickering I'm sure you don't mean the photo effect, but I can't recreate the problem here.
It's probably when the images in a HTML textfield is a bit slow to download that it appears would be m guess.


My apologies when I first saw that effect and posted I thought it was a bug but I now think its intended to be like that :(

I am no graphics designer either but their are certain things you can do for "damage limitation" with regards to how your site is perceived graphically.

1) make it look fairly consistent on all resolutions
2) if you can't pull off a style well enough for the user to take it in then stick to simple and go that route it will always look better.
3) flash is great don't get me wrong but sometimes the fact of the matter is that HTML with a little CSS is quicker to create and produces a better result.

Now I feel that a HTML/CSS site would be a lot better for yourslef given that you state graphically you are not as strong as in your other skills. CSS as you will no doubt know is easy to learn and encapsulates simplicity....give it a go :)

hope it helps :)