Art Directors and Web Designers - I need you!

[RenaissanceGirl]

Please critique my portfolio. I'm posting this here (instead of the site check) because I don't want just anyone to critique it - I'm targeting you art directors, web masters, designers (I know you guys are in here Rev, Kit, Dan, etc). So pick it apart folks, and let me know what I can improve upon. Misspelled words, broken links, even if a graphic is off by a pixel - let me know.

Notes: You'll notice I recycled my old Flash site. Hey - I have to find a job soon (getting my hours cut in half in a couple weeks). Anyway, I did update it and it's fully functioning now. Here:

http://www.donnalopez.com/

Thanks in advance!

[morse]

uh, I found something....

I'm at Design Qualifications, and after I go for the OnMouseOver stuff, I can still see a little bubble, maby 1% alfa, after I am MouseOut.

[telekinesis]

Beautiful Rengirl, pure professionalism has been put into both the layout, art, and design of your HTML version and your Flash version! The animations are smooth and well drawn, scrollbars work perfectly, and a great resume. I love how everything is at a 3D perspective, like a virual reality portfolio!

I have quite a few freelance jobs offered every now and then that are based around art, design and some flash. I don't have time to take on most of these projects and if you are inclined to offers then I will make sure that you are my first source to ask to take over some jobs for me. I just finished a job for an administrator with the advertising department at www.cnet.com so he always gets me referals! Good luck rengirl, you have my support on the road to freelance web design!

[reverendflash]

Ren:

I'm going to be picky, because I think that is what you want... :)

Nice site... the portfolio section of the flash side came up with a 404 error every time I clicked on an image...

I got a little bored with the animation (it was cool once tho), prob because I had to keep hitting the back button, due to the 404, and I was back at the beginning of the conveyer thingy. While I like the style, I think a busy AD will have the attention span of a 3yr old child at the zoo. :)

So I took a look at the HTML site, great! Smooth, tight, gets the point across. I wish my site looked so neat. I can't seem to land on a look and feel yet <a href = "http://www.aulman.com/new%20site/newdefault.htm"> ( my latest ) </a>. Back to your site. It is very professional, shows you have knowledge and talent.

Bottom line... I reserve my total critique until I see the portfolio section in Flash...

Nice job... :)

Rev:elderly:

[telekinesis]

I just can't get anything to pop up in the web site, print, or art section, I remember it working a while ago...

[reverendflash]

I could finally see everything...

Very, very, very nice... =)

I still got impatient with the conveyor thingy (just a personal pet-peave), but it may be residual from frustration while using IE.

I really like all the info you give on each piece. I didn't like the scroll bars I got on your artwork, sometimes. You may wish to make the window larger, and therefore more consistent. Loved the artwork BTW.

You show your skills without looking concieted. Very nicely done. =)

You make me wish I could make my mind up... :evil:

Rev:elderly:

[lostinbeta]

The HTML part is excellent.

Same problems with the Flash Part. Everything in your portoflio worked in Netscape, but not in IE, in IE you can a 404 in the same window, so when you click back as Rev said, you need to start all the way from the beginng.

After doing that everytime the animation got redundant, but that is because we saw it like a billion times already....lol.

Your work is great, just that one problem that needs to be fixed and you are set! :) =)

Do you really code advanced DHTML ??? If so... I might need some help from you in the near future :P

[Kitiara]

I seemed to have the same problem as the good Rev. Whenever clicked on a picture / portfolio link to see the full version it couldn't open the page. Then whenever I clicked on 'back' it got reset to the beginning. Which is a shame, as I really wanted to see those pictures. :)

Aside from that, I really like the design of the site. The conveyor belt is definitely a cool idea. I'd be interested to know how you got the transitions so smooth.

I guess my only real criticism would be that the body text in the hole in the floor is a bit awkward to read - I can read 'portfolio' and that pretty well, but not the descriptions or whatever. I think that's mainly due to the anti-aliasing on the font in Flash though, or the angle.

The HTML version worked no problems, and I could see the pop up windows of the portfolio in this version. I wouldn't have minded a bigger image though.

But overall, I'd say you shouldn't have any problems in finding a job. :)

[RenaissanceGirl]

This is the exact type of response I was looking for! Thanks for your time everyone. I had no idea the Flash side was doing that. In theory, the portfolio components were to appear in a popup window, so you could just close it and the Flash side would be just as you left it. I tested the site with both Netcape and IE and it was ok for me. I really wish I could install different versions of IE - my code is probably mis-behaving in newer versions. At any rate, I think the 404 could be a result of the relative path URL. I changed it just now - I hope that solves the problem.

Does anyone have problems with the pop-ups in the HTML version? I use the same popup javascript - I'm now thinking that maybe the javascript doesn't work so well with Flash. Has anyone run into this type of snag?

Does anyone else see this problem Morse speaks of?

Kit - I wasn't sure if the skewed text would be a problem. I think I'll change it to a straight one - it would be much easier for me actually.

Now I must ask you this question folks: should I even include the Flash version? The HTML version seems to be sufficient and problem-free so far. I've included the Flash version for people who might like something more complex - now I'm not sure if that was a good idea.

[mdipi]

i think the flash version is a good idea. it shows people that you are capible of flash and not just HTML. to me that is a very complex flash part, so it would be like a part of your portfolio as is.

[reverendflash]

Ren:

I would do away with the Flash version. Just make sure there is something Flash-y in your work for the prospective employer to see. It is very nice, but I think it is a bit superfulous, and the HTML side looks extrememly good on it's own. As I mentioned, all I would change is the size of the popup, but that is really being picky.

Again, this is just my opinion, and I tend to lean towards simpler is better anyway...

Beautiful job, I wish mine looked so nice.

Rev:elderly:

[lostinbeta]

The portfolio items still do not work in Flash ren. I deleted my temp files and everything :-\

I think you should keep the Flash portfolio because people who are looking for you to do something in Flash will want to see how good you are at making a site in Flash, and your site will show just that.

[RenaissanceGirl]

Ok, I think I just found my error - I forgot to state a target in my getURL actionscript! I hope that rectifies any problems with being directed to a 404 page and having to restart the animation.

Rev: as of now, I don't have any good Flash to put in my portfolio. Previous clients were usually unwilling to pay extra for a Flash site, so I have no notches on my Flash belt - only things I did on my personal time. At the time, I was thinking it might be good to give the viewer a choice between a "simple/straight-forward" version and a "needlessly garish" version - as some people seem to be all about eye candy.

How about if I archive the heavy version? Maybe revert it back to its original purpose (titled "Pixelsensei" and the storehouse for all my drawings) and put it in the portfolio?

[reverendflash]

Ren:

That sounds like a great idea... I was thinking of some sort of Flash portfolio, but that works even better.

It is a catch-22 with Flash... you can't get gigs unless you publish in Flash, and you can't get a Flash gig without one in your portfolio... :evil:

The other solution is to do a simple, but nice Flash site pro-bono. A friend's bar (good way to get free drinks for a while), a church group, a friend's collection... you get the idea... then add it to your portfolio. No body is going to know you didn't charge, as long as you make it professional.

A lot of my referrals come from a musician's site I did for a buddy of mine (I'm thinking of doing a Flash jukebox for his CDs). I don't know why, I think it is an average site at best, but I get gigs referred by it...

JMHO...

Rev:elderly:

[RenaissanceGirl]

Kit: in regards to bigger images - are you talking about all the portfolio images, including screencaps or just the art section? How large should the screencaps be and how should I balance between size and download time in this case?

Rev: are you suggesting that the popups be sized to show all the content without scrolling? Are you suggesting this for the Website Portfolio section (multiple screencaps) as well?

[morse]

Well now I'm on a different box and I'm not having the problem with the bubble/Rollover. Must have just been a glitch when I donwloaded it (that happens sometimes).

If you do decide to keep the Flash site (you should, just as an example of what you can do), you might want to take off the scroll bar on "Art Work," unless you decide to add more.

Next, the buttons of the different Art Works, Websites, and Print Work don't work on either computer I'v been on (the thumbnails).
I'v got Java enabled, so I dunno why not...

Both versions look great. The "one cup" version doesn't have any extravagant "crap," if you will, and thats good. The Flash version looks good and is easy to navigate and understand. I would keep them both.
Perhaps you could move the button for the Flash version over to the right a bit, so that the HTML version option is bigger, hinting that it is the "suggested" option.

:) Looks great!

btw, you know that you can drag the Rollover bubbles in Assets > Skills, right?

[RenaissanceGirl]

Yes, the caption bubbles are supposed to remain and follow the cursor so long as the cursor is over the button.

Question - the popups are working for me right now on my PC with Mozilla 1.1 and IE 5. It also works on Mozilla and IE for my Mac at home. What browser/platform are you guys using?

Morse: is the popup not working at all for you (ie: clicking on a thumbnail does nothing) or are you getting a 404 error?

[morse]

Nothing happens. No 404, nothing. Nothing happens. I'm on IE 6.0.2600 (by the way go to www.2600.com, kind of interesting that the build number on a MS product is that...)

What I mean about drag is that you can click, hold, move away from the button, and release...Try it.

[reverendflash]

Originally posted by RenaissanceGirl
Rev: are you suggesting that the popups be sized to show all the content without scrolling? Are you suggesting this for the Website Portfolio section (multiple screencaps) as well?

I am only suggesting that for the artwork section...

and even then I am being picky...

Rev:elderly:

[RenaissanceGirl]

Picky is good Rev! I'm picky too, and I'm guessing that prospective employers and clients will be picky as well. You're helping me tons.

Good call Morse. I just fixed the dragging problem.

Aside from Morse - anyone still having popup problems?

[Kitiara]

Kit: in regards to bigger images - are you talking about all the portfolio images, including screencaps or just the art section? How large should the screencaps be and how should I balance between size and download time in this case?

I think the ones for the artwork are fine, but I wouldn't mind seeing the Website portfolio pop ups a bit bigger. This is probably a first for me, as tend to loathe pop up windows. :) I wouldn't say make them huge / actual size or anything, because of download time obviously. Depends how big they are at the moment. Lemme check...

Alright, the first image for the modelling one is about 29K. You can probably add a few K to that without worrying too much about downloading. Plus since you've scaled the pop up so that it fits exactly that first image, none can tell from the start that they might not have all loaded yet or whatever. If that makes sense. Perhaps making them .gifs would cut down the file size on a bigger image?

As for the angled text, I do like it like that, it's just I have to twist my head a bit to read it. :)

[lostinbeta]

Hey Ren, the pop-up problem still exists in IE.

[RenaissanceGirl]

Lost: Platform? IE version? Popup not showing up at all or are you getting the 404 error?

Are the popups a consistent error with EVERY gallery item or only for some of them?

I keep getting inconsistent testing results from other people - it works on a Win2k/IE6 platform for some and not for others. Works on all Mac/IE5 platforms so far. I'm not sure where to begin troubleshooting at this point.

Thank you for your time everyone.

[reverendflash]

Ren:

none of the popups work (404) in the Flash section for me...

W2k, IE6.02600

NS7 works beautifully...

Rev

:elderly:

[lostinbeta]

WinXP

IE 6

404 error

NS7 = thumbs up, works perfect.


Did you try the centered pop up tutorial on kirupas site? This works in both Netscape and Flash :)

http://www.kirupa.com/developer/mx/centered_popup.asp

[RenaissanceGirl]

What would I do without you guys? Thanks a million for that tutorial. I've implemented it on the first two buttons in the website gallery section. I know you are busy people and believe me, your time and efforts are very much appreciated, but if you could find a little time will you please, just one last time, check to see if it finally works? If this is the ticket - I'm going to set it for the rest of the gallery. If not, I'm going to have to shut down this part of the site and stab myself repeatedly with this mechanical pencil in my hand.

Thanks a bunch guys.

Kit: your design sensibilities are right on target - I've received a number of suggestions to resize the screencaps and will be doing just that tonight.

[lostinbeta]

Hrmmm :-\

Did you remember to upload the new version?

See, I tested out that tutorial myself, and it worked superb, but here I am still getting the same 404 error. I even cleared all my Temp files, cookies, and my history. Still the same thing.

I don't get it!!!!!

[RenaissanceGirl]

Thanks for the effort Lost. Ok, I did upload it (twice actually), but now I've isolated the portfolio in an effort to figure out what's wrong:

http://www.pixelsensei.com/cgi-bin/dl/heavy/portfolio.html

That way you don't have to go through the animation (which I'm sure you're sick of by now). I can't thank you enough.

[lostinbeta]

Works Perfect!!!! =)

Tested in both NS7 and IE6 on Windows XP. They work great.

[lostinbeta]

ok wait, It works on the link you just sent me, but it does not work on your main page.

[lostinbeta]

I went to this link...

http://www.pixelsensei.com/cgi-bin/dl/heavy/index.html

And that is your main site, with animations and all.

IT WORKS!!!

Somehow the frames are what are messing with your site I suppose. This is the only thing I can think of.

[lostinbeta]

I use the same kind of URL forwarding as you do, and my pop ups work great. If you want to check out the script I use, you can check the .txt file I attached.

[RenaissanceGirl]

Really, I was about to punch myself repeatedly in the face! I wonder if it's a loadMovie problem. Is it working for you on the when it's loaded on the main site?

*Edit: I just uploaded newer versions of everything. That's a good theory Lost, I'll make the heavy version load outside of the URL cloaking just to be on the safe side. I just uploaded a fresh swf with the popup code changed for all the thumbs.

[lostinbeta]

It works for me if I access any of the pages directly.

If I access the page through www.donnalopez.com they don't work, this is why I believe(d) it was a frame problem since you use a stealth redirect system which encases your actual page in one huge frame (which is why the URL is always the same in the address bar).

[morse]

Well, they all work for me now. Great job! :)

Btw, I'm thinking of buying MorseDesigns.com - what do you think?

Sorry to be out of the blue just wondering...
Back to www.donnalopez.com - looks excellent. Nice java, Lost.

[lostinbeta]

I see you break out of frames now :)

Works perfect now!!!!

Thanks Morse, I learned Javascript before I learned Flash :)

[morse]

lol, I need to learn Java. Course, I can just steel some other script from people. Anyway, I'll learn actionscript and then java...maybe.

[lostinbeta]

Well AS and Javascript are a tad bit similiar. DHTML and AS are almost exactly alike, but DHTML is so much harder to impliment.

Please refer to it as Javascript because Java and Javascript are 2 completely different things, so to prevent confusing people it is refferred to as Javascript or JS.

[morse]

aight

[lostinbeta]

Sorry if that sounded rude, but Java and Javascript really are 2 different things, pretty much completely :-\

So it was just for future reference so you don't tell people you know Java, but instead you know Javascript (unless you know java, which would be way cool).

[morse]

haha no worries, I'm not easly offended. :)

na i dunno java or JS, but does my avitar mean anything to you?

[lostinbeta]

Hrmmm, well your title says slacker...lol.

But your Avatar itself reminds me of "Where in the world is Carmen SanDiego"

[morse]

lol...try this:

http://www.redhat.com/

[lostinbeta]

You work for them?

[morse]

na, but i wouldnt mind.

I'm not good enough yet.

[lostinbeta]

Cool :)