[thelist] 24caratdesign.com critique (was: Swish... > Critiques)

.jeff jeff at members.evolt.org
Mon Jul 16 17:21:58 CDT 2001


sharon,

:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
: From: sfmalo
:
: > i'm guessing  you intended purity of gold since
: > you use the number 24 in conjunction with it.
:
: Actually, when I decided on the domain name and
: checked out names, 24caratdesign was the only
: name combination available! I wanted 24K...
:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

yes, that's the unfortunate thing about such a common name/term.  if you
didn't already have a business established with that name, i would've
suggested that you come up with something else.

:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
: > the logo doesn't rely standout from the rest of
: > the site.  the font choice is too comical/chicken-
: > scratchy.  the contrast against the dark red bar
: > at the top is too low.  parts of the logo almost
: > disappear into it along with the byline underneath
: > it.
:
: I was after understatement; perhaps it became a
: whisper?
:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

you were going for understatement with your logo?

:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
: I happen to like the font; obviously. that's why I
: chose it.
:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

that's fine.  i brought it up because i thought it was a poor choice for a
company trying to sell professional web services.  now, if you were in the
business of writing comics or selling cartoon shows it might be the perfect
font to use.

:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
: > the javascript for the rollovers could be
: > tightened up.
:
: Don't understand "tightened up". In the remote file
: or in the <a href>'s?
:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

in the external file.  this is really more of a matter of preference than
necessity.  i just find it redundant to write an image swapping script for
every state -- onmouseover, onmouseout, onclick.  here is my preferred
method:

http://members.evolt.org/jeff/code/preload_n_rollover/index.cfm

:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
: > i'm not sure i see the point of the click image
: > swap on the navigation.  i don't even see it
: > happen before the page changes.
:
: The click image swap displays the black and gold
: pointers surrounding the page link you're viewing.
: Just another visual to let someone know where they
: are.
:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

right, i understand *why* you've got that in there.  however, i'm telling
you that image swap doesn't take place before the browser scoots off to the
next page.  since it's not even happening, i'd just remove the onclick
altogether.

:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
: > don't dig the border on the table for the terms
: > on the "glossary/definitions" page.  same with
: > the pricing page.
:
: What's wrong with it?
:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

i've never liked the way the browser renders a border on a table --
especially when the table has cellspacing set to something other than 0.  i
find it be clunky.  i think it looks unprofessional.

:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
: > member of the html writers guild?  not something
: > i'd advertise.
:
: Why not? Something wrong about belonging to the
: Guild?
:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

what requirements are there for being a member?  can anybody join?  if
anybody can join and/or there are no requirements, what then does being a
member prove?

:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
: > certified web designer?  certified flash animator?
: > certified by who?  if you're going to claim
: > certification then you should provide documentation
: > somewhere about who the certification is from and
: > who to contact to verify it.
:
: Before I revised my site, I had a Certification page
: with pix of each certification big enough to read. But,
: on the advice of some I removed it.  What do you think
: of making those certifications popup windows displaying
: either a PDF file or the blown-up version of each???
: The info on each is self-explanatory as to date of
: certification, where certified, etc.
:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

popup might be ok.  why not just remove them entirely?  are your clients
likely to care either way (don't answer from pride or your pocket book --
just because you paid for them doesn't mean your clients care about the
certification)?  if a client asks about certification you can show still
show it to them.  are they provided by a fairly well known certification
company?  are they provided by the manufacturers of the software?  unless
this were more of a resume site i'd say they don't serve any real purpose.
worse still, if they're not issued by a recognizable certification source,
their value could be easily discredited and yours with them.

:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
: > you've got a domain name, but you're using your msn
: > mail account for contact throughout the site.  i'd
: > at least set up an alias from your domain.
:
: Yes, I know I should. Have resisted doing so. I know,
: a quirk.
:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

my i ask why you've resisted it?  do you suggest the same to your clients?

:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
: > value meal site development doesn't meet business
: > needs.
:
: Don't understand "value meal site development doesn't
: meet business needs."
:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

you know when you buy a value meal at mcdonald's you get fries and a drink
with the sandwich?  well, you don't get a choice about whether or not you
want just the fries or just the drink with that sandwich -- you get both
(and pay for both).

on the web, i don't think you can put together pre-defined packages that
will meet any client's needs.  they might meet some of their needs, but not
all of them.  the only way you're going to know though is if you sit down
with them and discuss what their goals are for their website, what business
inefficiencies their site to improve upon, how to better reach their
customers through their site, etc.  "1-2 pages; 2 hyperlinks; 1 email
forwarded to your destination; background; 2 images/page, your logo, and 250
words per page" does not address the needs of the client.  it addresses your
needs and that's it?

what would you like to drink with that?

:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
: The Pricing page is staying put. I have a partner in
: another business venture and we plan to have links to
: that page for a reason.
:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

why?  i fail to see how it benefits the client.  i fail to see how it
benefits you.

you've got 4 plans outlined there and only one of them has a set price.  if
you're going to create various plans, at least set a fixed price for the
ones you've got pre-defined work for.  as a client, i'm going to guess that
plan 3 will cost me $975 and not the $600 possible low end you have listed.
so, why not just price it at $975 and remove the chance for me to feel like
i'm getting taken for a ride when i get my bill and see that you want $975
for the completed work.  better yet, price it at $975 and if it turns out to
be an easy job, give me a $100 discount or something when it comes time to
bill me.  then you'll have a very happy client.

this range in prices sort of proves my point that you need to price jobs on
a case-by-case basis and not on a predetermined pricing structure for
predefined work.  there is no such thing as a fits-all solution on the web.

again, what benefit does value meal site development have to your client?

:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
: > what's going to happen when a browser that doesn't
: > support external javascript files hits your page
: > and the user mouses over your navigation? [...]
:
: Didn't realize there's a problem.  I'll read the article.
: Maybe I left something out. This is PPK's script.
:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

i doubt you left anything out.  i don't think he actually addresses that
problem.

:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
: And, that's how I've taken it. Really appreciate your
: attitude and the time you took to critique the site.
:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

just giving my 100% to help you become the best you can be.

have a good one,

.jeff

http://evolt.org/
jeff at members.evolt.org
http://members.evolt.org/jeff/






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