my site so far...

[Mellian]

Okay, in the process of building my portfolio site, and the simple setup is done except for the contact form which is still not functional as I am having problems resolving some bugs in the php form mail script I am trying to use.

http://mellian.virplex.com

I do plan overtime to build upon it, change things, add new stuff and so on...I just have this, built in two days, so I can finally say I have a portfolio site up.

Eventually, once i learn php, I plan to convert it to a degree to php while playing around with SQL.

No, I haven't got it checked against the standards, which I will do as soon as my site as is is hundred percent functional. I know it is nothing in comparison to other peoples portfolio sites, but I getting there, in time...

So yes.....comment, suggestions, feedback?

-mellian

[Silent Bob]

For a web designers site it looks a bit plane to me, this is coming from a non-web designer

[Magada]

Hi Mel,
I like simplicity. I am the type of designer that doesn't like to use more to say more. In truth, it does seem a little bit amateur, but I am new to web design myself so I can't really speak.

How long have you been in design? You seem to have a very long resume, and not much in the way of design. Have you taken design classes? Basic art classes? Being able to program a site isn't the same as designing it.
For starters, you need more examples, think about playing with different types of type, or changing the size to something a bit smaller. The blue links with the black background kind of fight each other as well.

Oh and word to the wise... comic sans is considered faux pas by the design community in general.

Sorry if I seem harsh, I'm a designer first and a coder second, so I speak about what I see.

[Mellian]

Hi Mel,
I like simplicity. I am the type of designer that doesn't like to use more to say more. In truth, it does seem a little bit amateur, but I am new to web design myself so I can't really speak.

I know, but it is my site so far and I do plan to continue build upon it. I just wanted something up right now.

How long have you been in design? You seem to have a very long resume, and not much in the way of design. Have you taken design classes? Basic art classes? Being able to program a site isn't the same as designing it.

On and off for last 2-3 years. Spent most of last year in college doing shortened and compress webdesign program. I am well aware that design and developing is not the same thing. I wish I full knew and understood the differences between the two before I started college.

Oh and word to the wise... comic sans is considered faux pas by the design community in general.

There is no comic sans anywhere on the site...unless your talking about the only volunteer site I have up?

Sorry if I seem harsh, I'm a designer first and a coder second, so I speak about what I see.

That is okay, what I asked. I won't improve much without any constructive criticism.

-mellian

[AllenP]

The header seems to take up way too much space. And the contact section fell apart in ie. I also agree with "Silent Bob" as far as it looking plain. Also, do you know photoshop? Knowing photoshop or a simillar program in extremely valuable knowledge to a web designer in my opinion.
Dont take my criticism too harshly, I only started web design at the begining of summer vacation, about two months ago, so I'm a beginner.

[peter77]

The Contact form doesn't even work.
I use a php contact form which I downloaded off a website.
php is open source so you can easily find scripts you can download off the internet for free.

Your design “looks” simple and the fact that it’s dark theme makes this worse (black and white).
I personally think black only works on games sites and doesn’t belong on a website designers portfolio site and makes it look un-attractive.

You say you can use flash design but you only have a couple of projects in your portfolio, maybe if you incorporated some flash into your actual site it would impress visitors and make your website look and feel a whole lot better.

I hope this has helped.

[Mellian]

The Contact form doesn't even work.
I use a php contact form which I downloaded off a website.
php is open source so you can easily find scripts you can download off the internet for free.

Well I did say in the first post that it is not working as I have yet resolve the bugs I am having with this one php form mail, which is so not an easy 'plug and play' process of installing it and getting it to work.

Your design “looks” simple and the fact that it’s dark theme makes this worse (black and white).
I personally think black only works on games sites and doesn’t belong on a website designers portfolio site and makes it look un-attractive.

I was thinking more of just having something up than the actual overall design when I was building what I have so far. Now that I am thinking about, I don't know how I want the site to look, which is similar to me being stuck not knowing what to draw.

Obviously, I shouldn't even bother applying for any web positions until I can have something good, which only annoys me. Hate to think I went to college for webdesign for nothing.

You say you can use flash design but you only have a couple of projects in your portfolio, maybe if you incorporated some flash into your actual site it would impress visitors and make your website look and feel a whole lot better.

I thought about it, but like the overall design and look, not where and how I should implement flash without effecting the efficiency of the site and loading time.

-mellian

[Magada]

Yeah, I meant the comic sans on the golf site
http://mellian.virplex.com/portfolio...site/start.htm.

Start looking at design magazines, cool websites and try to emulate them (just for practice) on your own. If you run into a coding problem, the web is a plethera of knowledge.

Then, before you put together ANYTHING, sketch out what you think you want your website to look like. It doesn't have to be good, just basic layouts. Where you want which items. Find things you like from other websites and implement them. Think about colors that go together (usually good to have one light and one dark color) Look at how different "types" of websites (such as gaming... already mentioned) use colors. After you are done sketching 4 different websites... pick your favorite and sketch it in more detail, again, you don't have to be an artist to do it, you just have to have the time and motivation to sit down and spend the planning time.

All in all, think about what you WANT to do, not what you can do. You will always push yourself further that way.

I don't understand why web design programs don't emphasize design. It causes you to look at sites in a whole different way.