So, I Built a Website...

...and I could use your feedback.

I do not know if anyone here is familiar with Wix, but I built a website with their CMS and I am rather happy with it. I know nothing of web design, but I have been tinkering with the Wix CMS for over four years now and I have gotten pretty familiar with it.

So, I established myself as a designer on Wix and decided to take a stab at designing sites for people. I also use the CMS to throw together some graphic art and all that good stuff. I am starting to venture out on my own to learn the real stuff, ya know...code. I plan on learning HTML, CSS, PHP and Javascript. I also want to start using programs such as Photoshop and related stuff.


So, I know that google would be my best friend here, and I have tried that BUT......where do you folks suggest I start first? Obviously I have to learn HTML first because that is pretty much the backbone in code, correct? So, how do I teach myself HTML? I have tried to grasp the concept on my own, but I just cannot seem to remember most of the basics. I tried building a simple input - output program like a calculator, but that turned out to be disastrous. So, what are your suggestions? How do I teach myself? How do I become my own Yoda? Show me the way, you must.

Oh yeah, check out my site and give me legitimate feedback. Do not hold back.

Thank you for your time and consideration kind folks of ATS!

I don't want to be mean, but I had a quick look and it strikes me as somewhat of a mess. The space is not used well. Kinda seems strung out so that there seems to be more content than there is. The images are not of even length and looks messy. The big white dots next to them adds to the mess. The lack of spacing between the pictures doesn't help either. Personally I would have gone for 2 even columns, with even spacing between the banners, no white dots as they are unnecessary. It all looks a tad plain too. The banners looked samey.

I wish you luck though and hope you can take something from my criticism.

Now I feel bad...

I love the site over there! The visual effect is great and I'd say your skills to this point are quite promising! Flash is a whole area I've not touched yet, but it sure has some very strong advantages on design. No question there.

You mention learning a large variety of things. I hope you do well and if I might suggest something there...don't push too hard on yourself. You're taking on quite a plate for goals!

When the college fires a new zinger into my life for a skill I need to know yesterday, so I can complete an assignment meant to teach that skill I need to KNOW just to DO the assignment (yeah..college is fun sometimes eh? lol), I have one place I go. Lynda.com. I don't have a constant month to month paid account with them. I just activate it for a month's fee and then turn it back off, as needed. It's been my secret weapon to save my butt for playing catch up like that since last year.

.....Where I think it's different is that a subject like HTML or Joomla or Photography won't have a half dozen vids to learn but hundreds and hundred of them in 3-5 minute shots. Not just that subject, but an enormous selection and all done the same way. Little baby bites and on a specific task or very narrow area of effort at at time. Before one knows it...hours have passed and those baby bits form a BIG meal and a real solid set of skills to build from.

Hope that helps!

Your post is very confusing. You say you have no experience yet you got a site looking for clients claiming to have 4 years experience in web design but don't know HTML? I think your jumping the gun if that's the case. Clients won't want a site designed by wix when they could just do that themselves.

There is a lot of work in site design if you're looking for decent paying clients. Id start off with learning proper HTML 5 web standard designs along side css3. Once you got that learn about using Photoshop or a related cheap product, some Flash and Flash coding. Also learn to use something like Illustrator or something cheap of the like to do prototyping for your clients.

Just with those things you can do some pretty nice designs. But your going to want to learn Java, Php and a few others to really do some cool things.

reply to post by BinarySamurai


Well, what I meant was that I have been working with the WIX CMS for 4+ years, and that is the only type of design that I know. And, there is actually a big market in WIX Pro designs, a lot of people have them build their sites for them. It takes somewhat of a creative ability to use that CMS and to build an eye catching site, so I thought I had potential as a Pro lol

I appreciate your feedback. How long have you been messing with code?

reply to post by Amaeus

I may have been a little high on the praise side...but heck, giving encouragement isn't a crime. Yeah, I saw a couple things like the others here and if I were looking at your site like a college assignment I was handed to critique for grade, I'd sure have written something very different. Then...You didn't seem to be asking to be told how bad it was...but how good and how improvement might be made?

I honestly think that if your looking at yourself from the position of having pro-level potential with a skill set you're very eager to build with more education, you're 100% on the right track. If you were presenting yourself as a well rounded and 100% capable professional, able to leap tall sites in a single bound and redesign CNN next week....well....you shouldn't be shocked if a lynch mob formed... (but you aren't....to your credit)

Heck...You're doing fine though. Don't let everyone discourage you. I'm not paying my bills 100% by school loans and I couldn't code HTML if a gun were held to my head. I can hack it and I can mod it....but I use Joomla because IT writes it for me while I focus on making everything actually work for all the scripting code which akes a site actually DO things.

Now...clone yourself so I can save thousands in college expenses and just hire a designer to make all that infrastructure work I do come to LOOK like your site there!

Originally posted by mee30
I don't want to be mean, but I had a quick look and it strikes me as somewhat of a mess. The space is not used well. Kinda seems strung out so that there seems to be more content than there is. The images are not of even length and looks messy. The big white dots next to them adds to the mess. The lack of spacing between the pictures doesn't help either. Personally I would have gone for 2 even columns, with even spacing between the banners, no white dots as they are unnecessary. It all looks a tad plain too. The banners looked samey.

I wish you luck though and hope you can take something from my criticism.

Now I feel bad...

I agree with the target. If you can't do it, don't showcase it.

The designs didn't look that good. The layers looked flat, and when you have flat against flat, that's flat^2.

I don't think the font you used for your phone number and the dial pad looked like it went well with the font to your text on the rest of the page.

The floating facebook icon looked out of place.

The desaturated wood grain background looked a little naked to me, but I don't think it's the first thing to tweak.

reply to post by Amaeus


Amaeus
I don't know anything about web sites but yours looks pretty darn nice to me ..Good luck designing sites ..peace,sugarcookie1

reply to post by Amaeus


I like it. The colors and design are easy on the eyes and everything is easy to see and read. The links are easy to access and everything just kind of flows together. You seem like you know what you're doing.

If you ever need SEO content to help with marketing or creative content for your site, let me know. That's what I do. Just PM me if you're interested.

Time for some shut eye though, I've been writing all day. I don't care what anyone says, using your brain all day takes a lot out of you.

reply to post by Amaeus


Great! I love it! Great job. I'm in art and let me tell ya I love its originallity!!

reply to post by mee30


Haha do not feel bad, I asked for feedback and that is what you gave me. I know what you mean about the white dots and the "samey" looking banners. I made a pack of those banners with the same type of theme in mind, that is why they appear to be so similar.

I appreciate your suggestions. I was thinking the same thing today about my site looking so messy. To me it appeared crowded, but I did not know what to do about it. That thought is what actually prompted me to post this thread, actually lol.

Thanks again friend! I will repost in this thread when I fix up my site!

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


I have heard of Joomla!, but I have never checked it out. I will give it a gander. Also, I keep hearing about this Python and Groovy stuff. What can you tell me about that?

Thanks for the words of encouragement! I got your U2U, btw.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


You should be a professional life coach haha

You are just full of nice things to say haha but I definitely need to learn code. Wix is definitely a start, but not something I want to base my career off. I just need to find time, I already have the drive and passion.

reply to post by satron


You sound experienced with design because you picked out such small details that I never noticed before. I appreciate your input, and I will definitely take a look at that stuff. Do you see anything else that needs serious tweaking? (Minus the condescending tone, please)

reply to post by sugarcookie1


Thank you very much

Amaeus

reply to post by Taupin Desciple


You folks are all too nice. That sounds like quite a useful resource! I will definitely keep that in mind

Thanks for the kind words!

Amaeus

reply to post by swan001


That is incredibly cool to read! Thank you!

I have always had these neat ideas for graphic art, but I never had an outlet or a canvas until I found this editor. Now, things just kind of flow out. I just find myself clicking stuff and then I have a picture lol its like magic, kind of.

I don't know. All I know is that I am happy that I am actually doing something that makes me happy, if that makes sense haha

reply to post by Amaeus


Yeah, please do not try to be too conservative. I find that there are too much boring sites around. All the same! I was delighted to see yours stand out from the crowd. I really love it.

reply to post by Amaeus


The Griffins on top didn't really go well with the gray band behind them, it's like the band is consuming them: They need more contrast. The Griffins below them are a lot better because they stand out more.

To be more clear, when I said your designs weren't that good, I didn't mean they were horrible, but the one where you couldn't center the circles right isn't something I would demonstrate I couldn't do A lot of them seemed kind of flat to me. They need to stick out a bit more. Maybe you could animate them?

I just noticed that you have a dual border going on for your content area. Hard to detect, again because of it being too flat. The colors don't contrast that well, and they practically look the same. I'm wondering if I'm the first person to catch it.

In your comment section, there is something behind the "number of comments", but what is it? You can hardly see it. Why? It doesn't contrast, so the background eats it up. Also, your scroller was hard to find because it didn't really look like one. What if you changed the top and bottom circles to arrows? That would make the function more obvious.

I like that you got rid of the facebook icon on the bottom and placed them on the side on top along with other contacts, where they are less hidden.

Originally posted by swan001
reply to post by Amaeus

 

Great! I love it! Great job.

I'm in art and let me tell ya I love its originallity!!

Like.....8th grade art class or?

just "art"?

Honestly its a bit of a mess yes.......to me it kind of assaults you, the color scheme to me is a bit drab and flat....

Id change up some banners and bordering and background.

To me the whole layout needs to be revamped......

No offense OP