Need some opinions on website

As part of my degree we are recommended to put together a website that we can put our work on to show off.

Could I have a few opinions on the design of mine so far - www.svenlowry.co.uk

Couple of points - load times are high because it's using big images at the mo, but I'll cut that down later.

It will look crap in IE, because it doesn't support png transparency, so only try it with a decent browser (yeah I know that's not good coding, but until I can get it to look ok with gifs it's staying like that!)

My housemate reckons that font for the menu makes it look awful, but it's my handwriting, and it's a site about me, so I figure it makes it a bit more personal, and it's not used excessively.

Oh and there's no actual content on there yet

So what do you think??

#249064

I would get rid of the "notebook" style background and if that is the basis of your homepage then you need to make it look more appealing. Not to mention that your homepage should at least be a full length page. The font is not bad (as it is readable) but you need some graphics!!!

#249067

Decrease the shadow, and make a clearer separation between the sidebar and content. Just something that visibly separates it (doesn't have to be huge...)

-NC

#249073

I would get rid of the "notebook" style background and if that is the basis of your homepage then you need to make it look more appealing. Not to mention that your homepage should at least be a full length page. The font is not bad (as it is readable) but you need some graphics!!!

I like the notebook style, as it's going to hold information about my uni course, so kinda fits. Graphics will come when I actually add some content!

And why does it have to be a full length page?? it is if you view the site at 1024x768...

Anyway, each page will be sized depending on how much space the content on it takes up

Decrease the shadow, and make a clearer separation between the sidebar and content. Just something that visibly separates it (doesn't have to be huge...)

-NC

Been thinking the same thing about the separator, maybe a thin red line like on a sheet of lined paper??

#249081

It will look crap in IE, because it doesn't support png transparency, so only try it with a decent browser (yeah I know that's not good coding, but until I can get it to look ok with gifs it's staying like that!)

Why not make IE use png transparency? You can add png transparency support to your website so that even IE can view your images the way you want them to;

http://www.howtocreate.co.uk/alpha.html

Now you have no excuses!!! lol.

#249084

in safari the middle part [not top or bottom] is right so it looks displaced. design is weird. start over in photoshop.

#249088

looks like a start, a little bright, hurts my eyes. I would suggest darkening the lines on the paper, and making the shadow a little bit lighter. Also, I think a nice wood pattern or something in the background behind the paper would look nice, representing a desk or table, and would eliminate a lot of bright white and add some much needed contrast.

#249100