Request for Critique

[Foxfire Flameworks]

Here's the site: http://foxfireflameworks.com

Here are the things I want to change:


My "about me" is too long, it needs editing.
Need to post a better pic of my dad on the "about me"...time for a good old fashioned camera ambush.
I should probably offer more items for sale.
I think the Gallery page is a little unattractive, but I can't place my finger on why.
My camera's a piece, and I can't buy a new one 'til I sell my beads. So my photography is far from perfect.

Other than these things, what do you all see that needs fixing? What do you like, not like, etc., etc.?

Thanks!

[Lenda]

I love your home page, but the font is very hard to read, I'm not sure if it's the font or what but the home page, where it says father and the daughter and other places using that font are stipply and blurry. I also think I'd like the font in blue instead of green to tie in with your logo (which I like a lot). Are you making your site on a 19" screen? It fits well on mine, I just reduced my site to be more centered and smaller for those on a smaller than 19" screen. I would rather not have a new window open up when I look at your About Us page, I'd rather it opened in the same window. Your home page link needs to be more readily seen instead of having to scroll to the bottom, some people may miss it. I think your Gallery is actually ok, maybe tie in the same size pictures to make it a more uniform look. The first line has too many pics compared to the others, making it kind of bunchy looking.

I hope you know I'm trying to help with my suggestions. I've often critiqued sites only to kill the thread because I say it like I see it. I'm only giving you my opinion and please disregard anything you don't agree with! Overall it's a nice site, your pictures are really not bad at all and I think you're off to a good start!

[Foxfire Flameworks]

Thanks for taking the time to look and respond, Lenda. :smile:

I didn't know the font did that, thanks for letting me know. The "About Me" page opening in a new window bugs me too, but I don't know why it's doing it. How about if I turned the logo at the top of all those pages to a link to the main page? Or should I just move the link I already have up to the top of the page?

Of course I know you're trying to help, and I do appreciate it. Thank you! :smile:

P.S. I think my monitor's a 17" one, but only the height of my tables is fixed, so as long as the images and text fit it should be fine...right?

[Kalera]

I really like your page design in general.

Two things strike me: the first is that your homepage will be easier to read if you left-justify the font.

The second is that I think you can prettify your Gallery page by making the photos closer together and more consistent in size and shape, and also, either consider making them clickable thumbnails, or making them larger, because you can't see a lot of detail.

[Lenda]

Thanks for taking the time to look and respond, Lenda. :smile:

I didn't know the font did that, thanks for letting me know. The "About Me" page opening in a new window bugs me too, but I don't know why it's doing it. How about if I turned the logo at the top of all those pages to a link to the main page? Or should I just move the link I already have up to the top of the page?

Of course I know you're trying to help, and I do appreciate it. Thank you! :smile:

P.S. I think my monitor's a 17" one, but only the height of my tables is fixed, so as long as the images and text fit it should be fine...right?
If you're using FfrontPage, when you click on hyperlink properties (mouse held over the link) you'll see in the window where it says, Target Frame? click on that and the next window will say Page default )that's the one you want or you can pick same window, I think you picked new window. Just change that.
The font is weird though, the paragraph is fuzzy yet your links are fine. I'm not sure why that's happening either to help you.
I wouldn't make your logo the link because people wouldn't know to click on that to get to home, maybe try different placements of you link towards the top. Not sure about the size thing, I guess if the table width's aren't fixed then it should squeeze to a smaller monitor, but I can't tell you. Hopefully someone on a smaller screen will say.

Good job though and it's just one of those things that constantly need tweeking. I've changed mine quite a few times and keep changing things still.:smile:

[Foxfire Flameworks]

Thank you, Kalera. I'll realign the font. I had planned on making those link to larger versions of the picture, as soon as I figure out how to make a new window open when I want it to. For now, I guess I'll just resize all those pics.

Lenda, I'm using Dreamweaver, and the reason the font's okay in the links is that those are images. What browser do you use? I'm just wondering if there's a difference between the way the font looks on different browsers.

Maybe I'll just center it under the logo, then...:-k

[Kalera]

Hi Meri !I also noticd that your Gallery photos have all different borders, and some have no borders at all... you might consider giving them all the same size border (or none) for unity's sake. :)

[Lenda]

I'm actually using both, Mozilla and Explorer and they look the same, I use both to test my own site. I've had this same problem with a couple of fonts I used looking pixelated when not saved as a jped or gif, it's something to do with whether they're true fonts or something like that.

[gwacie]

Didnt read all the responses so this may have been addressed.

I like the basic layout shape of the site. None of the photos are showing up at all for me.

Also I am not thrilled by the fact that when I choose a link a new window target opens. That is ok to use on links going OFF your site (don't want to close your site when they follow a link) but on pages within your site it's kind of a pain for the view to end up with all these open browser windows. Does that make any sense?

Looking forward to seeing it in color (with pictures)!