Revised portfolio site
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- rsinclair
A few months ago I posted my new portfolio site for review and got some good (if harsh :) ) feedback. I figure you guys are pretty tough critics, so I wanted to post the revised version here to see if it's an improvement.
The gist of the feedback I received on the original version was that some of the content (testimonial quotes, a colophon) were considered self-serving.
The biggest complaint was probably a confusing design mistake I made: I was offering PDF versions of my portfolio to download as an alternative to viewing them online, but the links to the PDFs ended up being more prominent than the navigation to the online versions, which was frustrating to people.
Further, the drop-down menu to view the online versions didn't quite function properly.
People also suggested quicker access to the work, and some called into question the ambiguity of my site between a business, a freelance designer, or someone looking to land a new fulltime job (it's the latter.)
I've since revised the site to hopefully address all of these issues, but am still clear on my approach and who my audience is.
The site is NOT designed to be flashy or overly animated. I wanted simplicity so the portfolio content was not overshadowed by an obnoxious interface or unneccessary animation.
In fact, because a high percentage of my target audience will be visiting on Macs, I've removed some of the superfluous rollover/rollout animations used on the original site, which I kind of liked (on a PC, of course.) For some reason, the Flash plugin still performs awfully on Macs running OS X, compared to the frame-rates achievable on PC browsers and the Flash Player itself on OS X. Until Macromedia gets it act together (or everyone gets Intel-based Macs someday), I decided to go without the "smooth" rollover transitions and use more traditional rollover states for visual feedback on navigation.
In addition to revising the overall color palette of the site, to address the feedback I have:
* Removed the PDF versions from the site completely. They were probably not something very many people would take advantage of and it was confusing to offer both an online and PDF version in my layout. The PDFs also represented something I would have to keep updated and in parity with the online portfolio, so this makes it easier to keep things updated.
* I've simplified the navigation. In the original site you could view projects sorted by 3 categories: by Project Type, by Client, or by Industry.
While nice, this level of organization was probably overkill, so I selected the most common viewing method (by Project Type) and used that exclusively. You can now view a portfolio project in 1 click upon entering the site, and there's no more confusing drop-down menu.
* I removed the testimonial quotes and colophon from the site, as they were perceived to be self-serving.
* I've removed the roll-over and click sound effects when pressing the mouse button. The site is now completely silent :)
* I added a link to my resume (as a password-protected PDF file to maintain some contact privacy and to prequalify viewers as being legitimate companies.) This link I think gives a strong suggestion that I am an individual available for work/hire, and not a company.
* I've paired down the number of projects appearing in the portfolio, eliminating some projects that I didn't feel were strong enough.
I have otherwise kept the original features of the site intact (Zooming in for larger views, linear and non-linear navigation options, fast loading times, and strictly portfolio content, no editorializing, blogging or extraneous information.)
The redesigned portfolio website can be found at:
For comparison, the original version (that was never launched publically) can be found at:
http://www.robertsinclair.net/ol…
Thanks for your input! Be kind :)
- D_Dot0
I didn't crit the first time, but what huge improvement in functionality.
Very Nice.
- cosmo0
i really like wat u got there, easy navigation and clean look. like it alot.
- weirdel0
lurve ur work to bits!
- scarabin0
nice layout you got there