Thoughts about current site
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- besler
We're in the middle of a redesign of our website right now, trying to be cleaner and offer more information to our customers. We'll also be introducing a blog and more work samples.
Looking at our current site though, http://mindutopia.com, what are your thoughts in regards to the content and design? What needs to definitely be changed and what doesn't? We're hoping for this new design to last us a while, and I want to get it right.
Thanks for the advice.
- ideaist0
Pretty clean / not much to critique but such seems to be the way the internet is moving... function over form and what not...
- besler0
Thanks. That's the general impression I've been getting. When we originally did the site, it ended up taking much longer than we thought, and we tweaked and tweaked and tweaked, and it doesn't seem to "fit" together as much as we originally hoped.
In a sense, our new site will take what we like about the current site and put it into a newer, fresher, cleaner design.
- Iggyboo0
The site overall feels fine, but the identity just bothers me. it feels too busy and crushed and very illegible. And the name itself, mindutopia feels like there should be a space between mind utopia.
- luckyorphan0
I have a few basic notes. First off, it's a little hard to know where to look. As you'll see in this image, the design appears more complicated than it might need to be. Upon first glance, it's laid out alright, but within a few seconds, the eye is not sure where to look.
http://yfrog.com/4pmindutopiaj
I'd suggest clearing things up abit. Your layout is fine, but the elements within it are designed in a way that could confuse a user.
Also, your "Empowering Your Brand" section seems unclear. Is that a logo collection? Or a folio of branding ideas and solutions? Or both? I should know before clicking the section. Also, the way you show all of the logos in gray makes that section feel more like a footer than a section of the site.
Hope that helps.
- besler0
luckyorphan, how did you do that, and what do those colors mean?
- screengrabbed the site, and went into pshop. Save as...jpeg.luckyorphan
- The colors show four different sized elements competing for attention.luckyorphan
- Gotcha. I thought there was a service kind of similar to show the "hotspots" on your website. Can't think of the name...besler
- Ah no. And my site is f'in old. Please excuse the work.luckyorphan
- zray0
I'd rethink the journey from the 'find out more' link on the homepage. The About page is a chore with three paragraphs of small text, then I'd have to download the form, fill it out then email it over - multiple points at which I could abandon the site.
Making the about text look more compelling (blockquotes, featured portfolio piece, subheadings) and getting the form online should help your conversion rate.
I like the tone of the copy but the first half of the intro text on the homepage seems to be stock design studio fluff, the second half is great. Do your clients really care if you're 'creative and innovative'? It's more likely that they want their project to look good and to achieve it's objectives.
Specifics:
- Make your pagetitles/headlines less recessive
- The logo on the Projects page does not link back to the homepage.
- Make the logo bigger :)Probably more criticism than you wanted.. apologies if I've made any dumb assumptions and good luck with the redesign.
- besler0
Zray - We're hoping to expand that project paper quite a bit with this release; do you still think it would be beneficial to put the entire thing online? I know from being in former companies that a lot of people like to discuss with co-workers this kind of thing and fill it out on their own time, rather than be forced to fill it out online in a form.
- luckyorphan0
Here's another note:
I went back to the site, and clicked "Julian's Gift" (which appears and acts like a button). So I assumed I would be taken to the case study or image for Julian's Gift. But instead, I was taken to another page, where I had to relocate Julian's Gift again, and click it again. Why? Fortunately, it is located in roughly the same spot as the previous page, so it's not too much of a hunt.
The worse case is "Transition Town." I click that image on the homepage — which also appears and acts like a button, but doesn't do what the user would expect it should do — and I am again taken to that secondary page. Only now, Transition Town has been kicked to the other side of the page, where I have to re-click it again to get more info.
This is redundant and unnecessary clicking, and could get very frustrating for all manner of users and potential clients.
Strive for more simplicity, clarity and open-ness. A clickable image suggests to the user that they will go directly to information about the project described in that image. Once there, they should have a simple, clear way to either return to their previous state, or navigate elsewhere on the site.
- Yep, well aware of this issue. It will definitely not be a problem with the new version. Thx.besler
- ukit0
I think the overriding problem with it is that it's straddling the line too much between different styles. You've got some elements of a messy, "hand drawn" kind of layout and others of the clean minimal style that obviously, everyone and their mom is practicing these days, but those two approaches don't particularly go together.
If you go with the messy approach you need to lose some of the structured elements of the layout and just run with that style (old Odopod site pulled this approach off well). Or go with the clean approach and kill the wavy lines and misoriented text. Pick one or the other, as it is it looks like a half-finished idea.
- luckyorphan0
One more:
So, I clicked "Find out more about us" and was taken to a page where I am presented with an action figure, three paragraphs of text and a link to download a word doc.
I downloaded the doc, and found the following:
• far too many (relevant and understandable) questions.
• nothing on page three.
• and a few other things that I feel are inappropriate, like asking someone to include the budget for their project in the kick-off paper.1. I have yet to meet a client who had the time or patience to fill out a form and email it back. If they like the work, they email a first contact, and from there, it's direct phone calls and emails.
2. If you are a web design company, why are you offering a word doc form? All of that info in your form should be designed into an online form that potential clients can fill out quickly and hit 'Send'.That being said, if you want someone to fill out a form, you better make it very very short. Limit it to five questions, if possible.
But frankly, I would rethink the need for a form beyond a simple 'Contact Us' email form. Name, email, phone and reason for contacting with a text field for writing more should be enough.
I hope this is helping.
- P.s. If I didn't have the URL, I would have to work pretty hard to read your logo at that size on your site.luckyorphan
- ukit0
The one easy change that would help the most is doing a better job with the header text on each page and making it consistent. On most pages it is faded out - but on Case Studies you have it bold for no apparent reason. On the homepage you have it faded and overlapping the live text. With things like Cufon text replacement readily available there's really no reason to use generic-looking Arial for that sort of text. I would kill the overlap and use a better typeface, something with some personality and it will anchor the page better.
- luckyorphan0
^ Yes. And something is not 'leaped' by something else.
(http://mindutopia.com/news.php)One leaps of their own power. But if something is propelled by another object or idea, it is reactive to the force, and is thrown, shoved, pushed, sent, etc.
Ticky-tack, I know, but important to some.
Please let me know if you'd like me to stop making notes. I am just trying to help, but I know this can be annoying.
- besler0
Thanks for everyone's comments. For the record, we will actually be ditching the overlapping text (and Helvetica in general).
We'll also be removing the news and case studies pages, and will be incorporating a blog instead. While this isn't a massive redesign effort, it's enough of one where we will be changing some things. Most of the textual content will probably stay the same (with some tweaks).
You do have some good points on the logo. I'm hesitant to change it or make it larger because of what we're thinking on the new site. The navigation will be easier to read, but will still not overtake the header area.
And most of all, some of the toys will be staying (like the rocket racer), but their use will be limited.
Still playing around with the project doc, and trying to see if we even need it. It's nice to have, but it hasn't been used much, and if it is, it's mostly used after we already have a deal in place with the client.
- Good feedback. Looking forward to the result. And if you do one thing, given your note, lose the doc.luckyorphan