ZoomConcept Reviews
Minor Problem Text over thumbnails
The display of title and summary over the image could prove difficult in practical usage - even on this image that you've preselected they are hard to read, and that would be even worse with the various images you'll get for themes. Perhaps displaying them above or below the thumbs would be better, or with a semi-transparent bg on hover (so they don't obstruct the image). Just an idea, though.-
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Anton commented:You are right, it works well there, but with a large all-caps avantgarde font and very short titles :) I think you need to replicate that effect in order for it to start working. Just my 2 cents ;)
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Ben Gillbanks commented:
I han't considered the length of the titles, that does make a big difference. I guess I will have to add some sort of (semi transparent) background.
Positive Feature Neutral styling
I like how you toned everything down so that the actual photos stand out.Summary:
I think it works well as a gallery-oriented theme, you've toned everything down, so that the actual photos stand out - I like that thinking!
Please see the notes I've added, though - text over images could make life difficult for the users.
In any case, I like what you've got :)
Best of luck with that! Anton
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Ben Gillbanks commented:
Thanks for the comments Anton. I should clarify that the theme is to be sold on the store, it's not the store itself :)
My site is http://prothemedesign.com
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Anton commented:
Ah, that makes me look stupid (nevermind, happens often :)), I've removed the irrelevant bits from the review.
Still, your idea to make everything less prominent - to have the images occupy the central point of interest, - is a good one!
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Ben Gillbanks commented:
:) no problem. It was probably an issue with how I described the project.
I think that the focus on the work is important for something like this which is why the rest of the content is so subtle - it's great to get some confirmation that I'm heading in the right direction :)
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Minor Problem on exhibitor_flattened.png 1 this will work better as one row 2 too light of a type treatment (color) -
Ben Gillbanks commented:
Thanks for the feedback - regarding point 1, this will be a flexible container. It's up to the person showcasing their work how many will display. Keep in mind this is a portfolio and not a blog, so the focus is these images.
2 - like point 1, the idea is that the artwork is the most prominent element on the page
Positive Feature on exhibitor_flattened.png 1 Nicely done... The type treatment is a bit sub-ordinate to the weight of the graphical container above. 2 I like as a location label - but don't understand the navigation schema How will this work? -
Ben Gillbanks commented:
It's the site heading, it's not navigation.
Summary:
Overall, this template works.
- it is well balanced from a graphical standpoint...
- I don't understand how this page navigates to other pages (you have not established an apparent metaphor for sub-navigation)
- The gallery container could be one row versus two. This will establish a more prominent content presentation of the Recent Blog posts (etc.)
Nice template - nice start...
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Ben Gillbanks commented:
Thanks for the feedback Michael. The goal of this website is show off artwork/ photos etc, so the idea was to place the emphasis on them, and it sounds like I have succeeded :)
I will try adding a bit more contrast to the text, but I do think it works ok as subtle as it is currently.
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Minor Problem Minor issues with blog title; contact info; archive
Blog title: I recommend increasing the size of the blog portfolio title Contact Info: I'd add the owner's contact info under the title of the blog/ site. Archive: I recommend adding a "view all" link at the end of pagination list (1-4).Positive Feature Fun design, emphasizes the right stuff
Too often portfolio blogs/ sites fail to promote what's important - the owner's creative work! This template doesn't fail in that regard, and makes it easy to show case a lot of different pieces right up front.Minor Problem Slideshow
Do you really need 2 rows of slideshow? Its going to take much vertical space away. I suggest you remove the bottom row unless you have a very strong reason for retaining it.-
Ben Gillbanks commented:
This isn't a slideshow, it's a gallery. I will be giving the user the option to select how many rows to display. Hopefully this will be more obvious when the theme is built
Serious Problem Read more button
More contrast is needed for it. It's not standing out.-
Ben Gillbanks commented:
it's not meant to stand out :)
Links in footer
There are no helpful links in footer. Try adding some.Critical Problem Header links color
The header links are blending way too much in with the header. Visual contrast is highly needed to make them stand out. As you already have a light background, I suggest you try a dark color for the links.Positive Feature Colors
Good choice of colors.New Idea White background for Logo
Do you really need white background behind logo? Why dont you try removing the white background and instead give a glow to the logo itself, like a spotlight shining from the backside of the logo?-
Anton commented:
Hmm, which logo do you refer to? I can't even see white on this site :)
Summary:
Hi,
Although the current visual appeal is good, it still needs improvement to make it look much better. Hope the suggestions work out in your favor.
Good luck!
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New Idea on exhibitor_flattened.png 1 Try making these rectangular
I must admit I've thought the same thing, however I really like how it works here: http://climatewisconsin.org/
Maybe I should experiment a bit more with the fonts.