ZoomConcept Reviews
Critical Problem on Portfolio-Home6.png 1 this is breaking up your design 2 all the way around take your shadows down about 70% 3 I know what you are trying to do..but it is not gelling..seems disconnected and unnecessary 4 whay is this so scrunched? 5 put this larger under the thumbnais New Idea on Portfolio-Home6.png 1 make this your footer 2 make it way more compact 3 put this under your contact info Summary:
Why sooo plain. plain is not the same as simple. Simple means unpretentious, but here you are going for generic (in a "store brand" kind of way. Really it look like a hurriedly typed up leaflet. I can see from your work you can do much better than that
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Alex Colina commented:You know Jamie, putting up you own thing can be very nerve wracking. Go look through my own portfolio concepts (my site still not up) And you will find the depths of self-doubt, misery and shame.
Here is what I found that helped me and still was able to benefit from CF.
Things that make it hard:
You don't have a client. so final decision maker, no-one to own the responsibility of what finally gets posted. Also no-one to please, what do I know what I like? I spend my life making stuff others want. And worst, the two sided coin of confidence. Overconfidence: this is JUST my site, this should be effortless, I have no client, I do what I want. This should be done in an afternoon, there are more important things. Underconfidence: This IS my site, this is the sum of who I am, to customers colleagues, friends, family should I be funny? prim? The designs on CF, Screenalicious, Smashing, CSS awards,(pick your own poison) are sooo good they are depressing me.
Things that make it easier:
These are my folk, fellow designers whose work i know and forms the basis for how I receive their advice.
No inept sugarcoating from people that don't want to hurt my feelings.
A sincere evaluation of just my work, No judgments about who I am, how Look, how i am supposed to act. just my work, objectively. now if you think about the number of people that know you vs those in the world that don't, you'd see that is better to get opinions from those that don't know you personally, because those are the type you want to attract.
YOU are right. No matter what they say here, YOU are right. Go with your instinct. take in the praise and the jeers and JUDGE them. Are they good designers? how is their work?
Remember you are a client to. Your own client. open a binder, start a file, name the project, go through the planning phase, set the time aside, give it a timeline.
Lastly. A little exercise I do, and it is I how I finally arrived at the design i will be implementing. This is something I do for my clients as well.
Clear your mind. Think what does a (cool, nice, clever, whatever adjective you like) website look like? and whatever you see first however nebulous, that is it. hopefully you did not see something that looks like my current site..Yikes!
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Jamie Linder commented:
Dude - Alex -- what an awesome insight into this process. I keep going back to clients' work, plowing through it no problem, then when I feel I have the guts to attempt a portfolio site again, disaster!
I think I'm going to do just as you suggest, and create a client folder for myself, just like I would with anyone's project, and see if that can objectify this for me.
Again -- majorly, awesome insight - thank you! (And Dear Lord I hope it helps!!)
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Jamie Linder commented:
Okay, Alex and Aaron, I've taken your comments, and hopefully this steps the design up a bit - though of course the first one was so bad, there wasn't anywhere to go but up (I hope). Please feel free to adjust your star ratings appropriately, and let me know what you think.
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Serious Problem on Portfolio-Home6.png 1 Is that Arial? - you need a quick smack over the back of the head! 2 where's the logo - the JL in the square? 3 I don't like these - make a slider... 4 Oh hello there wasted space, pleased to meet you! Positive Feature on Portfolio-Home6.png 1 like these - actually this is the only thing I like Summary:
Jamie
Ugh where to start?
Where's the JL logo?
I expected better from you, after all the nit picking of my sites, this is really average... Or maybe my expectations are too high (Nah...)
I agree with Alex, and I'm mildly concerned that you didn't expect to be racked over the coals on this one...
Look I know you are going for minimalism, but this is ridiculous... see my attached mockup
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Jamie Linder commented:
:P Stupid portfolio site. Just going to grab a damn word press theme!!!
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Jamie Linder commented:
Closing this for a while -- so that i am not embarrassing myself further.....
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Jamie Linder commented:
Aaran - thank you for giving me my routine racking over the coals. Definitely need that kind of jolt to bring me to my senses.
LOVE lots of ideas in your mockup -- going to incorporate some of those into a new version; at which point I'll reopen the concept for more racking.
Cheers -
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Jamie Linder commented:
Okay, Alex and Aaron, I've taken your comments, and hopefully this steps the design up a bit - though of course the first one was so bad, there wasn't anywhere to go but up (I hope). Please feel free to adjust your star ratings appropriately, and let me know what you think.
Attached Files:
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Nice resume? Thanks for the honesty --- stupid portfolio site. I think I'm better off NOT having an online resume. Ugh.