ZoomConcept Reviews
Summary:
I agree with all the reviews that were posted, so there isn't much for me to add.
However, I thought I would post some links to some useful resources that might help you.
1) Logo
As Aaran Casey noted, this design does suffer from not having a logo. Before and After Magazine has some excellent free videos on how to design a logo. Within a few minutes you will be able to create a smart logo with ease.
2) Call to action
One element that this website really needs is a call to action. You've got the submit button for "Get the Report" which is kind of the right direction. But you need to build on it more. For example, how will the report benefit the customer? Why do they want it?
Smashing Magazine has some excellent resources on Call to Actions. The site is generally a good resource on web design as a whole, so is well worth bookmarking.
3) Make the site more photo led
Your website has a lot of text. Unfortunately, people find text off-putting to read on the web.
Especially on the front page, you want to use a key photo to instantly communicate your message.
If you get the right photo, it will entice people into clicking on and reading all the text.
Obviously, choosing a photo can be difficult, especially for your type of site. Off the top of my head, I would personally go for a proud person standing infront of neatly organised closet. An image like that would instantly convey the mission of your site and show how the site can benefit the user.
Good places to get photos are:
http://www.istockphoto.com/ http://www.shutterstock.com/ http://depositphotos.com/ http://sxc.hu/The photos on SXC are free. Deposit Photos is currently having a trial offer for free photos. IStock can be pricey, but you can often Google for discount vouchers.
Boag World has an excellent article that explains the power of designing in a photo led manner.
4) Try a new technology platform
I think the system you are using might be limting you. I would try experimenting with a new platform.
I've had heard good things about Square Space and Shopify (although I've not tried any of them myself). Note that Square Space doesn't actually allow e-commerce, but you can embed a link to a PayPal page.
My favourite is Drupal with Drupal Commerce. Be warned that it has a very steep learning curve, so it might not be ideal for this project. However, there are plenty of resources and tutorials to help you learn it.
5) General Design Tips
If you are new to design, I would recommend getting The Non-Designer's Design Book and The Non Designers Web Book. The books are a little dated (especially the web book). However, both can be read in an hour and your design skills will improve tenfold. There is no better way to improve your skills.
Hope that helps!
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Cheryl Vargas commented:Madhu, your review is very helpful. A couple of things...
I'm working on a shoestring budget, so redesign is pretty much out of the question at this point.
If I need to reduce the text, I can do that. I do have to focus on how to make this "design" work with its imperfections.
It is helpful to know that a photo on the front page may help further communicate the message I'm trying to get across.
I 'thought' that my current call to action "Get the Report" clearly communicated that if the user gets it, they'll have a tool to help them select the right closet organizing system for their needs. In what way might I expand on that?
Thanks again!
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Madhu Sharma commented:Hi Cheryl. Glad you found my review useful.
The main problem I have with "Get the report" is that it requires a lot of "work" and people generally want things on the internet instantly.
This is the thought process that goes through my head when I see the "Get the Report" button: 1) I have to enter my details ("work") 2) I then have to wait for the email to arrive ("waiting") 3) I then have to check my emails ("more work") 4) I then have to read the report ("even more work") 5) The word "report" implies that there will be a lot of reading involved.
As such, even if I want to have an organised closet, the amount of work involved is very off-putting. (There's also the concern that my email address could get end up being spammed. I know you would never do that, but people can be quite wary of spam).
Based on this, I would drop the report section entirely and just give the information on the website. Most people don't want to go through the effort of weighing the pros and cons of each system and just want to be told which is the best. Have a look at Amazon.com: It does a good job of organising products by user reviews and price so the customer can quickly find which is the best for them.
If you really have to have a report section, then I would consider creating an online form, where the user could answer a few questions and then receive a "personalised" report based on their answers. A personalised report is more attractive, because the user is getting something "extra" for the "work" that they have to do. There are a lot of free online form services, so you may be able to set something up without any programming knowledge. I've heard good things about emailmeform and jotter, but I've not used them so I don't know if they would be suitable for your purposes.
I actually filled in the form for the report. To be honest, I don't think the report works at all. The report is actually an Excel file, which is a problem, as a lot of people either don't have Excel or don't know how to open Excel files they have downloaded.
I couldn't actually make any sense of the report either.
If you really don't have the budget to do anything with the report, then I would go with Alex Colina's suggestion. His mock up makes the report much more appealing.
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Alex Colina commented:http://www.bamagazine.com is DA BOMB! Thanks Madhu.
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Cheryl Vargas commented:
Aaran
This advice is worth a million bucks! Yes, I'll search and explore to see if I can find a QUIZ. I WANTED to do a quiz and couldn't find one that I could implement with my limited skill. Because personally, I also hate giving my email to folks if I don't really have to.
You're RIGHT about the amount of work perceived to be involved in 'getting the report'.
The idea of a 'report' being perceived as a long, detailed and hard to decipher page intensive document....I never thought of how off-putting that the term 'report' could be. You were point on with that observation.
And actually, I guess I committed another faux pas because you shouldn't be able to see the report yet. The confirmation email says the form will be sent at a later date because its still being designed. (In the meantime, I offer users a shopping checklist)
Couple the dreary report with the general lack of 'site appeal' and well, that explains a lot to me as to why I'm not getting the visitor interaction I crave for the site.
Not to mention the fact that my visitor are not compelled to buy my products or services. Sniff-sniff. LOL
Y'all are the best. Thanks!
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Cheryl Vargas commented:
Oooops! I mean Madhu!
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Cheryl Vargas commented:
And yes, just from first glance, http://www.bamagazine.com, seems definitely to the da BOMB!
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Ezequiel Jaime commented:@Madhu you MUST be a writer! Dude, how you do it? I always spent like 5 minutes on the review title before submitting "draft".
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Madhu Sharma commented:
Thanks for all the kind comments! I am not a writer. However, I work at a small town agency and so have to take on every role ( e.g. design, programming, sales, pre-press production and even invoicing/debt collection!) so I do get to dabble in copy writing from time to time.
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Serious Problem on http://thepowercloset.com 1 Logo - this is your brand, your brand should tell a story about you and or the company, at this stage it tells me nothing more than what it says and to be honest I am a little confused by it. I think it would be good to have an element of interest like some really good typography like Pinterest, or dribbble. Maybe an iconic feel to it, eg nike or apple. 2 These really irk me, I get what you are trying to do but this here is prime real estate on a website and it could be utilised by having a carousel of some sort a slide show of images / products 3 Is this advertising your products? If the answer is no, then get rid of it… this site is about YOUR business! 4 Great idea better suited to the footer, or if you keep it here this will need some padding 5 Text shadow looks good and makes the text pop, but the font choice is ugly, use something more friendly, and not caps (it's shouting at me!) 6 Personally I don't like this font it feels squashed and too hard, for the type of site you have here which is to help people and make them relaxed about purchasing your system / product you need to have a calm and relaxed font, try chunkfive Serious Problem on http://www.thepowercloset.com/faq-closet-organizing-systems-closet-design-closet-installation/ 1 We're on the FAQ page but there's no "current state" activated, tell the user that this IS the page that they are on… Critical Problem on http://thepowercloset.com 1 This is also prime real estate so if all your wanting is people to sign up and get the report, then that's great, but make it visually sexy, this unfortunately is not, also would look way better horizontally aligned and the choice of button color is off putting as is the choice of font, and rollover color. Alternatively I would prefer to see a call to action here, like: "want to find out more? big button "click me"… 2 Too cluttered - in this type of business you want people to share the awesomeness of your product these items need more prominence - make them stand out give them room to shine! 3 Help me I'm getting strangled! - In all seriousness give it some breathing room! Summary:
Hi Cheryl
Thanks for asking me to review your site. As it is, it's not a bad site, there's a lot of useful content and in most cases in websites content is king!
So, that being said, lets get down to business… I agree with Eze, the first thing that strikes me is there is no logo, from a brand point of view this really is a no no, you need to have a brand in which to shape your business around.
Based on that I will add notes, I have also viewed the live site and there are parts of it that work well, like the navigation although it is dull and doesn't stand out it does work, so with some tweaks it will be a whole lot better.
See notes…
Personally I think that this site really needs to be redesigned to reflect what it is that you are trying to do, however it is workable in it's current state, so when you get to the point where it's making you some decent cash, go out and get yourself a designer, a good one that understands brand strategy, and understands the business and then commission them to build your brand from the bottom up.
I hope this all makes sense if you need clarification on any of my points feel free to ask.
Good Luck!
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Cheryl Vargas commented:
Hi Aaaran:
The only thing I can really take credit for from a design point of view, is the thing that irks you the most....the three trapezoids in the center of the page!
The rest, the fonts, the all caps, submit button color etc., all come from the designer of ThesisAwesome. But yes, I can change some fonts, but some things are definitely part of his design.
I'm glad that you think that my site is workable at this point, cuz I'm pretty much stuck with it.
I have always had a logo for my sites, http://organizechicago.com. I guess I just wanted to make sure I was going to stick with the business name before investing in it.
As I said, I'm getting hits, but no one is filling out that submit form. I guess Madhu was right....the call to action is not compelling enough.
The LOGO, yes, I can work on making that happen very soon. Thanks so much for taking the time!
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Aaran Casey commented:
http://organizechicago.com - this seems to have database error!
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Cheryl Vargas commented:
Whew! Thanks, I'm on the phone with hostgator right now and they're working on the issue.
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Cheryl Vargas commented:
It's up and running, if you're still interested.
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Summary:
I am not going to add to some of excelent advice here.
But I gather that you feel stuck with this template. So DESIGN = 1
I do not feel compelled to click on anything, but the articles have the potential to draw me in. USABILITY = 2
Providing helpful information profusely and freely is a hands down winning strategy! The report is a magnificent way to build a marketing list. So I will give you:
STRATEGY = 4 because you are on your way but not there...yet. to make a long review short I just made a mock up of how you might improve on this template without chucking it ... believe me DESIGN would still be 1 after these improvements, but usability and strategy would be 5s
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Cheryl Vargas commented:
Well, "I" actually feel COMPELLED to get this report now!!! What a difference typography and layout make.
I'm a tad humble, so blasting my 'mug' all over the front of the site would never have occurred to me. But I'm feelin' it, I'm feelin' it!
And yes, I can 'sticky' part 2 of "How to Org..." with photo in that position on front page.
USABILITY is what I'm shooting for. Engaging my audience is my prime objective...whether they sign up for my services or buy products on the day of their visit. I'm hoping that they'll come back when they're looking for information. And through using me as a resource when they are ready to spend, they'll do so with me.
WOW! It's definitely a WOW improvement!
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Cheryl Vargas commented:
Also Alex, if you were to change the colors for my site what colors might you go with? Would you perhaps pick a favorite upscale closet design and build colors around that? For instance the photo you picked for the front page?
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Aaran Casey commented:
Nice one Alex, that's way more appealing…
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Alex Colina commented:
Orange and Purple!
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Alex Colina commented:
@Aaran. Dude..that means a lot thanks!
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Cheryl Vargas commented:
Seriously? That's funny! Because...
On the way in to McPlace today I was mulling over all of the in depth and thought provoking information that you've all shared with me and "I got it!"
I'm targeting women, like me. Women who love a closet that inspires them everyday. The closet has an ambiance that propels them to be creative, sexy and the best at what they do. A female executive's launching pad so to speak.
My site does not say that at all! Like Alex's 'festival' page and 'CF NewBee' creations, I need to create a setting.
When you visit a site, your eyes visit it; but your mind sits down and takes a seat---if the site is an interesting place to sit.
My site is like the clinical ward of the hospital. While it SHOULD be warm, cozy, comfy, sexy with powerful colors like warm satiny burgundy, midnight black and maybe a smidgen of gold here and there.
Ezequiel hinted at a site feel like this when he mentioned Victoria's Secret and Macy's. But I wasn't 'getting' it. Now I DO!
So I'm saving my pennies to get the DESIGN revamped...soon! Soon! thePowerCloset absolutely needs a sexy new skin.
Thank you ALL so very, very much!
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Aaran Casey commented:
Woohoo Cheryl - you hit that nail on the head! I think, and I might be speaking out of my arse (excuse the language) that if you tell us CF designers what you want we could probably give you some visual mock-ups for you to get started, and when you get the bling for the new site, you can hand that person 2-3 mock ups of what you like, thus making the cost a little less, and forming a better picture for the hired designer…
What say you fello CF designers?
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Cheryl Vargas commented:
Well, personally dude, I'm ALL over that suggestion! LOL I hope we have some takers. And my imagination just took a fancilful leap. Check it out...
(velvet/satiny/ burgundy/other PowerCloset landing page)
Step into my PowerCloset! (interactive {graphic?} of an upscale woman's closet)
Take a look around...
User clicks to open one of 4 doors to -closet organizing systems (products), -organizing tips (articles/blog), -what to wear to work (products/tips), -organizing services
First leap...totally open to your interpretations!
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Alex Colina commented:
oops that was the mockup on my site. here is the final: http://readysetstage.info
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Cheryl Vargas commented:
Alex, for some reason either my computer won't let me on colina.net or colina.net no likey me.
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Cheryl Vargas commented:
Very cool. Similar market too! A helluva lot sexier than PC now!!
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Aaran Casey commented:
Cheryl, I like the site that Alex has suggested and agree in most cases, however I still think we need to delve into your desires and target market a bit more. So, if you can put an email together to Alex and myself of some things that you require I am sure between the two of us, and anyone else here interested in helping, we can come up with some more exciting and tailored mock ups for you…
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Cheryl Vargas commented:
You got it!
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Alex Colina commented:
Dude, I do not work for free. I'll go a long way out of my way to point out what I think is important for a fellow CFr to improve what they are working on. But taking design briefs and creating mock-ups is waaaaay past "Feedback" on a concept. I'm out
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Cheryl Vargas commented:
Ha ha! First shark to leave the tank! Have you seen that show?
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Alex Colina commented:
he he....right on Cheryl.. it does sound like you are no shrimp either! Good for you!
Attached Files:
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Minor Problem on http://thepowercloset.com 1 Add more space before the headline here. Serious Problem on http://thepowercloset.com 1 You definetely need a logo here. Something related to your business. This just does not look professional. 2 This left panel seems to include important stuff and they are not standing out too much. Try increasing the headlines a little bit. Serious Problem on http://www.thepowercloset.com 1 Need right margin here, the text is touching the edge of the box and looks odd. Serious Problem on http://www.thepowercloset.com/about-closet-organizing-closet-design-and-closet-installation/ 1 Margin issues again. Serious Problem on http://www.thepowercloset.com/closet-design-ideas/ 1 Same here :) Critical Problem on http://thepowercloset.com 1 Hierarchy here is not good, please refer to my attachment to see what I think would be a better way for it. 2 Oh my, I'd rather the banner all blue and empty instead of this frames. The text perspective does not match with the frames and that looks funny. The color and the bevel/emboss of the frames remembers me 90's website. You'd better get rid of them. Other on http://thepowercloset.com 1 These boxes are placeholders, right? Summary:
Hello Cheryl,
First of all, very welcome to the community I've seen your reviews and they are great.
Back to important, I'm afraid there lot of issues on this layout but the most important is the styleline, I think it does not match to your target group. I think a bit more of sophistication would help and I'm not talking about going for a Victoria's Secret or Macy's look, but some will help for sure. What I mean is, kill the blue and go only for black and white or grays, find better and classier typefaces, make the main banner/picture more catchy and attractive, visuals are really important for getting the attention of you target, at the momment I got the feeling of another techy site trying to sell me I don't what but I'm sure I don't need.
Now, if you don't have the time or money to get this redone, find some feedback for this layout on my notes (Disregard the notes icons they're messed up).
Like I always say, I hope I'm not being too harsh with my review and I hope it helps to improve your layout.
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Cheryl Vargas commented:
I hear ya! OK! Will do! I realize that design was not the strong suit here. Functionality was what I was more hoping for. I hear ya. Well, at least the content is there. It's quality content in comparison to my competitors and that's what I'm betting on.
Thanks for your tip, its helpful. But yes, MS. Thang, its back to the drawing board. In the meantime, I do what I can to keep the monetization alive.
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Cheryl Vargas commented:
I don't know if you saw my comments Ezequiel, but I appreciate your input and you are SO right about the look and feel. (P.S. I'm not sure where that Ms. Thang comment came from---I'm almost 100% positive I came straight from my pool party---and cocktails---to the computer). I apologize.
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Ezequiel Jaime commented:
No worries! Pool party... I'm needing one of those.
Attached Files:
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Summary:
I'm also glad to see that you writing reviews on other concepts. Feedback doesn't have to come from an expert designer to be helpful.
I looked at the live site and was happy to see that you actually have a lot of real content. Generating content seems to be the hardest part for most people. However, I don't think I can really help this design much by suggesting a few tweaks. You say that you are an amateur learning by the seat of your pants. That is great, and I don't want to discourage you, but it takes years to learn to design a complicated website like this. If you want this site to be successful now, then I think you need to hire a professional designer.
Next time you design a site (or if you try to redesign this one), try to come up with a single unifying design concept that is based on the purpose of the site. For example, a good design concept for this site might be "organized, uncluttered and efficient". Then when you have a design decision to make, refer back to your concept for help. Think about what fonts, colors, patterns, images, and layouts fit with your concept.
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Ezequiel Jaime commented:
Great advice RH. BTW, why your dog is so sad?
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Ryan Hertz commented:Ha! He's sad because I grabbed the first public domain clip art beagle I could find. He's disappointed in me for not creating my own.
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Ezequiel Jaime commented:
LOL!
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Cheryl Vargas commented:
Hee-hee~~!
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Critical Problem on http://thepowercloset.com 1 Need new banner concept that is simple - and focused 2 Scrolling on a landing page is a critical error Critical Problem on http://www.thepowercloset.com 1 Visual clutter Positive Feature on http://www.thepowercloset.com 1 Testimonials are powerful - but need to be placed in the site in context with where the user is making a decision Summary:
Hi Cheryl,
One of the best ways to gauge where you are from a design perspective - by validating the concept through the users point of view. My review will be very succinct:
You need a new landing page and second level template. the current one does not work. Notice some of the characteristics of the inspirational templates in this link (http://www.templateaccess.com/demos/scrolllist-cuber/ & http://www.templatesold.com/templates/website-templates/corporate_business/scrolllist-cuber/5609.html). I would encourage you to partner with a graphic web designer - or start with a purchased template to gain the correct look and feel.
Create a landing page with limited scrolling - and a large ad banner that provides a unique/value proposition. Follow this guidance http://unbounce.com/docs/12-step-conversion-rehab.png
The key to "selling" organization is to "look" organized. In that case - less is more. There is far too much content. I trim the site content by 70-75%. Simplicity will win visitors attention and result in conversions. Please refer to this guide to writing content that is effective in ebusiness websites http://usability.coi.gov.uk/theme/writing-content/structuring-content-for-the-Web.aspx
Lastly, listen to the voice of potential customers (http://rawlins.verifyapp.com/linked_tests/1663fe32b9712a6030f8f597dcaaf0dfc14bfedd). This report illustrates how potential customers view the current design. One of the key's in this report is that - on some key pages, there is evidence that visitor will derive (from a short term memory perspective) the key selling proposition for the site. However, other reports in this study illustrate where the site breaks down. Although this study is anecdotal - the findings do point out some compelling design flaws with the current design. I proves that there is really nothing to "save" in the current design.
I hope this helps. Best of luck going forward (I'd love to see your progress going forward.)
MichaelR
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Rebecca Perry commented:Michael - as always, an exceptional review!
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Aaran Casey commented:
Where you been hiding dawg?
Minor Problem on http://thepowercloset.com 1 Don't use all CAPS harder to read. -
Cheryl Vargas commented:
Unfortunately the caps are part of the theme, I don't like it either.
2 Use more instead -
Cheryl Vargas commented:
OK, will do.
3 Drop the ALL CAPS -
Cheryl Vargas commented:
Ditto for the references to caps, not my preference.
4 Don't use all CAPS 5 What is this? -
Cheryl Vargas commented:
Everyone asks that! LOL It will go in the next iteration. It's an add for a purse organizer. I have a lot to learn about how to incorporate ads into my site.
6 don't notice that this is a search box. Minor Problem on http://www.thepowercloset.com/about-closet-organizing-closet-design-and-closet-installation/ 1 Why the poor english ... call it "The Company" -
Cheryl Vargas commented:
I did the lower case theCompany to be consistent with thePowerCloset. Guess that doesn't work, huh?
2 very bland needs to be broken up -
Cheryl Vargas commented:
I'm not sure what you mean by breaking this up. I'm all ears...
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Lisa Tweedie commented:I mean that it is just lots and lots of text ... you can use color blocks or photos to group different areas more meaningfully.
Minor Problem on http://www.thepowercloset.com/faq-closet-organizing-systems-closet-design-closet-installation/ 1 Need to break up this page -
Cheryl Vargas commented:
I see.
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Lisa Tweedie commented:
Need to add interest to it ... take a look at any website you think is well designed. E.g. concept feedback ... notice how they use lines and blocks of color to group things meaningfully ... e.g. each of these comments has a slight pale grey shading behind it. Gathers all the info into a group and differentiates it from the original point. In other words you need to add a little more visual structure to your page... does that make sense?
Minor Problem on http://www.thepowercloset.com/closet-design-ideas/ 1 No design here at all -
Cheryl Vargas commented:
Yes, sigh I know...I 'designed' it. LOL Although I would be remiss if I didn't reward some of the credit to the theme designer, though I'm sure his intentions were good...and he gives great tech support.
Serious Problem on http://thepowercloset.com 1 Really boring photo! -
Cheryl Vargas commented:
Agreed! Best I could find for this product.
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Lisa Tweedie commented:
I think I want a picture of a closet somewhere on this page ... preferably a really funky one (:
Critical Problem Do you have a footer?
Where is it?-
Cheryl Vargas commented:
Its there! At the bottom of the page.
Critical Problem on http://thepowercloset.com 1 Hate these ... two heavy ... don't really show what you want which is 3 boxes with arrows between them ... i.e. this is a sequence right. -
Cheryl Vargas commented:
It was this powerpoint invention of mine or plain text (in all caps, I might add).
2 This is lost New Idea Cool pics
Thomas Hawks photos on Flickr are an amazing resource for free funky photos of just about anything ... you just have to acknowledge him...-
Cheryl Vargas commented:
Thank you, Lisa for taking the time! You're very gracious.
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Lisa Tweedie commented:
No worries
Summary:
Hi Cheryl
I am a great fan of Wordpress... but I think you can do more than you are here within the limitations of the theme.
See my notes. Lot has been said already of course i will try and add some new suggestions.
Of course if you have a Wordpress.org site then a skilled CSS person can fiddle with your theme code anyhow. So don't let that theme limit you.
You have a lot of fonts on this page and sizes on this page. Try and limit yourself to a maximum of two fonts and as few different sizes as possible. That will give you some cohesion.
Keep going you will learn something all the way through ... buy a few books on UX design...
Good Luck Lisa
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Yet again, and outstanding review Madhu - Great work!