spleen Online Shop Design V3

Hey Mike,

I like the main idea, but right now it looks like a blog.

Home

1. The big header image: is taking a lot of space and doesn't really explain anything. I would try to combine text with images for the main banner. Also the flash is loading so cumbersome, and you can't navigate to the previous image, or stop the transitions. The main banner could be a promo tool for the best / featured works, and it could be done much easier in simple HTML / jQuery. > Bottom line: I would suggest to add minimal navigation to it and text accompanying the image. A call to action button could also be added. This would make it relevant.
2. The menu: should be clearly separated in 2 parts: 1st: the store, artists, categories etc. 2nd: the company, about, legal, etc. Right now you can't find your way around. Bottom line: the navigation is cumbersome and unclear. Try to clearly implement it and focus on the important items.
3. The content: I would suggest that you figure out what you really think is important to display on the home page. The footer is way to much. Give the users LESS options not more. The fewer the decisions they have to make the higher the conversion rate. Bottom line: decide what's important and what's not. The important stuff stays, the other gets moved on subpages. Every time you want to add something ask: Does the user really need to see this here? If the answer is maybe, toss it.
4. There are almost no action buttons on the home page.

Inner page

1. I like how it's done, what I would change is the sorting options. Try to make the sorting more accessible, a drop down is a big limitation. Bottom line: A basic sort and a pull down panel with more options done with jQuery or some other method would greatly improve usability here.
2. Popular / new artworks without a small picture there or something to give the user a sneak peek on the artwork is not really useful. Bottom line: think of some sort of visual representation for the artwork, maybe move those as rows in the body with big thumbnails like here on Concept Feedback.
3. The tag could is not helping in it's current form. I don't see the relevance of it but then again, I might be wrong :)
4. The other sort options are great! By color or orientation. This is a cool feature.

Product page

1. Again there are no action buttons. Try to review the entire site and add some action buttons for the most important stuff like "Purchase artwork", "Write review" etc.

That's about it :) Keep up the good work!

Cheers, Zeno.

Maybe ad an introduction with text so that we know instantly what we are looking at, but I think you are very close to a perfect result apart from that. Not too much to criticize.

I like your addition of the footer - navigation is much easier. You still need to add an easy way to purchase artwork on single item pages (or, if there is: make it really, really clear ;)).

First off, I'm a big fan of letting the product do the heavy lifting colorwise in a layout, especially an image focused product site like this. So, kudos.

I'm not a fan of the purple. Let me tell you why in this case. It's too close to the grey. I'd go ahead and either change the purple to a screen of black if you're going for the complete monochrome feel OR choose a pop color that allows the color to do it's job of visually creating a 'map' of sorts for the user to follow as far as what/where to look on the page.

I'd also increase header sizes by a pt, possibly 2... on the sub nav below the main image and the dividers underneath that.

I'd like to see the buttons under (fine art repro, about spleen art.... etc.) increased in size as well. I'd even consider having them the same size as the one attached to the 'featured artworks' button. Speaking of that button, I will say that the way that particular button looks now, if I clicked it, I would think it was a dropdown, could be confusing. Unless of course it is a dropdown. :)

On spleenv302.jpg, I think a keyword tag cloud would be more valuable here than solely an artist name tag cloud. I see the images have keywords that you can search by, might consider working this into that space combined with the artists name. I assume that the bigger the artist name the more times they've been searched so the consumer can infer that that artist is more popular than the others? Or is it based on how many works the user has on the site?

I agree with the purchase comment in the review above. Where is the purchase button? In addition, I would consider defaulting to a currency based on a registrant's selection when they register & allow for the other currencies to be shown if needed. This may be something you've already considered.

One other item of mention, I'm not clear on the purpose of having the logo mark randomly in the footer on the right side like that, can you talk a little bit about why you've placed it there?

I think the previous design was quite a bit better. Unfortunately I think this is heading in the wrong direction. Everything looks overly dark, which I know you are going for kind of a dark theme but this is a bit too dark. I think it's start to become less engaging the more dark you make it. I would take a step back and reevaluate the previous feedback.

The design is very nice and clear. I think that in this type of service the most important thing is how will you show the artworks. Do you have a display option with all the other boxes hidden? Something like behance is offering. I think that this kind of preview would be very useful. Also, I would make the text columns a little bit narrower (not much, maybe 10 pixels or so) to give more space around them - it seems to me that typography would work better then.

Big props on improving the footer. Home page nav looks more normal now that the search bar is in place. Purple is less obnoxious. Nice work.

That is a very intense image, and a little confusing. I think you need to change the tagline to be a little clearer, especially with an image like that. What is a "spleening" artist.

The overall design is very good. Maybe it would be better if you add sort of intro page, its not really clear what the site is for in the beginning.

The footer information has much improved, along with the photo details page.

The overall design theme is excellent for its purpose.

Congrats

In the middle below main image you have used three columns layout and below that again you return back to two columns that looks bit odd according to me or the extra space between the two columns at the moment looks to much can you try narrowing the space in between.. rest is spot on though i know u must be inspired from corbis!! anyway g8 work keep it up!!

I think overall you've done a great job of creating what is essentially a marketplace, easy to scan/sort and purchase. Some parts I find a little hard on the eyes because the chunkfive/rockwell font is used in many places (i.e. "High Quality Fine Art..."). Not sure if you need the open sign or if you replace that with a sales icon, 3 for 2 deal or something.

All 5's as a hopeless attempt in balancing out the other assclowns ratings.

Best of luck with this business!

Really great design for an artwork-shop! Most like the colour-scheme & the sidebar.

Just saw the live page. Everything looks good, and I really like like the Category View. Well done! :)

You seem to be missing an introduction to the actual website. I see that there is other pages and sections but there is no introduction to the website itself to explain what the site is up for and also some background on it.

I like this, however there are not even close to enough breasts in your design. Please add more breasts.

Very nice design, but I think it is a little busy. Your previous design seemed more crisp and clear for the homepage.

For the category page I would move the right hand column to the left side same with the single art page. I think that users are more comfortable with that arrangement and it makes more sense to them.

looks great and I want to buy a print. just need to add the word "Art" to "spleen" up top to help direct the mind to what the site is all about. good work.

I agreee with below comment, like the previous version better. the white here is too much contrast now with the imagery and the black also seems to dominate too much.