Concept Reviews
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I personally feel this is a very poor web design.
First thing I thought when I saw this is that it's a site for children, a game or something. Then I see something about health, and water. But then I see something about free gifts. In other words, your entire website is one massive, embarrassing "WTF". I STILL have no idea what it's for, what it's actually trying to do. Do I have to buy your product? Is it even a product, or do you tell me how to make it myself? What on earth are the free gifts for? Do I have to get them first? I still don't know what Kangen water is? What the hell is Hexagonal water? I don't understand all this jargon? I still don't know what the health benefits of this water are?
STARTS SCREAMING
I think it's an inappropriate design for what you're selling or giving away (I still don't know which). You're clearly aiming for playfulness, but you're trying to convince people here that they NEED better water than what comes out of their tap. You don't need to then insult their intelligence further by splashing immature cartoon characters, lurid colours and suchlike on the page, and then you take it even further by calling it Captain Kangen Water. You're not selling water to 5 year olds, the last thing your site should do is patronise people - look at what you're selling!! Even worse, this design makes it looks like your own company does not even take it's own product seriously. It looks like a scam website, I think a lot of people would see this and think it's a joke, they won't take you seriously.
If you really think people should be drinking this water (is it even drinking water? I don't even know that? See how poorly your design communicates with me?) then you need to present your product in a fresh, mature and engaging manner that is friendly and approachable to everybody.
Look at how other water companies present their products.
http://www.evian.com/
http://www.volvic.co.uk/
http://www.buxtonwater.co.uk/
I just feel this design is a below par attempt at trying to connect with people in a fun way. It isn't fun - just outright irritating. At the end of the day you've got a product whose health benefits are actually pretty limited, and if I believe correctly, equalled by orange juice. Your web design has got to be able to convince people that they need this device, or whatever it is. It doesn't do that for me, it just leaves me feeling very confused as to what it's actually for, or what I should be doing. If I could sum up your website it one word I'd say - alienating.
Good points - The footer elements are ok.
Bad points - Layout. The two columns are fighting for your attention, I don't know which one I'm supposed to go to first.
The layout above the footer is very cluttered and confusing too.
Colours - the whole colour scheme is childish and off-putting. I would expect something more mature and sophisticated.
Body text - fails to capture my attention, it's boring, and you haven't played to the strengths of the system.
Logo - like the colours, I find it childish. Inappropriate for such an application.
Stock images - furthers the "scam" look of your site.
Sorry if this is all a little harsh but it's my honest opinion. Good luck anyway!
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Jami Gibbs commented:MIchael, I think you should look at it from the perspective of a list building/marketing perspective. This is a great landing page for a product, believe it or not. It's not perfect but what design is in the first phases? I think you're reviewing this design as something other than what it is: a product landing page.
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Michael Gunner commented:Wow.
Hate email? Where I have I written any hate? I've given feedback regarding the design. You're right, this is a concept feedback website. Look at my rank and reputation - I didn't get that by posting "hate". No, I don't like your work and to be honest there's VERY little that I do like about it. I haven't once dissed your product either - I've simply commented that I feel your design is inappropriate for the product. I DO feel it's a patronising design - you're selling this to adults but it's styled like a childs website? I just disagree with that.
Wasting your time? What about my time? What about the half hour I spent writing that because I felt I should review your work to highlight to you how it was not working for me, and how I felt it did not communicate with me, nor be effective?
I've also commented on how your page communicates to me, which I don't feel it does very well. I've highlighted my thoughts and opinions on the design. So what if my review is negative? That's because I don't like your design.
You obviously are just angry at the fact I don't like your work. Well sorry, but I'm not going to come on here and pretend I like something just so as not to piss off the person who made it. If I think it's shoddy design that doesn't work for me - that's what I think. If you're not prepared for negative feedback - why are you posting it up?
You may think that negativity isn't helpful - but if I tell you that certain parts of the design are bad and don't work for me - you can then think about going on to improve them. I've noted to you parts of your design I don't like and then I've made suggestions. You take it or leave it, it's on a plate.
"If you just want to make money by posting gibberish hate comments, please go find another community and don't waste our time."
You know what? That actually offends me. I spend a lot of time on here, if you bother to look at my profile, reviewing peoples work and the vast, vast, VAST majority of the time I do NOT review work that awards credits. I put a huge amount of time and effort into giving people on here critical feedback and everybody, except you, is grateful for it. I'm sorry that you are upset that I don't like your design but I'm not going to lie and pretend I do.
If I have offended you, then I am sorry. But like I have said, I'm not going to lie. If I think a design "sucks" (as you so eloquently put it) then that's my opinion. You're on here for feedback and opinion - that's what you got.
Jami - I'm entitled to my opinion. You may think it's a great page - but I don't.
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Jared P commented:MIchael Gunner has a few valid points but he is an ass when it comes to writing reviews.
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Michael Gunner commented:
Urgh. I give up. I can't be bothered wasting my time trying to help anyone anymore.
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Jamal Jackson commented:I don't like to get involved in situations that have nothing to do with me, but you guys are sounding like spoiled little brats.
Michael's review may have been harsh, but it is spot on. Taner the design you have here seems cool for little kids, but not for your targeted demographic of those 35 and older. If you think it does than I am sorry but you are insulting the maturity and intelligence of everyone in your targeted demographic. Also, Taner not everyone is going to like your designs and a lot of times you will feel that their comments hurt, but need people that are going to critique your work and be harsh when needs be. You can't grow if everyone is always nice and saying what they love and never what they don't like.
Great review Micheal.
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Robin Francis commented:Wow! I've not seen this degree of anomosity on the site before but I have to admit that Michale has a tendancy to give feedback with a bit of a poison tongue! He is a good designer but the tone of the review definitely has a condescending tone to it. On the other hand he makes very valid points and nothing that he has said is untrue as it is always going to be a personal opinion.
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Michael Gunner commented:
Look...
I write all my reviews with the best intentions. I myself have found I've improved the best as a designer when people have been brutally honest. I've sometimes slaved away at something only for it to be knocked down in a moment. I know it's not nice but it's how it works.
I definitely don't aim to exhibit this poisonous tongue and looking back through my reviews 99% of the time all the people who's work I review really appreciate what I've said (p.s. I would actually like to see where you've seen this if you can find it).
As I've already said, I put a huge amount of time and effort into giving people feedback on here because whether you believe it or not I actually like to think I'm helping people.
What you do get with me is absolute honesty. Sometimes being honest isn't always the nicest thing, but I will say what I feel. At the end of the day, how a design makes you feel is what's important. All I've done is said how that design made me felt. If people don't like that then there's not really much I can do about it. I'm not trying to be nasty, I know nothing about any of you as people, for all I know the guy who designed this is the type of bloke I'd enjoy a pint with down the pub. It's not me being personal. I would have given the same review to a friend.
That's all I can say. Now can we please just leave it at that, because it's pointless us arguing (yes, even if I'm the guiltiest).
p.s thank you Jamal :)
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Jason commented:Mike is rough, but he is accurate. If you can't take another designers point of view on a feedback site, you shouldn't be here. Mike, don't waste your energy on this and these people trying to bring you down.
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This design is a HUGE improvement to your current website. As a recovering online marketer I can tell you that this design will probably be a home run for you in terms of click through rate, ROI, and list building.
Things I like:
- Your "free gift" box on the left. The design considers that most of it will probably be below the fold and it's great you have a video on the top left (the first place a person will look) to catch their attention and a bold orange arrow to point down for me.
- It's very lively and exciting with just enough web 2.0 elements to help it feel more alive.
- Overall color scheme is quite nice and will also give an emotional response to the people who visit (blue being trustworthy/calming and green being positive/organic).
Things I would adjust:
- I think your call to action needs a little work not only with the copy but also with the design. Instead of listing 3 questions, maybe you can try one main title and a smaller sub-title as statements like "The ultimate water trusted by over 600,000 households!" You're gonna want to consider more eye grabbing words like "ultimate" or numbers like "600,000".
- The testimonial video background only has one web 2.0 lip hanging over on the right. It seems very unbalanced that way. Why not make the lip a little smaller and do it on both sides? It'll match the flow of the top navigation better too.
- Logo. The font needs improvement. The gradient feels very outdated and it gets lost in the blue/white background behind it. I say get rid of that border around the letters and use a less obtrusive gradient.
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Jami Gibbs commented:
I just wanted to remind everyone again (after reading the Michael mess above) that Taner clearly stated that the purpose of this website design is to "Get visitors to sign-up for the free gifts". That boils down to it being a product LANDING PAGE or LIST BUILDER which should be critiqued with different criteria than a flippin' portfolio website.
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Taner commented:
Jami - Thanks for your constructive comments on the design. BTW - I didn't design this nor I am a designer. I am strictly an internet marketer and my only concern is the conversions.
I agree with your comments - I think the call to action box design is overwhelming, we will work on simplifying and easier to read. Need to do some split testings as well.
What do you think about the area under the call-to-action box (huzus, blog and pet buttons)?
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Jami Gibbs commented:
Totally understand, Taner. I figured that you were outsourcing the design tasks. Don't get too miffed about the other comments on here too, btw. A surprisingly high amount of designers don't have hands on experience with internet marketing but I get what you're trying to do with this design and there can be dashes of good advice from the more bristled folks too.
I do think that you have A LOT of information you're trying to display on this one page. You can probably cut out a good 20% of the information you're squeezing in there including the huzus, blog, pet buttons which don't really flow with the design anyway. I took a few minutes to cut/paste the sections to how I believe it will be more focused for your user and removed some sections that I believe might be unnecessary. (The image should be attached to my original comments.)
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Jami Gibbs commented:
hmmm... don't seem to have a choice to upload an image now. You can see what I was thinking might work better for you here:
http://twitpic.com/23ui2m
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overall design is very aggressive however:
since the target audience is not kids but mostly female- may be this color scheme and the cartoonish logo would not work.
the blue as background color is making the whole site way too much blueish- i know it relates to water but you can also use 'pure earthly' colors like u do for the navigation band (home, what is..)
the search box needs to be bigger.
how do i buy the product- how do i order it.. no clear instructions there- please provide something prominent if i am convinced and ready to buy, not just 'send me my free gifts'-- something like 'ready to order?'
- i think 'what exactly is kagen water' section should move up because landing on sites like this that is the first thing users would ask for - what the site is about and what exactly they are selling.
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Taner commented:
Thanks for the comments. What do you think about the area under the call-to-action box (huzus, blog and pet buttons)?
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th cloud is cutting at the bottom you should feather the cloud image
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Beauty site web. Im my Iphone look perfect
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Its good. need to enhance more to reflect the prpose, overall i like it =] bestofluck
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Hey, I love it! I really like it! Just a few like / unlike !!!
Likes:
Really like the header zone! The green mixed with blue gives "life"
Great positioning of the phone number, search box, social links (quite original, I haven't seen before) Chatbox, and BBB and Authorized!
Great menu, original!!
The content is okay!!!
GREAT FOOTER ZONE, is the most beautiful zone on the website!!! Really love it !!!
Unlike:
The logo is really hard to read!!! Put it on white background which fades out to the right!
Even if I like the menu, I don't think is that much practical... It's kind of hard to read as well...to light!! Try make the font and graphic color a little bit darker!
It is a good looking website with nice content and graphics really like it!!!!
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1) Colour Scheme is very nice and bright
2) Navigation both social media and main look very clean and professional
3) Content is nicely spread and and easy to read.
4) Logo is very original and fits in with the rest of the site.
I do feel however there is too much content displayed on the page and will make the user scroll too much, this could be off-putting.
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I agree with Mic there is some cross communication in this post. I think this has been a design more the sake of appeasing the designer needs rather than that of the consumer, there are also some alignment issues
Initial elements of the site look well designed but as you drill deeper into the context of the design it all lose focus ever seen captain crunch fish fingers that's what I'm feeling right now..
Great elements in the site however as Mic has also said do you think these elements would be appropriate to the specific demographic you are looking to target?
You identify your TM as 35+ and 60% female yet the colour scheme is extremely masculine.
Another valid point brought forward by Mic is that how are people landing on this sales page ?? are they already familiar with the product ? the hierarchy of information given doesn't quickly demonstrate the benefits of the product . The colors of your h1 lack contrast which should be key as they are headings also they are not answering questions they are asking them! your 1,2,3,4 should be first you don't want to make the user read more than they have to initial user impression is decided within 30secs of a site don't make them look any harder for information than they should have to..
- Rearrange content structure and heading styles
- You have multiple CTA all with a different objective apart from free gift they all lack contrast and i had to search for them.
- Refine your objective very confusing
- Good usability identifies that links should be all presented in the same color as to establish a pattern for the user and instant identification of a link.
There are many ways you could further optimize this page for conversion it contains many of the core requirements however i feel the execution lacks components of usability and a driving conversion method in-sighting user engagement.
Good Luck Hope this helps in some way
Cheers
Michael,
Please learn how to give mature constructive design feedback or just keep your 'hate' email to yourself. It is not useful for anyone in the community. You are just pretty much saying the entire thing sucks and you just hate everything don't benefit me improving this design.
Why are you calling it a scam and being all personal about the product? Are you a designer or selling similar product? This is not a platform to diss the product, it is a CONCEPT FEEDBACK paid website!
If you just want to make money by posting gibberish hate comments, please go find another community and don't waste our time.