Maybe i should wait untill it's all up and running properly, but i should imagine those who worked on the site are anxious for some feedback on their work.
I'll go through things in the order i came across them :
1. The intro page - looks very spiffy. I like it a lot.
2. The main page - again, i like this a lot, especially the panel at the side used for navigation. The only bad thing here, or rather, the only thing i'm not so keen on, is the features menu. I find it too difficult to work out what each one is with the graphics behind them (my eyesight isn't too hot). I'd much rather a list of text links. Also it could do with a link to the forums.
3. The Dig History - i really enjoyed reading this, loads of information and facts I didn't know about. The only thing I'd suggest here is maybe annotating the pictures, just a short sentance explaining where it's from etc.
4. The Interviews - well, what can i say? awesome job there. haven't read all of them yet, but i want to pace myself.
5. Ask Yoda - this is the only part of the site i don't like. i really think you could do without it. it's out of place in a site about The Dig.
Overall, very impressed, can't wait for the rest of it to go up.
Thanks to everyone who worked on this.
I agree with pretty much everything you said. I haven't finished exploring yet, but all in all the site looks a lot better than what I was expecting. The interviews are especially fun.
I like it so far, and it can only get better as more content is added.
Very nice :)
It's nice, I like it. Keep it up. Well done.
i really dont like the design. call me anal, but the way the text has no border REALLY bugs me and there is pretty much no anatomy (yes webdesign uses anatomy) knowldge put into it. but content wise, excelent job!
Well, thanks a lot for the feedback, it really helps.
1- You are right, the FEATURES menu, needs some work.
2- Links to the FORUMS is on the "things to do" list.
3- If you left the mouse cursor over the images (most of them) you will see notes about it.
4- ASK YODA, well... what can I say? I just made it to have some fun..If it doesn't work out i'll just take it out.
5- The design is not a mind blowing awardwinning one, but I like it. Could it be better? yes, sure it can. But anyway I like it more than any of the previous designs this site had. And I like text without borders.
6- As you'd notice there is still quite few sections that are to be finished, as well as some surprises to come up.
but than again:
do you want it look good to you?
or look good to the visitors? cause they dont give a **** about what you like, just as long as it doesn't make there head hurt which the border-less text accomplishes
It has to look good for me first, I'm not going to do something I don't like. It doesn't matter that everyone else loves it. That's the way all creative things work.
I do things I like hoping that it will also be well received by visitors.
If your head hurts when you see text without borders you should see a doctor not a webmaster.
well the thing is your site is for people to look at. when you cast aside things like that, you are not going to get visitors cause they are just gonna say "uh bad design not worth my time". are you really going to turn people off of the dig because you dont know how to design?
well the thing is your site is for people to look at. when you cast aside things like that, you are not going to get visitors cause they are just gonna say "uh bad design not worth my time". are you really going to turn people off of the dig because you dont know how to design?
yes, of course the site is for people to look at. I get a rather high ammount of visitors every day considering the not so popular game it is about. FOr the comments I'm getting, people likes it. I have not received a single comment about the design being bad.
And honestly man, I've seen your stuff, they may be nice and on the good track...but you still have a long way to tell me how sites should be made.
i may not know how a website SHOULD be made, but i can tell you how NOT to make one.
a designer must be able to separate him self emotionally from his work to accept criticism, no matter how hard you work on it. you must be able to look at at it with the unbiased eyes of a normal person who doesn't even know you. you can't seem to do either.
I accept criticism from people who has some sort of knowledge and ability to sustain his thoughts with decent argument. You can't seem to have any of these.
since when did criticism mean argument? besides, king of the dig, when your ego dies down a bit, ill try to have a decent conversation.
I don't see what the big deal is, i really like the site design. You're the only one so far who has had a problem with it at all.
You talk about taking your emotions away from your work, but you seem to be very emotional about it. Sorry if you take any offence but i think you're being very negative for no reason.
I hope this doesn't turn into another Golden Ticket argument.
In my opinion the design isn't ugly, but it's a little hard to browse. When I first came to visit I had to click on several links to find what I was looking for because I couldn't understand all of the links. Then again, it could be just because I'm slow. ;)
One thing I don't like is the feature in which you have to move your cursor above the buttons to see what's behind them. I'd much rather see all the links at once instead of blindly looking for the one I want. I know that happens when you click one of them, but I'd rather have it on the front page like that.
Another thing I'm used to and like on other sites is that the main links are all available at all times. In the current design we get the ones that are hidden behind the buttons, but such things as the gift shop can only be accessed through the front page (as far as I know -- correct me if I'm wrong).
Now, while the design is a lot better than what I originally expected (the beta/news section didn't really impress me), it does look amateurish compared to some sites that revolve around other LA games. Then again, it's also different from them which makes it stand out.
In conclusion, I wouldn't object if there was another design, but this one doesn't make me want to throw up either.
You talk about taking your emotions away from your work, but you seem to be very emotional about it. Sorry if you take any offence but i think you're being very negative for no reason.
I think what Thomas is trying to say is that the creator of any work must be able to see past the time and effort they've put into something and view the result with open eyes. For example, a few days ago I received a review for a story I'd written. The reviewer told me that my sentence structure was a little off. The things I had written were grammatically correct, so for a split second I thought "How dare she criticise me when there is no mistake?!" but when I read the parts that had been pointed out I realised that they indeed needed work.
Besides, even harsh criticism should be acknowledged. You don't have to follow it if you disagree, but you should be glad about the fact that someone spent their time giving you tips and analyzing your work. Spit at these people and they won't bother next time. I once told a writer that script format was against the TOS of the site he was posting at, and he replied that he can do whatever he wants and that I have no right to tell him what to do. Just guess whether I read anything by him again.
I certainly believe that both Flibbo and Vampire's critics about the site, are valid, and they do point specific things that make sense. All the things Flibbo said make sense, and all the things that Vampire said make sense also. I can tell that both of them have quite some time visiting sites, and they can pay attention to significant details.
But how can I take seriously someone that just says "hey, text has no borders" or "there is no structure" it makes no sense at all to me.
I can without problems separate my feelings and see the site as an outsider, and I have noticed this very things that most of you mention.
lemme put it this way: it has goods, but the bads really take away from my experience. Im just saying, they bug me. and besides; just cause the majority likes it doesn't mean its perfect. And for you to say my criticism isn't acceptable because I dont shower you in praise? bul****!
here is an extended critique:
good:
lots of info
interesting and fun interviews
bad:
layout and organization of content is really confusing
starry background is a distraction
why have the button console and the banners on the main page?
Doesn't really simulate the feeling one gets from the dig. I dont know about you, but i felt a lot of earthy browns, with hints of green and blue thrown in here and there. the site is way too outer space to really fit in with the dig!
I could go on, but to me, the goods really are outweighed by the bads. maybe you could care less, but I am trying to fit your needs by being more specific and trying to make more sense.
Well, that's a matter of tastes. I don't want to copy Bill Eaken's achievemnts entirely, as you did in your prototype site, which is more a credit of him than anyone else.
In my opinion the site has "The Dig spirit", and it's not perfect, and many things has yet to be fixed, but i like it. Maybe in a year or so, if I feel it's time for a change, I may redisign the whole thing. But for the time being, It'll stay this way (with fixes to come of course)
So far so good - I'm new so I don't have much feedback yet. I do feel like being titled a lurker can't help of what people will think of me :)
And do you think I actually LOVE Razputin.net?!? I'm the victim here!