[Web Design] Future Portfolio design...
 

I need money, BADLY, so I decided to start designing websites for money. I need a portfolio for this, to show my work and stuff, and of course, the design of the portfolio is very important. That's why I need some feedback on it. Please let me know your comments, anything is welcome. Bear in mind I did this today, it's still in development process, but I'd like some feedback on the colors, fonts, icons and your overall thoughts when watching it (if you would hire someone after watching it or not, if it looks trustworthy, etc.).

http://img464.imageshack.us/img464/6...lio4cl1.th.jpg

And this is what I have in mind for the error pages:

http://img92.imageshack.us/img92/586...r404ok2.th.jpg

Thanks for your time. :)

EDIT

I started coding this... I think the HTML version gives you a better idea of what I'm trying to do...

http://ingosranch.gameshunters.com/temp/metalize2/

That design is really good. I love the clean and rounded feeling of it. The color... I'm a little iffy on. Maybe it's because Apple has brainwashed the world with their pure glossy white design, but the off-white on your page doesn't appeal to me as much.

Personally, I'm a font whore and I love diversifying the fonts on my page. In my opinion, the site is a little too bland and I might suggest changing the font for your name on the left-hand side. The layout in your Photoshop image is perfect, and I wouldn't change it at all in your HTML/CSS representation. And that 404 page is really cute, by the way. ^_^

I'm doing my best to code it and make it as similar as possible to the original file. Having some troubles here and there, but everything solves in the end. ;) Thanks for the comments. I'll try and see if I can find some good fonts (I HATE fonts... I never like them. I love trebuchet MS, that's it).

I'm going to have to challenege this. I personally am not to fond of your design. I feel like it's just some sort of website that was generated real fast via. template. It's too happy for my tastem and there's nothing really unique, or even professional about it - and no just because it looks clean doesn't cut it. In fact it looks a little too clean, too bubbly.

Sorry for being so harsh but I used to design too and I've seen so many damn layouts.

My tips for improvement? Well personally I'd lose a lot of the shading cause every button, border, etc, on your page is shaded. The shadows are really overdone.

I'm not a big fan of the gradient background nor am I a fan of the reflection of the word Portfolio. The borders on the side are huge too... put something there (maybe add a image or logo of some sort to the top left of your wallpaper, it will give it more flare).

I might try to lose some of the roundness, but that's just a stylelistic thing (I like to design on more edge type/straight line thing. Roundness emits a sense of cartoony-ness to me.)

Also, not to keep hitting at you, but enlarged buttons with the onmouseover was so 1998.

That's my critique. Best of luck to whatever you decide to do. Keep posting updates!

Good luck!
Rocket

I agree with rocket, you definitely overshaded and some of it doesn't make sense from a lighting perspective.

I also think that the navi can be a bit cleaner and sleeker than it is now. The huge fonts and huge buttons don't really do it for me. I think the tabs can be a little shorter, and the font size can be reduced to make it look cleaner as a whole.

The section with the gradient background is nice, but the fact that it fades out bothers me. If it were solid I think it would look better, but its really something you have to compare side-by-side. Honestly, it might even look better without that strip of gradient in the background. It acts to draw the most attention, but that may be what you want.

Its a work-in-progress. Its pretty nice so far, I'd love to see where you take it.

Looks pretty good, but aqua buttons, reflections and those 45 degree lines are way overused design elements. Try to come up with some of your own ideas.

Also, I don't know if you made those little "wrench + screwdriver" icons or not, but if you didn't you should probably remove them, or make something similar on your own. Since this is your portfolio site, you want everything on it to be your own work.

The only two things that I don't like are the colour scheme and the lines that appear in the mouseover. If you're trying to implement a cartoonish look, then I can see how the buttons and the footer match in the way that it gives a 3D-ish pop-out look. But, I also think that a portfolio should reflect the person's personality (in a way). I like the gradient, I'm a fan of the gradient. I don't think the overall layout is bad, although a bit generic. Also, if you can show screenshots of your best site layouts in one of the sections of your portfolio, that would help to show your versatility.

Quite interesting. Thanks for beinf honest. I'll try to modify it with some of your suggestions, just to see what comes out; but perhaps I'll start from scratch. While coding I noticed some things I didn't like (Some I do, but not all of them).

Hahaha, true, true... still, it's something I really like. Perhaps next time I won't enlarge them, but definately some hover effect on them. I'll try to figure out something.

No, I did not create those. I will do the buttons myself, though. I just needed something to put there for now.

So now I'm off to modify it. I will work mostly on the overall background, the header and footer. I really like the rest of it (I need somekind of logo, though...).

Thanks for your comments. I'll keep you updated. :)

EDIT

Thinking of it... I'd like to know your opinion on this other layout. It's an old thing that I did for a blog and somehow ended as a prototype for my portfolio... very different from the one above:

http://ingosranch.gameshunters.com/t...alize/test.php

You can browse around, all the top-menu links (except for "Servicios") work.

It has a nice simple look to it. I would change the rollover effect though. Instead of having the buttons pop out, I would just put a simple hover effect on just the text without anything popping out. That's just me though.

I know you're a fan of the rollover pop out buttons but I really think it makes it look less professional. However for this one I'd add borders to the sides, and do some sort of background whether it be solid or whatnot, too much white - like this http://www.gamefaqs.com/

The big Tutorial buttons I might be more suitable to be either smaller or on the side.

Also I might try to utilizie some sort of secondary menu so that when you click on an option it doesn't just take you to an HTML page where you need to scroll down to see all the content.

I like this layout/look better.

This next design is thanks to this comment. I believe it looks good, still in development...

Also, I'll create my own icons for the navigation (which will be on the left, if you haven't noticed =P) so as soon as I get something, I'll post it here.

Suggestions are needed and welcome. :)

http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/9...lio5ka5.th.jpg

The menu is not entirely done... I don't like it right now... any ideas would be great.

I like this best thus far. I like the layout it feels personal.

Once again (you probabaly wnat to punch me - this is the last time I'll mention it I swear) but I'd lose the round buttons. They just look childish. I uplaoded a jpg of a quick mod... maybe do something simliar to this? Is there a reason why you don't this look? Granted it is traditional, but information and the site IMHO be easy to get to/navigable especially if you want to sell to clients. Unless you're showcasing your portfolio to join some art designer group, I don't think it's necessary to go 100% all out with innovation, unique look, etc.

I'd just add some shadow to stuff to lift the main information off the page and away from the colorful background, and then I think you're good to roll! The only thing that needs work is the layout of that inner frame (the big grey area) cause text in that paragraph format in the big font just isn't doing it for me.

:beer:

That looks nice, and I did something like that at first, but the problem is that it'll habe only 5 links, and it looked quite... empty.

I'm toying around with this... I'll post an update when I think it's worth it. :)

If you had 5 lniks I'd go back to the 1st layout you had where the menu was at the top instead of putting them on the side.

I associate side menu with deep or complex navigation.

http://img472.imageshack.us/img472/9...lio5hj3.th.jpg

Yes, I fucking love rounded stuff.

lol yo thats actually real chill. I LIKE THE ROUDNNESS TOO in this particluar one. You definetly made it work.

Although I'd still think there should be some separation from the site and background so it all doesnt mesh together.

http://ingosranch.gameshunters.com/temp/metalize3/

Coded. I'm quite happy with this one. :)

I'm quite happy with that one too. Really makes me want to skip school and design something, haha.

Yeah it looks good. It's like the painting is in the background and the palette is in the foreground.