Portfolio Website - Help / Crits Required

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Portfolio Website - Help / Crits Required

Postby Habboi on Sun Mar 28, 2010 12:57 pm

Before I start I want to stress that my coding ability especially website design is lacking and would love some help putting a site together. This can be either a helpful link to a tutorial or physically helping.

Now last night I made this wip below and I need advice on everything! Rip it apart, tell me what is missing, what sucks and whether you have better ideas. I was already told by a friend that he doesn't like the font so by all means if you don't either then share some with me. I also made this as 1280x768 but is that correct? I think I have to do that "slicing method" that I've never used before.

Don't be gentle. This is just the front page anyway.

Image

Another edit following advice of user 01.

Image

(Temporary pictures anyway)

So far the crits I have received are:

1. Font doesn't suit background.

2. Links need to be darker or have a banner behind them to stand out.

3. Background needs to be darker, looks washed out and reminds user of tellytubbies. (I'm starting to agree, a lot of portfolio websites seem darker which makes the pictures stand out.)

4. Picture borders need to be darker, perhaps black to stand out.

5. Ditch the slice method and go for a HTML site.
Last edited by Habboi on Sun Mar 28, 2010 1:42 pm, edited 5 times in total.
http://www.habboi.co.uk - Habboi's Portfolio

3D Art Director working on indie title "A Hat in Time" by Gears for Breakfast.
http://hatintime.com/
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Re: Portfolio Website - Help / Crits Required

Postby no00dylan on Sun Mar 28, 2010 1:13 pm

Looks cool, very simple and stylish I would suggest changing the "home models textures Level Design Reume" buttons to either a different color, or have a bar or something behind it as it took me a few seconds to notice them. That's about all I can think of, looks great.
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Re: Portfolio Website - Help / Crits Required

Postby Psy on Sun Mar 28, 2010 1:18 pm

I would stick with HTML rather then a majority image-based website. Loads up quicker and reduces the amount of bandwidth sapped up.
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Re: Portfolio Website - Help / Crits Required

Postby Habboi on Sun Mar 28, 2010 1:22 pm

Alrighty except I don't have an idea of where to start with that. Kind of pisses me off that I can't even code the simplest of HTML without looking at other website templates.
http://www.habboi.co.uk - Habboi's Portfolio

3D Art Director working on indie title "A Hat in Time" by Gears for Breakfast.
http://hatintime.com/
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Re: Portfolio Website - Help / Crits Required

Postby Surfa on Sun Mar 28, 2010 3:35 pm

The main problem with slicing is that it doesn't allow for larger resolutions. The other problem is you design won't work too well with normal html practises as the background can't be repeated.

Although I am no expert in the field I could help you with the html/css just add me on steam.
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Re: Portfolio Website - Help / Crits Required

Postby Habboi on Sun Mar 28, 2010 3:51 pm

Although I am no expert in the field I could help you with the html/css just add me on steam.


Yeah that'd be great. Thanks.

The resolution thing has always had me stumped with web design. Perhaps I should omit the "wings" or "twirls" and just have a plain blue sky background...The main focus is the pictures and I don't want the site to be too flashy but it has to be right. I've noticed a lot of portfolio's go for a darker background to make the pictures stand out (Manly as a user 01 said and then called my site girly for the candy twirl design and bright colours XD)

Perhaps something plain like this:

Image
http://www.habboi.co.uk - Habboi's Portfolio

3D Art Director working on indie title "A Hat in Time" by Gears for Breakfast.
http://hatintime.com/
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Re: Portfolio Website - Help / Crits Required

Postby Psy on Sun Mar 28, 2010 7:09 pm

I recommend you read this thread and especially the presentation by Naughty Dog. There are a lot of good tips in their on where and how to build a good, readable portfolio that works on anything.
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Re: Portfolio Website - Help / Crits Required

Postby Corigami on Sun Mar 28, 2010 7:29 pm

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Re: Portfolio Website - Help / Crits Required

Postby trcc on Sun Mar 28, 2010 9:31 pm

Really great articles. Thanks!


I'm going to start a new portfolio from scratch because of you guys :lol:
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Re: Portfolio Website - Help / Crits Required

Postby Habboi on Sun Mar 28, 2010 10:25 pm

Yeah they are good resources. I've just finished reading the Naughty Dog one which I started reading like an hour ago. Only question which it didn't answer for me was if you haven't done any professional work then do you leave the page blank or just state no professional work has been done yet, hire me pweeese.

Gonna read Corigami's link next.

Ok I've taken the advice of both links and edited a lot of it but I am unsure if I should carry on with this method or use some sort of CSS HTML type website which is what I have very little knowledge of. Actually one guy over at TWHL suggested this http://meyerweb.com/eric/css/edge/complexspiral/demo.html so I can keep the curly background although I don't get how I can use it @_@

Anyway here it is.

Image
Last edited by Habboi on Sun Mar 28, 2010 10:46 pm, edited 2 times in total.
http://www.habboi.co.uk - Habboi's Portfolio

3D Art Director working on indie title "A Hat in Time" by Gears for Breakfast.
http://hatintime.com/
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Re: Portfolio Website - Help / Crits Required

Postby trcc on Sun Mar 28, 2010 10:28 pm

Habboi wrote:Yeah they are good resources. I've just finished reading the Naughty Dog one which I started reading like an hour ago. Only question which it didn't answer for me was if you haven't done any professional work then do you leave the page blank or just state no professional work has been done yet, hire me pweeese.

Gonna read Corigami's link next.


Exactly the same question.. For now, I'm replacing the professional work with "Level Design Work"
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Re: Portfolio Website - Help / Crits Required

Postby TicTac on Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:15 pm

Habboi, what did you make your portfolio in? just notepad and html or software like Dreamweaver?
Competent Level Designer, 3D Artist.
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Re: Portfolio Website - Help / Crits Required

Postby Habboi on Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:27 pm

Oh I haven't actually made it yet. These are just Photoshop mock-ups because originally I was going for the slicing method. With my simple background all I'll need to do is place a few graphics on the screen using CSS and so on. This is just the front page anyway @_@ Gotta figure out what the other pages will be like cause I'll need a fair bit of scrolling down room for the main content.
http://www.habboi.co.uk - Habboi's Portfolio

3D Art Director working on indie title "A Hat in Time" by Gears for Breakfast.
http://hatintime.com/
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Re: Portfolio Website - Help / Crits Required

Postby vcool on Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:29 pm



Is he hiring a Metallica fan or a level designer?

Imagine that your target visitor is a tired, indifferent hiring manager whose only desire is to find the shortest path possible to looking at your art. Nothing else matters.


Gotcha.

Note that the guy says companies look for specialists. If you are going to try to apply for Valve, they actually prefer if you are multitalented.

Also Habboi, your images are rather small on a big gray background. That gray box isn't used for anything else, all that extra border space could be used to make the image thumbs bigger.
Image

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Re: Portfolio Website - Help / Crits Required

Postby Dr. Delta on Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:37 pm

I suggest using Aptana Studio or Notepad++ for zhe editing.

For help/info/tutorials W3CSchools.

Also, for a static portfolio I only suggest using (x)html & css & javascript, php isn't necessary but can be handy.

Also I suggest an image viewer and a mail/respond-box on your portfolio and a direct email link (protected with javascript against spam-harvesting)



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