Websites

[Emmanize]

What kind of website layout do you prefer to see for say someone's portfolio or a graphic designer? I know there isn't a right or wrong way, but what kind of layout do you find easiest to navigate around?

Websites that have a nice welcome page? Or maybe websites that go straight into the portfolio at the index page? Or what about layout, do you like sites that make use of all the page space or do you like ones in a tidy box?

What about HTML/Flash? I personally dont like flash sites that much.
No reason for me asking I was just interested. :)

[cjoe]

thats a very broad question, so broad there is no answer. I guess that its very subjective, but also depends on how its executed. http://www.okaydave.com/ personally i love the site because its well executed, even thought there were some navigation issues discussed in this thread: http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14642&highlight=portfolio+site
I also like sites with more coventional navigation.

Flash is cool if you use it in the correct manner. I think flash has the potential to be a very useful interactive tool. The shockwave plugin is very pervasive, so it reaches a reasonably wide audience.

[Patrick Shannon]

I agree with cjoe...for as much as Flash is bashed on, frankly it holds people's interest if it's something good and something that you can still quickly move around (attention spans are just as short with Flash as regular web surfing). Just make sure you have a way for people who don't have Flash (or don't want to use it) to still be able to use your site normally.

Welcome page or portfolio...I guess that depends on how diverse your site is, but I don't think you can go wrong in either direction.

Dynamically expanding pages to fit the window are cool, but nothing wrong at all with fixed width. They're more easy to predict compliance with a user's resolution.

[JPnyc]

I would avoid using a welcome/splash page. The web is the medium of the impatient. Cut to the chase, straight away. And like yourself, I dislike all flash sites. Rarely visit one a 2nd time, if ever. Also much of what people use it for can be done without it, using DHTML. Also have a real thing against sites that use .PDFs, rarely visit them a 2nd time.