New self promo site: crit please

[flashlight]

With the dismal response I've been getting from my previous self-promo site (who ever heard of looking for a job in July? I must be mad), I thought a re-design might be in order.

I've decided to go with more humor and less chest-thumping. The design and typography are pretty well finished, but I have some editing to do still. The address is www.flashlightdesign.com/v5 (http://www.flashlightdesign.com/v5)

What don't you like about the site? What could be done better? Keep in mind that the body text may change.

EDIT

The site is now at www.flashlightdesign.com (http://www.flashlightdesign.com)

Thanks!

Peter Flaschner – Quite Possibly the World's Oldest Junior Designer.

www.peterflaschner.com (http://www.peterflaschner.com)

Post Edited (flashlight) : 7/14/2004 11:31:11 PM GMT

[Benjamin]

Wow. It really is very eye-catching. The clean trendy style of the site and the colours are good - I like that floral thingy and your logo is really good. Comes over very professional with that little bit extra. The drop shadow is not overdone.

I wonder if you could make the eye-lines (a good idea by the way) look more realistic instead of just vector lines?

I like the humour.

Could there be less of a gap at the top of the side-bar text? Should the main text line up under the 'A' of the first menu item?

The eye is really spooky.

http://www.jackfruitdesign.com/
Om Namah Shivaya

Great site man!

Now this is really nice, soft animations with just enough to keep my attention. I really like it man.

[3howards]

i like it, but i don't think it highlights your talent. you obviously have it just from the pieces in your portfolio. heck, any one of those easily dominates the design of the site. i think you should pull some of that formality in your work into the site. i do like the smooth transitions but feel the site could be stronger and much more effective at presenting yourself.

[BuckarooB]

Brilliant! Very Jealous. And what 3howards said...

BB

No Matter Where You Go... There You Are.

[flashlight]

Ahh shucks. You're making me blush.

I'll be darned if I can come up with an answer to your post 3howards. I know what you mean though. This site is version five (five!!!) in a 4 month period. Something's still not quite right. I have SUCH an easier time seeing solutions to clients' designs than my own. Does anyone else have this problem? Maybe we should switch!

I'm going to continue to twiddle and mess with the site over the next couple of days (I'm supposed to be packing for a cross country move – ugh!). I'll post updates as they come.

Thanks!


PF

Peter Flaschner – Quite Possibly the World's Oldest Junior Designer.

www.peterflaschner.com (http://www.peterflaschner.com)

[Benjamin]

Well don't be put off. If you want to make it more formal I think maybe you should think of using a different photo other than the eye. I wouldn't change the colour or styling. It only needs small adjustments I think - really good.

http://www.jackfruitdesign.com/
Om Namah Shivaya

[3howards]

peter, i actually like your current site ... are you just looking to redesign it because it's old? or maybe just tired of it and want something new?

it seems that designers have a much more difficult time designing for themselves. i'm sure there are many reasons for this. 1) so many ideas for 1 thing without someone telling us which one they like best, 2) we enjoy experimentation and trying new methods and techniques, 3) most of the time, we're hard to please because we have this thing in the back of our minds telling us it could be better or it just needs a little something more ... i'm sure the list goes on and on, but these are things that i could think of at the moment.

[Big Perm-dizzle]

its trendy but not to trendy....super super nice....

JUST LAUNCHED - www.hirethisdesigner.com (http://www.hirethisdesigner.com) - check it out

[Big Perm-dizzle]

oh I think humor in a self promo site is excellent...if the employer doesnt think its funny I wouldnt want to work for them anyways...

JUST LAUNCHED - www.hirethisdesigner.com (http://www.hirethisdesigner.com) - check it out

[uncle carbunkle]

maybe it's not the design of the (former) sites that isn't working, but your marketing strategy. i like the site - you do some nice work.

also, not meaning to sound horrid, but it's VERY much who you know here in the little smoke. i didn't believe it when i first arrived, but it's true. so, start shopping that site 'round NOW, before you land in your sweet beaches pad.

luck!

there are 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't.

[Eraser Nubbin]

Clearly you are miles ahead of me so I won't even try and throw my two cents in other then the fact that I think the stuff in your portfolio is great. That Taiga logo is remarkable, it makes me want to go watch the Karate Kid sequels.
On a personal note, do you mind me asking why you would move from Vancouver to Toronto? I'm currently landlocked in the middle and myself and a friend are considering an escape from Calgary. We love the city but are finding the options for our field rather stale, the majority of the work out here is either directly or indirectly related to the oil and gas industry.

I heard that 80% of the big design firms in Canada are out in the GTA but I recently went on a scouting mission to TO and quickly came to the conclusion that it wasn't a place that I could drop roots in. We are leaning to Vancouver because there is a bit of a buzz out here in the Rockies that it is more or less a creative hotspot, where quirky individuals flock to sit in coffee shops and talk about there favorite fonts.

If you have any insite on the city in general or the design business out there it would be much appreciated.
Thanks muchly.




Match in the gas tank, boom boom.

[flashlight]

Thanks again everyone. The reason for the redesign is:

a) I took a week off to pack, and am doing everything I can to avoid it.
b) I was re-reading some of my old notes and was reminded how much I love this design thing
c) I don't have much web experience, and every time I do this I learn something else
d) As part of a marketing campaign, the original design didn't have a strong response rate, so on to the next message.

You're totally right on 3howards. There's always that feeling that 'something could just be a bit better'. It can be paralyzing at times.

Peter Flaschner – Quite Possibly the World's Oldest Junior Designer.

www.peterflaschner.com (http://www.peterflaschner.com)

[flashlight]

Hiya Eraser. I'll IM you with the details when you're online. The short story can be summed up in one word: family. Have a couple of kids, and wham! Instant priority changes...

Peter Flaschner – Quite Possibly the World's Oldest Junior Designer.

www.peterflaschner.com (http://www.peterflaschner.com)

[wm_koxera]

good stuff!

Though you should make look the wrinkles (how do you say that again?) close to your eye some smoother. I mean, the disappearing and appearing ones, not the real ones, you can't help that hehe :-p

Furtheron, good site!

~Willem. If you're ever willing to share a project with me... /emoticons/smile.gif

- Money can't bring you as far as Fantasy can.