Disclaimer: I'm pretty tired at the moment, so take what follows with a grain of salt. I'm not going to be giving you a thorough review here (we'll let Emps do that), just some basic first impressions. Is that OK?
1) Moving stuff--there's too much of it. Yes, I know there are only two moving things on the front page, but that's two too many in my opinion. Moving stuff draws the eye, and if it's not content, then you're focusing attention on the wrong areas. The one animation is a link graphic for your site, which is not bad, I suppose, but the other one will actually take readers away from your site (even though it does open in a new window).
2) Honestly, I find it to be a bit too cramped. This may be because the content is left justified, but the header stretches the entire width of the page. Also, five columns seems a bit much to me, especially considering how little content there is in each column. That's up to you, of course, but you might think about stretching the layout out so the columns cover the entire width of the page. That would give you more space between columns and possibly alleviate some of the cramped feeling. Most of your content pages cover the width of the screen--why not do the same with the front page?
Well, like I said, those are just impressions. Overall, I would have to say it's a pretty nifty site, and I'm going to have to visit it again when I'm coherent so I can appreciate some of the content. Hopefully you'll be hanging around these crazy halls with us and we'll see more from you (and maybe, just maybe, you might actually see something from me).
thanx a million for that detailed review.... really worth giving it a serious thought.... the pakranks gif image is default & i cant help it... i'll see what can i do about the link me image.... five coloumn thing is very well pointed out too... ill look to it too...
The first thing that jumps at me on this site is the colour scheme.
I like it, yes..... but I almost don't like it, at the same time.
I can't seem to put my finger on what exactly is the issue with it, is. Perhaps it needs something else.... another colour worked in through the seams to smooth things out. ... I'll think on that more.
The logo/header is boring..... especially considering the amount of space that is available along the top portion of the screen.
The search box is left hangin' on it's own, as it expands with the front page, but the content does not. How very annoying.
You've got two animations going on, on the front page, and frankly... most visitors don't give a shit about either one. Some people may be interested in the pakranks thing.... but I don't suspect the population to be large.... SO... if you have to have that on your site..... toss it to the side... and toss it to the bottom.
The other animation..... your "link me" button would seem completely out of place, as it is just thrown into the mix somewhere towards the center of the page, as if to say.... "look at me!.. look at me!.... here's my link!".
But in reality... here's how it breaks down..... and it's quite simple.
* If people want to link you.... They'll find a way to link you, without you having to slap them in the face with some irritating animation.
* Most sites that use buttons to link to other sites, set up a link area to house (correct me if I'm wrong) buttons that are 88x31. So if you're looking to get some simple sites to help "pimp out" yours..... time to re-think your button idea. This may be an instance where conformity is the best policy.
It took me a few passing looks all over the page to understand how this worked.
You've got a bar menu going across the whole page.... (and I think you need to add a couple more pixels of space between each one)..... And you also have a menu of sorts going down the left side of the page.... ... that all seems to be a bit much.
The left side menu is constant... just as the page-spanning menu.... but you've made no attempt to emphasize that to the visitor. People browsing the net are stupid fucking morons.... so slap that shit in their face a little bit and let them know.... HEY! WE GOT A FUCKIN MENU OVER HERE! <-- that's emphasis.
Right now, as it stands... there's far too much text scrunched together for a site lacking a centerpiece of content.
5 columns?... that's just silliness.
Want to cut that down into a more sensible solution?.... here...
* widen and side bar that menu on the left... and bold up, or slightly size up the text. (in doing this... you may have to beef up the page-spanning menu as well, to keep balance)
* add the weekly poll to the left side bar that you've now created... and slip the Pakranks logo below the poll.... (out of sight... out of mind).. don't let it steal the visitor's eyes from your content before they've read your content..... Allow them to scroll down before seeing the animation.
* Move the shoutbox over to the right side of the screen... and move all of the content that's in the column with "status", underneath the shoutbox. At the moment you've just got a slew of useless information trying to hog the spotlight.... So keep the useless shit together in some columns on the sides.. and let the real content show though.
* Now that we've done away with columns 2 and 3 completely.... take the "link me" and the "random link" thing... and move that over underneath the content from the shit in the "status" column of info.
Rearranged now...... the far right side of the page should go like this.....
-shoutbox
-status
-listening... feeling... reading..thinking..
-link me
-random link
So now that we've cleaned up the joint.... let's look at the content on the front page...
Oh wait... there is no content on the front page.
As a user and a visitor to your website..... what have you offered me as an explaination to your mark on the internet?.. absolutely nothing.
For example..... if i hit up your site because i was using a search engine... and i just happened to click your link..... What would make me stay?... Do you have anything that makes me want to stay?
The answer is no.
All I get on the front page is a lack of explaination of the website...... and some pull quotes of you pimping out how much other sites enjoy your site.
.... forgive me if i don't leap out of my skin with enthusiasm.
ah well... i'm tired of typing... and i've got some other shit to do.
those are some of my thoughts.
believe me i have started working on the new version with all ur ideas in mind.... but is there any one who volunteers for a logo???? i am not that good at graphic design...
Well, as for logos, I would try dropping by the Photoshop Forum. A piece of advice, though: go in there with something already done, no matter how bad it may seem, as the inmates usually don't take well to people asking them to do stuff for them. Unless, of course, you're willing to pay for the job,
rahell: I think my major points have probably been raised but I'll try to make the points anyway
1. Might as well start with a niggle using characters in your title tag might look cool (might) it certainly reduces the usefulness of my taskbar buttons.
2. The page lacks focus - the eye roves around the screen settling like a butterfly on an element and then its off again. The amount of movement on the page isn't totally offensive (have people really forgotten the 'top 10 website bad ideas' lists of yesteryear? If you forget the past you are doomed to repeat the same mistakes) but the eye falls on the moving elements first. Starting with link to me button and then the pak ranks thing. The reason for that order is because of the strong colour contrast so.......... this gives us the clue as to how to get the focus on the most important element first. Michael is right that you need another colour and it might take a bit of play to get things right - my first attempt might be at a dark grey.
3. Page structure. As Michael has pointed out it isn't obvious that the left hand column is also part of the navigation - I'd drop an orange line down from the menu instead of that dotted one.
4. The page height - this looks distinctly odd and I'd be infavour of less columns but with more height. I like Michael's ideas for rearranging and I might be a little more radical. I'd create a link to me page and just link to it. I'd then have the various bits and pieces in one (or 2 if you pushed me) columns on the right with a larger central panel (which would get the focus from point 2). In there I'd split it up so that you can announce new stuff on your site like the latest diary entry that kind of thing.
5. I'd need further explanation of what some of the sections actually are - like the digitalography and the Flash section (why do I want to download your Flash - show it to me on the page). I'd also like to see examples of the sript running before I downloaded it.
6. Metatags? Good DOCTYPE and encoding? Bad You will need to add a doctype and the encoding to your page.
7. A main bugbear of mine - why do you need the date there?
Overall I like your colours and the general feel of the site but I think the content could be re-arranged and expanded to make it easier for people to find what they are looking for.
I may be wrong but Ive seen your sig without the text years ago and I do believe thats pretty much plagiarism. But its not severe or anything.
Other than that its a nice design. a bit plain.
The Shoutbox could do without the lefty righty scrollbar too.
Hey for what it's worth, I really like the color scheme. it shouts, yet whispers.
I dont really mind the animations. After really looking at the site, I really like it.
I really like the colors on your page, they remind me one of my favorite holidays.
"may Allah help muslims all over n' give them the courage to rise against the devil.. Amen.."
"the devil will pay for what it is doing.. Amen.."
"but in the words of Osama, 'US will taste what it has been delivering to others'.."
But if the devil says he likes your page, would you believe him?
Hmmm.... you think you could post the old version too, for comparison? To be honest with you, I really don't remember precisely what the site looked like, but it doesn't look like too much changed. Still five-columns left justified, same moving stuff....
posted 09-17-2002 15:11
DOCTYPE and encoding? Bad 
You will need to add a doctype and the encoding to your page.
