Topic: new website to review

Hi Guys,

Been a while! Happy new year to you all!

Wondering if you would not mind casting your eyes and offering some feedback on the following new site: http://www.corkey.dreamhosters.com/

Please note:

a. This is only the 2nd proper site I have built and web development is a hobby for me - I coded this site for food!

b. Changes to be made still: I still have a couple of minor validation and accessibility issues (mainly AJAX related) to sort out and the images in the gallery are temporary. I will also change the enquiries form onFocus field background colour and am still yet to implement a print stylesheet.

My key objectives were:

1. You get the desire to visit the place!
2. The experience is professional, simple, clear and easy.
3. A few cool technical features that will impress the more novice users (Interactive Google Map and Directions, Enquiries, Image Gallery)
4. Valid, Gracefully Degrading code.

Have I met the objectives do you think? Any other comments would be much appreciated!

Many thanks in advance for your feedback. Pls be as harsh as you like - I can take it!

Thanks

FR

(Edited by FatRod on 01-12-2009 12:10)

Just a few quick thoughts:

• Looks nice and clean. I think you've met the goal of "professional, simple, clear, and easy."
• I particularly like the restaurant's logo, although the logotype, for some reason, reminds me of old Saturday morning cartoons in the States. I cannot say why, or even if this is a logical connection, but that's the first impression that I get. Of course, you probably had nothing to do with this part of the design.
• It would be nice if the photos had more descriptive captions--"1-FOOD-003" just doesn't do it for me.
• Italics on a computer screen look fairly crappy in general and should be used sparingly. Having entire blocks of text (the "about" text for the menu and wine list) set all in italics might not be the best idea--I think they would look cleaner as roman type. Even the individual dish descriptions on the menu could probably be set in roman type--since the dish names are in all caps, having the descriptions in lower case roman would be enough to distinguish the two visually, I think.
• The photo of the restaurant on the home page doesn't really do anything for me. I would think that you would want a photo that really grabs the visitor from the start. Maybe a photo with a smiling chef and his delicious food? I know that would grab me--more than a blurry photo with no elements of interest in it, at least.
• Pet peeve of mine, so take it for what it's worth: I generally don't like to see recursive links (links that lead to the page you are currently on, like the "home" link on the menu leading to the home page when you are already there).

Well, those are my initial impressions. I didn't get a chance to look at the code.


___________________________
Suho: www.liminality.org | Cell 270 | Sig Rotator | the Fellowship of Sup

Just one minor note - in the footer, because of the line break, it looks as though the restaurant is open only on Tuesday at first look

I would add a line break before the 'Open' for clarity.

some animation would also be good...

~Sig coming soon~

(Edited by binary on 01-15-2009 10:43)

Basically I think the site is very good.

But... it's somehow 'dry' and I can't put my finger on what exactly is wrong. Maybe instead of the white background you could experiment with some of those trendy tapestry backgrounds.

The home page restaurant photo could be higher quality... or even a better photograph ...

A minor detail: the openquote.gif looks cut from the bottom ... re do it.

Some general advice: people like to see pictures of other people. Some pictures of a friendly looking Italian chef and the waitresses could do alot for the site.

I'm sorrry that i can not even open the link provided.
Please have a check.

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sophie: this thread is 2 years old. The site doesn't exist anymore.