my new portfolio site

[LeadMagnet]

Yes, i can see you made it in 1024 x 768, but you haven't even taken into account that people running at 1024 x 768 still can't display the bottom of your site and buttons are being cut off.
You need to remember that people have navigation buttons in their browser and often will also have a bookmark toolbar, probably also a tab bar, a status bar at the bottom and the taskbar (in windows at least). That's not even taking into account extra browser addons like google toolbars or whatever people add.
My browser's got a fairly standard viewport height because i don't like to clog it up but that still only leaves me with 612px to display a page (out of a total 800px screen height)

[steveg]

As of yet I dont use any SEO tools... if you have any suggestions on how to optimize my site I'd be very appreciative. I haven't been taught how to do any of this haha

[Toon]

Originally Posted by steveg

As of yet I dont use any SEO tools... if you have any suggestions on how to optimize my site I'd be very appreciative. I haven't been taught how to do any of this haha

Sorry only asked because I'm interested not because I know, I'm not really into flash sites because of the SEO problems, just wondering if you'd looked into it yet because I know some people are making some good advancements in Flash SEO but I haven't seen many great examples and how they work.

[steveg]

I've looked it up a bit and it seems like most of the solutions involve making separate pages for each section of the flash and inserting the flash movie over and over again with a javascript in the html. Apparently this causes some disruption in the site.

To be honest, I'm not worried about how I rank on google, as I'm not going to be doing 100% freelance work that would require people to find me on google. The freelance clients I do have are great with word of mouth reccommendations and that's all I really need at the moment, as I am hoping to get a studio job.

[Toon]

Well best of luck with the job search

[steveg]

I have re-programmed the site to detect the user's resolution, and if its less than 864 pixels high, the page directs them to a new smaller version of the site.

I would love some feedback from LeadMagnet to see if this works better with his resolution.

Cheers!

[LeadMagnet]

I tried it twice. It worked the 2nd time but not the first.

[steveg]

i might have been uploading the new site when you tried the first time.

glad it worked for you the second time! :) thanks for your help

[LaurenMarie]

Yes, I know the site is a bit large (1024x768) but most people do run resolutions that will hold that size, if not come close. I purposefully left most of the bottom empty so that if it was a bit too large for someone they wouldnt miss out on anything.

Then why have the bottom part at all? I see that you've reprogrammed the site. I'm running at 1280 x 1024 and everything fits in my browser ok.

As to the many comments about SEO (search engine optimization), it's a Flash site, it's not going to rank well because it has no content for the search engines to index. You would be better off going with an html website if you want to make SEO easy on yourself. But if you've already decided that generating business through SERPs is not what you're looking for, then don't worry about it! Word of mouth is usually how freelancers get business anyway.

I think your overall design pieces and web presentation is great! I love your quote about not cutting corners and you are an amazing artist. The only thing I would suggest adding is more information on the projects. People generally like to know:
1. what programs you used to create the piece
2. who it was for (you do good work, but I doubt you really did that piece for Jelly Belly, so that would be labeled something like Personal Project)
3. what skills you used to create the piece

Did you do your own photography? Illustrations? Custom typeface? Did you just do the layout? What about copy writing? Prospective clients or future employers love to see that you have skills outside layout design. Even if you aren't the world's most spectacular photographer, sometimes clients would rather hire an all around person than a separate layout artist and photographer.

As to navigation, the user shouldn't have to figure out they need to mouse over the circle to find the nav. Make it easy for them to view your work, otherwise they'll leave. You should also put links to each section on every page, or at least in every main section (if not on the project pages). It takes too long to go back to the homepage just go to another section. Ah, I see that you did, but it's that tricky little circle thing again! While it is a unique way to present the nav, remember that users spend most of their time on other sites (meaning they will expect your site to function the same or similar to every other site they visit).

Just my two cents. Take it as you like.

[steveg]

Thanks Lauren!
I will definitely think about putting in more information on the pieces. I might have to program in some kind of movable flash window to contain that information as space is at a premium in my site currently but it will definitely work on that.

I know what you're saying about navigation, i've had that comment a few times but i think overall people understand how it works, specially with the explanations that pop up the first time you navigate to a section.

Thanks again!
Cheers :)