CRITIQUE: www.ericswistphotography.com

[eswist]

Well guys, just like the title says check out my site and let me know where I can improve, what I should add/change. Thanks!


http://www.ericswistphotography.com

[Ben]

It's very...simple and easy to navigate through.

The first splash page is maybe a bit too simple though...<- this is just my personal opinion.

Nice job!

[OversighT]

I found the site to be functional and easy to navigate, but I would ditch the splash screen. I'm not sure what the point of making the visitor click to enter your site is and popup windows are annoying. If you use the splash page for Flash detection consider having the page automatically do the detection and redirect appropriately rather than waiting for a user to click.

T.

[sebbomar]

Hello:

My first thoughts were where is the gallery. Then I saw it up at the top after searching the bottom of the page. The gallery was not the first thing that I saw. I am wondering what is there to search. What is the light box really to be used for. If I add something to the cart does it go to the light box. Is the light box really the shopping cart? Can I buy pictures from there? Download Dock was a different name. I am not sure how to add something to the cart.

Overall it looks good. It doesn't seem to follow a standard process flow. But after playing with it the structure feels good. I didn't figure out how to add something to a cart and purchase it so I could download it.

Steve

[eswist]

Thanks for your feedback so far guys...it's giving me a lot of input and definetley brings up some good points. I appreciate your time!

[Russell]

Where did you get the search/lightbox feature for the site?

Thanks,

Russell

[LadyShutterBug]

okay. don't kill me i used to be a professional health educator, and did a lot of writing, editing, and critiquing of texts and layouts. here is what i have to say... and i'll say it as i was thinking it as i viewed the site.

the opening page is too simple. i was waiting for more things to download... and why would i go to your site if i didn't want to enter it? just take me to the site! not to a place asking me if i want ot enter the site.

the navigation, to me, is confusing. when i go to a photographer's website, i want to see his or her work immediately, i don't want to hear how proud they are of their work that exceeds expectations. i want to see images, large images, that represent your work. i don't want ot have to go looking for them, because if i don't see them upon first glance, i might move on to another photographer's page, thinkign to myself "eh, this guy isn't my style". on the other hand, if you knock me off my feet with somethign that looks really cool, or is really touching, i will want to stay and look some more.

i can judge for myself whether or not your work is innovative and great by looking at images-- you should never have to say explicitly how proud you are or how good you are... your work should speak for itself... the light box confused me as well, and the gallery is really "busy" in appearance. i don't think you need for your name to be along the side of the images and along the top of them as well.

the "related links" and "comments" section were blank for many of the images in the gallery... why are they there?

when i click on different portions of the menu, i have to wait for a picture to load, then i have to wait for my information to load... which makes grates on my impatient nerves.

what can you search for in the search box? i searched "woodlands", "concert", and "charity" and got zero results for all of them.

you have some beautiful images that you should be proud of, and that are innovative and capture exactly what was happening at the moment! i would just like to see more of them without having to go and look all over the place for them :)

[eswist]

Thanks LadyShutterBug, you bring up some really good points and definetely give me a great idea as to what I should change. I appreciate the compliments and the time you took to take a look at the site!