It took me quite a while to decided on a web design company website that I could say I liked. I wasn’t looking for a fantastically presented design but one that focused on usability. It is my opinion simplicity is best; people can tire in moments of looking at a site and navigating through endless pages. The website for First Class design has many attributes of a well designed site including a black background with repeated diagonal line focusing the user’s attention to the vibrant portfolio.
Professional Web designers
www.fcd.org.uk
Layout and design
The focus of this site is to present a portfolio with a brief testimonial from previous clients. The flash slideshow installs confidence in potential client knowing that other people have received a good service. Keeping to a selection of only half a dozen examples from the portfolio that is refreshed with different examples maintains variety and keeps the view interested. Another great point is that the portfolio is photographs of actual printed material.
Accessibility & Validation
On the downside I can understand why they play down the fact that they can do webdesign because the site doesn’t validate.This might not be important to a lot of client but it is something I would question.
Navigation
Another great advantage of this site is that the site format of the size doesn’t alter. What I mean it that the logo and contact details remain in place on every page and the only things to change from page to page is the images and associated text. Even when the text is increase five times the size the site remains easy to read and navigate through.
Unfortunately if java script is turned off the text does refresh with the associated image and you are unable to navigate through the thumbnail portfolio.
Conclusion
The design layout simplicity and quality of design is first class. Taking into account the site is let down by validation and reliance on javascript, I would be very proud of it.
Student Website
Joe Williams is now in his final year studing Computer Science at the University of East Anglia, Norwich. His potfolio is very limited as you would expect and his written english is very unproffesional, but honest.
Layout and design
Putting text over images makes the text difficult to read and suggested that he doesn’t understand too much about usability. The only graphic of any interest in the design is the repeated paisley background image.
Accessibility & Validation
This is possibly the only design that I have tested that looks better when the size of font is increased. I am very disappointed that this site doesn’t validate.
Navigation
The navigation very large disappears when you scroll down the page adding to the frustration of navigating. A return to top top link could easily solve this problem.
Conclusion
If I was Joe Williams I would re-consider my portfolio and all the websites I had created. None of them validate and this is a potential problem.
Final Conclusion
In my opinion you are a web design whether you are college student or web professional. The only difference is as a professional you are paid for the job you do. The main difference between the two online portfolios I have analyses is the level of creativity. Speaking as a professional graphic designer I believe that creating a design that are aesthetically pleasing are only achievable through a mixture of experience, influence and pure natural ability.
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