WIP - Flash Based Website - Need some peeps to test!!!

[Dave3D]

Just Finshed my basic layout for my website, It would be really handy if some of you guys can test it, how it performs over slower connections and how it works overall. Thanks

http://ddeaco.users.btopenworld.com/ (click pic)


Know Issues,(WIP)
Shed load of spelling mistakes, flash5 doesnt come with checker

Also not all sections have any contense so bare with me.


Hope you like,

Dave :D

[pauland]

I'll never understand why people ask the user community to look at half finished web sites. First of all, it makes those that see it as it now is, very disinclined to go there again, which is not the reaction you want long term from the LW community. It's far better to ask your friends to look it over first.

Right, you already know that your spelling is bad. We all make mistakes, however, even your post asking for comments has at least three spelling mistakes and dodgy grammar.

Whether Flash5 checks spelling or not, prepare your text in something like word and get that to spell check it for you, then put it on the site.

There's some reasonable stuff on the site, yet you chose to send us to a lack-lustre opening page, completely different in style to the rest of the site. Why?

You have to click on the image to pass through to the site or pick on the text to see the trailer. I was expecting it to be the other way around. At first I thought the page was screwed and you'd left out the main site altogether. If you have a link to a 10MB download, it's polite to warn people first, so they can choose not to if they have a slow link.

If your site is incomplete, it's best not to show it. If you plan to have a site with 15 pages (say) but have only finished 10, it's best to only have references and links to those ten. When you add more pages, add in new links and update the linking content.

It's really the kiss of death to show links that don't work or have stuff that says 'under construction' or 'coming soon'. It's also bad practice to have things that look like links and aren't, possibly because the pages they refer to don't yet exist.

Finally your 3D gallery shows a variety of stuff, some better, some worse. You've done what many people do 'My first character in LW..', etc. Only put up the stuff you are happy with now. People will take your early stuff as an indication of what you can do now, despite you having explained the situation. Put up the stuff you are confident with, never apologise for your work.

I hope that helps. I suspect it's not what you were expecting. And no, I don't have a web site. Take my comments with a pinch of salt.

Paul

[Dave3D]

I understand what you are saying, but as i explained it was a work in progress, and my main reasion for posting was to get a chance for some feed back on how the site performs, and how they feel on how the site works. I guess by the lenght of your post you get quite engraged about this, also the launch page is only a place holder, and all spelling mistakes will be fixed before the site goes live on a different URL :(

Dave :(

[pauland]

I guess by the lenght of your post you get quite engraged about this

I think that 'enraged' is far too strong. I think it's a big mistake to put up half-finished sites for public comment, and I tried to give you a good explanation of why that is so.

I made a long post to try and give you some good feedback, there's no realtionship between post length and depth of feeling!

My intention was to improve the light in which people see your work, rather than comment for the sake of it - oh and perhaps dissuade others from doing the same thing (submit websites to public scrutiny when they aren't ready).

Paul

[MarkJTaylor]

I believe posting a Website in progress; is no different than posting an artwork in process; or a WIP if you will.

Does posting a WIP stop people from wanting to see the finished artwork? Certainly not. Aside from that; I agree with the rest of your post Paul'

Fix up that spelling; Spice up the front page;' possibly make yourself a mascot; and don't let people know your limitations; and you'll be in good shape.

[Dave3D]

:) That what i ment to say ;) U hit the nail on the head there mark thxs

[pauland]

Originally posted by MarkJTaylor
I believe posting a Website in progress; is no different than posting an artwork in process; or a WIP if you will.

The problem with websites is that people lose interest if they are asked to 'test' a very incomplete site where it is clear masses of work still needs to be done. In this case users were asked to 'test' the site and comment on how it performed, even though the author was (or should have been) aware that major new work is needed. If you take an analogy with software, then you wouldn't issue pre-beta software to public scrutiny, it would reflect very badly on your company and the project as a whole. First impressions stick.

If instead of asking us to test the site, we were asked to comment on the navigation controls and site navigation, it might be better, but still I wouldn't pass it on for public scrutiny. It's much better to pass to a group of trusted friends and associates to get the major flaws ironed out.

Originally posted by MarkJTaylor
Does posting a WIP stop people from wanting to see the finished artwork? Certainly not.

Sometimes, if a WIP is so bad (it may simply not be to my taste, or I doubt that it'll ever be very accomplished) I won't check them out again.

Other WIPs are interesting to follow, and it's a delight to watch the progress that the artist makes. You can't generalise.

I'm afraid I don't see artists WIP postings in the same light as incomplete websites, although I do take your very valid point.

[CAClark]

I personally like the actual site, I have a distinct dislike of entirely flash sites, too many things moving all the time. This one is actually pretty well balanced in that respect,

As Paul mentioned, that first page is very poor by comparison. Ok it is a place holder, but why not have a short text stating the nature of the site.... the fact it's in progress currently, effectively a beta release. Failing that, loose it for now until you come up with a page that will match the style and presentation of your main site.

As Paul stated, just prepare your text in a spell checker enable app first such as word.

I definitely do think you should look carefully at the content you put up, again in line with Paul's comment, he's bang on the mark there I think.

Cheers

Craig

[Dave3D]

WooHooo, some one who actualy commented on the actual web site and not if it so good to post about WIP web sites :D

Dave

[pauland]

Originally posted by Dave3D
WooHooo, some one who actualy commented on the actual web site and not if it so good to post about WIP web sites :D

Dave

Achem, I think I actually did make quite a few points about your website, besides the WIP...

Paul

[riki]

Hey dave nice site, looks good. Just one small comment. I'm not so keen on pop-ups.

Anyway not such a big deal.

[MorituriMax]

Looking pretty good so far... maybe make the thing open up larger if you want a better idea of loading times.. with cable the thing loaded pretty much instantly for me, I just wanted to see more.. grin

[Jimzip]

Yeah, agree about the entrance page, but I did like the site. We just did that stuff at uni, so I appreciate how long it took to make & put together.

Again, spelling mistakes.. You already know so I won't harp..
Nice stuff otherwise.


Jimzip :D

[Rei]

took around 50 secs to load up full on my 56k, the single reason i hate flash, takes too long.

color scheme is good, nothing contrasts badly, text is readable. (spelling is for lamerz anyway)

[jman66]

Its easy to blame flash for large file size, but that really has more to do with the content and compression.

Rule number one when building a site is to know your audience... in this case you're more likely to attract artists/professionals/ tech saavy people, the majority of which have broadband connections.

From a technical point of view, I sure hope you keep any non-layout text in a separate file and load it with actionscript for ease of maintainance.

[liquidpope]

Site works groovily, and I can dig it, baby.
Yep, it's cool, and I'll check it again, due to content.
Great work!

[pauland]

OK, so it's not flash, but check out the website referenced in this thread (oh and the great content too):
http://vbulletin.newtek.com/newreply.php?s=&action=newreply&threadid=8037

An example of cool clean, uncluttered design. A joy to navigate.

Paul

[Dave3D]

Very cool, site and its very well done, but it is professionally done. Where I am only 17 and just starting out in this field, never really worked on any web sites before, I try to get my web site as professional as possible but it will never live up to some thing like that which is professionally completed and also has quite a bit of funding.

Dave

[pauland]

The powerdrome site has a very simple navigation system that is easy to maintain. It is easy on the eye. Ignoring the graphics, the actual site structure is very simple and easy to extend. You've already put in a lot of effort for your flash site, so I think you could build a similar site. the advantage of the powerdrome site is that having such a simple architecture, it should be easy to maintain. The most important thing is not to have a 'flashy' web site but to have something to act as a showase of your work (or whatever else you'd like people to know about).

look again at the architecture of the powerdrome site. it really isn't complicated and it works extremely well.

For 17 you've done some good stuff, keep it up. We'll agree to disagree on incomplete sites though... ;-)

Paul

[uberslayer™]

Don't know what rei was talking about didn't take long for me @ 56k, but you know Rei.........................;) I really like your preloader and it's cool how it fits in with the rest of the design. Did you do it yerself or is iot from a tute you have manipulated? Would be cool to IM or PM or whatever with you about it if yolu feel like it. I'm working on a very complicated and large web based flash app at the moment and it would be cool to bounce some ideas off each other, maybe. Just a thought.:)

[Dave3D]

http://ddeaco.users.btopenworld.com/


Some Updates,

-- Fixed all the spelling mistakes
-- Added a new launch page
-- Added pages for all sections

To Paul - Yeah, I really liked that site for its simplistic design and navigation, I understand HTML and Database driven web sites are a hell of a lot easier to Maintain and extend. But I think I have designed my web site pretty cleverly as, The main structure of the website is downloaded in 200k'ish Download at the beginning, and the all the other pages are Downloaded separately as, they are saved in different flash pages, This makes it easier for updating a particular page as I don’t have to wade through the whole site to get to it, and also easer for the users as they don’t have to download all the site at once. Still it gets a little more difficult to extend, as it would mean changing the actual base web site.

To Uberslayer - I really don’t know much about Database web sites, and you saying a web based flash app? You mean some kind of an application or a web site?

PS, find any mistakes tell me, as I will correct them ASAP.

ta Dave