jjm — Sun, 19 Sep 2004 16:31:57 +0000

I noticed some of the earlier comments on colors. I am very new at web design and do not have any art background. I found it very helpful to visit several on-line sites that have color wheels / color picking tools (all of them are free to use). Once I started playing around with these tools, my color schemes improved about 100%. ( I am not sure if it's kosher to post the links here, but just run a Google search for color picker, color wheel, etc. and you'll find all kins of helpful tools).

As far as a critique, I am not quite so sure on the colors (again, I am no expert on this so I can't tell you why).

I think the left menu would look better if you set the image as a background and used CSS to create the hover/rollover effect for the menu.

The site was easy to navigate, though, and does provide useful content.

smegazlufc — Sun, 12 Sep 2004 13:25:39 +0000

I have wanted to go to Vegas all my life but i have had to wait until im twenty one (whats the point in going if you cant gamble), well its my 21st next yr (i expect presents off you all lol) and have just booked a holiday there. so i was looking forward to your site and thought that it could be very useful, and i must say it will be. I say will be because i believe that your site need a few changes. firstly the design, now im no good at desigbing stuff myself so im not sure what you need to do but it somehow reminds me a bad room in a eighties hotel, but maybe thats just me.

I would also include some photos to of the stuff you write about just to help break the text up a bit. I would also change your maps. They look as though they have just benn put together randomly and i wouldn't trust them although im sure that they are accurate.

heebiejeebieclu — Sat, 11 Sep 2004 14:18:02 +0000

Hmmm. OK. But I kinda meant aswell

mikuaraman — Fri, 10 Sep 2004 17:31:31 +0000

Thanks Megan, great suggestions. I'll be tweaking thinks on my site for the next little while (or more likely forever!).

I do like the idea of putting listings more prominently onto the first page. One thing I don't like about my current design is the fact that it takes at least two links to get to any real content.

I tried anti-aliazing at one point and didn't like the result, I'll try messing with that a little more. Great idea about fading the picture.

Thanks again,

Miku Araman
Free things to do in Las Vegas

Megan — Fri, 10 Sep 2004 13:20:07 +0000

I agree with you, Miku. That list was really just a bunch of suggestions for what to cover in a review, in case people have problems figuring out what to talk about.

Thanks, BTW, for doing such nice reviews yourself! We appreciate it

Your site looks not too bad. I like the colour scheme and especially the backgrounds you've used in the top ands side areas. What you do need to do here is anti-alias your text. If you're not sure how to do that let us know (and which graphics program you're using), and we can help you with that. Also do something about the bottom of that side photo. Make it fade out instead of ending abruptly. Or make the lights continue further down to the bottom (fake it.)

It looks like you've got some really good content here. I really like the personalized descriptions of the events and attractions. Much more helpful than some formal text pulled from their website or something. The personal tips are an excellent addition as well.

I would find a way to feature your listings more prominently from the font page. You could put on a "featured listing" or something each month. You could also split up the categories into separate pages and list them each on the navbar. That way people can see right away what there is to see on your site. I didn't understand right away that "location" was a listing of the events by location. I thought it was just the location of the attractions (which makes the "map" listing confusing). This is all explained on the front page but who reads that stuff anyway?

Overall a good start.

mikuaraman — Wed, 08 Sep 2004 00:31:35 +0000

heebiejeebieclu wrote: it would be nice if you gave a mark /10 for each subject an an overall mark to make it easier

Actually having good/not good or a mark /10 doesn't seem that useful. For example "common design principles (alignment, white space, visual organization etc.)" marked as "not good" or "2/10" doesn't really help me improve my site. Maybe its because I'm not a graphic designer, but I'd like to know what about the design pronciples isn't good. It would be helpful to say something like "There is too much white space on the left hand side" or something a bit more constructive than just a mark.

Having a mark /10 would make this seem like a competition not a critique!

Thanks,

Miku Araman
http://www.vegasfreebie.com/ - Free things to do in Las Vegas

heebiejeebieclu — Tue, 07 Sep 2004 18:31:48 +0000

y0re wrote: * colour scheme:nothing specially
* common design principles (alignment, white space, visual organization etc.)not good
* common design mistakes:don't know
* usability:good
* appropriateness:don't know
* browser compatibility:good
* resolution:on 800x600 it don't loks very well
* function of widgets/dhtml/forms, et cetera:don;t know
* image compression:good
* information architecture:?
* consistency:not good
* coding/validation:good
* use of technologies:good
the google search form could be placed elsewhere..

it would be nice if you gave a mark /10 for each subject an an overall mark to make it easier

y0re — Tue, 07 Sep 2004 17:49:45 +0000

* colour scheme:nothing specially
* common design principles (alignment, white space, visual organization etc.)not good
* common design mistakes:don't know
* usability:good
* appropriateness:don't know
* browser compatibility:good
* resolution:on 800x600 it don't loks very well
* function of widgets/dhtml/forms, et cetera:don;t know
* image compression:good
* information architecture:?
* consistency:not good
* coding/validation:good
* use of technologies:good
the google search form could be placed elsewhere..

www.VegasFreebie.com

y0re — Tue, 07 Sep 2004 16:28:18 +0000

interesting! i'd like more some lighter colors but it's ok
sincerely,
valentin

heebiejeebieclu — Tue, 07 Sep 2004 12:29:27 +0000

I like that kind of creamy yellow. It is a nice "cheesy" colour and isn't bring and doesn't hurt your eyes