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local band site


cmgweb

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Not a fan of the navigation at all.  Like xyph said, half the links lead to pages outside the domain.  In addition, there's no indication that certain links actually have nested navigation on hover (see: About Us -> Members -> individual band members).  Finally, I actually really dislike that every band member has their own little profile.  Who ever is writing the content should just weave it all as a narrative on one page (or not even that, if they feel the music is more important than the people making it).  This isn't the Mickey Mouse Club, right?

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I appreciate the comments, although i should have probably added that the site budget was 150.00 and the links / content was strictly asked to be this way by the client. I guess I should have interfered and told them a better way to do it, BUT 150.00 and respected clients wishes. I know its just excuses and dont matter its still done incorrectly. Just asked that i'm not flamed on for something a client wants.

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I appreciate the comments, although i should have probably added that the site budget was 150.00 and the links / content was strictly asked to be this way by the client. I guess I should have interfered and told them a better way to do it, BUT 150.00 and respected clients wishes. I know its just excuses and dont matter its still done incorrectly. Just asked that i'm not flamed on for something a client wants.

 

Apologies if you feel I was flaming you/the site.  I tend to be blunt with my critiques because I feel it's necessary.  A lot of people come here to merely get a pat on the back after getting 'feedback' from friends, family, and their clients, who either don't know what they're looking at or don't have the heart to actually criticize.  A blunt wakeup call generally starts people on the path of actually looking at their work with a critical eye.  Much better to get some harsh criticism here, which is always tied to some sort of advice on how to fix the problems, than to get a negative reaction (or, worse, no reaction) in the wild.

 

Regarding the assertion "I'm only doing what the client wants," that's bunk.  Presumably, your client paid you because you can provide them with a service of a certain quality they cannot provide themselves.  In short, they're paying you for your (relative) expertise.  This means you have a responsibility to provide for them the best site possible, which will generate them more business, while remaining under budget.  The old adage "The customer is always right" is bullshit, to be frank.  The customer/client often doesn't know what's in their best interest.  Again, that's (presumably) why they hired you.

 

What that all means is that you have a duty to inform them of bad decisions that ultimately hurt their site.  The things xyph and I highlighted hurt the site as a whole.  As a developer, yes, you work for the client, but you're not required to bend to their every whim.  Instead, you need to use your professional judgement in order to provide them the best bang for their buck while keeping with the overall look and feel they want.

 

I mean, if the client came to you and said, "I like the dark, edgy vibe we have going, but I want a gigantic animated .gif of a pink flamingo dead center on the home page," would you put it on there?  Or would you explain to them why it would be a bad idea and offer alternative suggestions?

 

Remember, also, that as a freelancer, your portfolio is your ticket to getting better projects.  If your portfolio consists of jumbled, muddled sites because you simply do whatever a client wants you to do, you'll never advance.  It's okay to set standards for yourself.  It's okay to have certain lines you won't cross just because a client wants you to.  It's okay to fire clients if they won't budge on something that would compromise your personal or professional integrity.

 

If you want to be a developer, then you need to be part businessman.  You'll need to make hard decisions that may cost you money in the short term.  It sucks, but that's the way it is.

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Kevin to start off, I totally agree with everything you said. I have a very hard time accepting a screwed something up or that Im not doing the very best I can possibly do, and I also tend to be defensive and I need to accept crits and take them for what they are. That is the reason I am posting here is to get used to accepting that. That being said you make a lot of sense and I should have stepped up and informed the client that I have better alternatives. I am working on a huge site right now that I am hoping will be amazing and I have 100% creative ability on it. I am looking forward to you specifically critiquing  it so i know weather or not Im heading in the right direction. Again thank you and sorry for being defensive. (p.s. no pink flamingos for me)

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You should be careful accepting money for websites using potentially copyrighted images, or at very least, provide credit. You claim to have 'designed' the site, but the looped background image isn't your original work, and I doubt the 'girl in the water' image is as well (If it is, use a higher-resolution version).

 

Beyond copyright, it's a respect thing. You shouldn't take full credit for others' work.

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Fair enough. You should verify this though, as your name is on the footer, not "their artist's."

 

Services like TinEye will help with this, though I wouldn't necessarily use it as absolute proof either way.

 

Regardless, for a local band and a low budget, I don't ever see this becoming a legal issue. If it's something you later want to put on your portfolio though it might hurt you.

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Once you go to a members profile, put a list of the other members on that page as well, that drop down has too many levels and takes to long to navigate to another members profile.

 

Give the menu items an effect, such as a color and/or background color change on hover.

 

Make the logo a link.

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