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  • §Damian M.

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  • Depthskins LLC
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Expert Critiques Given

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Critiqued New Folio by ^Mark C.

On 14th Jan, 2010 in Web Design

Nice work. Was just checking the site and saw you made the colour more vibrant - looks good. It's all great and I like it. One question - for active state buttons, why didn't you make it read rather than black? The black is hard to see and the red is better contrast. Seems to be it'd be easier to un... [ More v]Nice work. Was just checking the site and saw you made the colour more vibrant - looks good. It's all great and I like it. One question - for active state buttons, why didn't you make it read rather than black? The black is hard to see and the red is better contrast. Seems to be it'd be easier to understand or see where I am. It also would be consistent to the rollover colour and since it's the first colour introduced my eyes would pick up on that much faster than the black active state.

 
 
Just a little thought.

 
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Critiqued Tap-Tap design by øIgor I.

On 27th Oct, 2009 in Web Design

Wow, great composition, lovely textures and very interactive. I must say, the footer is awesome. I love what you did there - it's one of those details that just perfects the design you know. It feels a little awkward to me having the navigation where it is but I understand it's position there is so... [ More v]Wow, great composition, lovely textures and very interactive. I must say, the footer is awesome. I love what you did there - it's one of those details that just perfects the design you know.

 
 
It feels a little awkward to me having the navigation where it is but I understand it's position there is so it wouldn't get lost if placed on the far right.
 
 
The other things that bothers me a little is that on my hi-res I just couldn't read the comics :(. I wanted to but I have to squint. I imagine on 1024 it's perfect.
 
 
Overall a great and stunning design.

 
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Critiqued inspiredBETA by ^Mark C.

On 22nd Oct, 2009 in Web Design

Definitely liking the improvement in this - it looks great. The talk bubble box looks good as well. I like what you did with staff picks and featured. That's nice. The position of featured is a good call. I like the internal page, seems like each site can get a full break-down in features and servi... [ More v]Definitely liking the improvement in this - it looks great. The talk bubble box looks good as well. I like what you did with staff picks and featured. That's nice. The position of featured is a good call.

 
 
I like the internal page, seems like each site can get a full break-down in features and services. That's a great idea. I am curious about how comments will look and I don't see an obvious way to add comments. Seems I have to read before I can add.
 
 
For the internal page, increase your leading. it should be 18px if it's 12px font-size. This will increase legibility and it's important on dark bg. That's the setting I used to help legibility here on DC.
 
 
It's interesting Richard said it's busy because I feel the same way. However, I think the reason for it being busy is because you have each row of text in it's own box. That's 4 additional box element in this small space - repeat it on all the others and it clutters the design a bit. My first advice is to use 1 box and use lines instead or nothing at all. Keep it clean, keep it simple.
 
 
I would also suggest using lower or mix cases because that will also de-clutter the design as Richard suggests and improve legibility. I'm not saying change everything from uppercase but some - you'd choose.
 
 
I do think the footer could more solid, a way to complete the design or even be something more, something informative. See thecssawards.com for example -  think their footer is great. You can read my critique of it on DCQ as well. I'm not saying copy obviously - just be inspired :).
 
 
Overall it's looking great. I love how it's shaping up. Waiting to see next iteration.

 
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Critiqued inspiredBeta 1 by ^Mark C.

On 8th Oct, 2009 in Web Design

Nice design, it looks great. I definitely think that the 'home' button isn't required here simply because of the audience. Not a single tech person or someone into beta wouldn't know the logo is the home button. I agree with others about the patter, they're a bit heavy and distracting to me. I thi... [ More v]Nice design, it looks great. I definitely think that the 'home' button isn't required here simply because of the audience. Not a single tech person or someone into beta wouldn't know the logo is the home button. 

 
 
I agree with others about the patter, they're a bit heavy and distracting to me. I think it'll look better smaller. 
 
 
Another problem I saw is the bg for 'links' in the footer. It's inconsistent that they are square compared to the logo. They should be rounded just to help create a consistent brand identity. I also think that form fields and dropdowns should be rounded for the same reason. I just personally like to revolve everything around my logo to create a consistent and cohesive look and feel.
 
 
The logos look faded so I assume that upon rollover they'd look brighter. Overall it's a great design. I really like it and actually didn't see similarity to DC. I'm glad it inspired. 
 
 
On a sidenote, I sketched some that could work for this. I also wouldn't publish this since you only wanna share this with the community. 
 
 
Nice work.

 
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Critiqued Logiq v2 Contrast by ^Alexander J.

On 17th Sep, 2009 in Web Design

The graphics is nice but maybe a little overwhelming. That was my first impression to be honest. I think the background could stay but the banner area is what I think makes it a bit much. Since you're placing white text on black I suggest you go with light grey text. The pure white on black creates ... [ More v]The graphics is nice but maybe a little overwhelming. That was my first impression to be honest. I think the background could stay but the banner area is what I think makes it a bit much. Since you're placing white text on black I suggest you go with light grey text. The pure white on black creates a strong contrast that can be hard to read.

 
 
The footer text seems a little tight but it comes across intentional to me. I don't think it looks good though. All in all - nice work just need to tone it down a bit. I personally thought your previous concept was better.

 
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Critiqued ClubTour Website by Morten T.

On 16th Sep, 2009 in Web Design

I like the colours... very funky and club like to me. I'm also really liking the texture used - it gives a great sense of depth and the pattern helps make the site dynamic, not too plain. I feel the navigation is a little lost but I love how the logo pops and the little illustrations around it. My... [ More v]I like the colours... very funky and club like to me. I'm also really liking the texture used - it gives a great sense of depth and the pattern helps make the site dynamic, not too plain. 

 
 
I feel the navigation is a little lost but I love how the logo pops and the little illustrations around it. My only issue is the space on the right and the main page doesn't tell me much in that 5 secs I would be willing to spend on the site.
 
 
Otherwise, nice work.

 
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Critiqued Accident Claim Co. 2 by ^Mark C.

On 28th Jul, 2009 in Web Design

I'm guessing the client will like this much more because it is corporate, brighter. I like it less than the other one though. The other was great. My one suggestion is making those black text white, I believe it'll look better. The box on the right looks very empty and plain, maybe try improving tha... [ More v]I'm guessing the client will like this much more because it is corporate, brighter. I like it less than the other one though. The other was great. My one suggestion is making those black text white, I believe it'll look better. The box on the right looks very empty and plain, maybe try improving that.

 
 
Otherwise, it's nice and seems to be what the client wants.

 
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Critiqued My Portfolio 3 by ^Mark C.

On 21st Jul, 2009 in Web Design

Well, this is why designers design for themselves when working on their own portfolio and not anyone else because at the end of it, they have to like their own portfolio, like looking at it. I appreciated the previous one because it was minimal, clean and informative but this one is much more creat... [ More v]Well, this is why designers design for themselves when working on their own portfolio and not anyone else because at the end of it, they have to like their own portfolio, like looking at it.

 
 
I appreciated the previous one because it was minimal, clean and informative but this one is much more creative and shows what you're capable of. It's very nice to see the work upfront like you have it unlike the previous one. The only thing is that you should punch up the colours of the text because some might find it hard to read.
 
 
I agree with Morten about the site logo being a little lost and I'm confused about the rocket, is that part of the logo? I like the blog but see where categories are? You've should increase legibility by changing font colour to some brighter because it's truly hard to read.
 
 
Nice design overall. I'd tell you keep this one but who knows, a free weekend might bring forth something else.

 
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Critiqued PF Concept Website by Morten T.

On 21st Jul, 2009 in Web Design

Very nice, clean and graphical. It's a well organized design with great structured. I also like the colour changes in the banner. The only thing I'd suggest is making the logo bolder. The logo being white on such a light background doesn't really make it easily visible in my opinion. Other than that... [ More v]Very nice, clean and graphical. It's a well organized design with great structured. I also like the colour changes in the banner. The only thing I'd suggest is making the logo bolder. The logo being white on such a light background doesn't really make it easily visible in my opinion. Other than that, a great design.

 
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Critiqued Sanimix by `Marcel P.

On 4th Jul, 2009 in Web Design

I'd have to agree with Steve on many points. The navigation is lost, hard to see which is bad for user friendly UI. It's almost like a little note no one should pay attention to. I do love the water effect and I believe it was well executed. In my opinion, I don't think there's need for the shower... [ More v]I'd have to agree with Steve on many points. The navigation is lost, hard to see which is bad for user friendly UI. It's almost like a little note no one should pay attention to. 

 
 
I do love the water effect and I believe it was well executed. In my opinion, I don't think there's need for the shower photo because I find that when on a page with images of the shower hardware it's redundant. It even takes away from images on the site to me.
 
 
A little too much copy on the main page if you ask me but that's just me. I'd like to see other internal pages myself.
 
 
It's really a nice design and the only real major flaw is the navigation.

 
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Critiqued Accident Claim Company by ^Mark C.

On 2nd Jul, 2009 in Web Design

This is a great design. I love the colour scheme, great contrasts. It's extremely hard getting a handle on it without that logo so I hope to see it with that soon. The site does jump at me indeed. Some of the issues I have: Firstly, check this: http://www.depthskins.net/jing//acc-20090702-182904.jp... [ More v]This is a great design. I love the colour scheme, great contrasts. It's extremely hard getting a handle on it without that logo so I hope to see it with that soon. The site does jump at me indeed.

 
 
Some of the issues I have:
 
Firstly, check this: 
http://www.depthskins.net/jing//acc-20090702-182904.jpg
 
 
Secondly, those 3 boxes seem like the should be at the top and somehow I think the design would flow better with them at the top. However, it comes down to importance of content. I just think it would look better at the top. 
 
 
I also find it to have a little too much space between boxes so things seem disconnected. I would decrease the spacing by a few pixels to tighten up things making the design holistic and neater.
 
 
Where it says 'personal injury compensation' is that selected because I don't understand why the arrow is pointed to contact if it's not selected. If it is selected, can we select the others? I'm slightly confused about this section and how it functions.
 
 
Check this: 
http://www.depthskins.net/jing//acc2-20090702-183454.jpg
 
 
Overall it's a nice design, I like but I would do a few things differently as stated above that in my opinion would further the design.

 
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Critiqued My Portfolio 2 by ^Mark C.

On 25th Jun, 2009 in Web Design

Very minimal and clean Mark which seems to me your style. I like the design, the bold typography on the main page and strong contrast. The site seems to be less artistic, more business centric which isn't bad, that's actually good because many designers lack the methods to make their site convert. ... [ More v]Very minimal and clean Mark which seems to me your style. I like the design, the bold typography on the main page and strong contrast. The site seems to be less artistic, more business centric which isn't bad, that's actually good because many designers lack the methods to make their site convert.

 
 
The one problem that is a big one is how hard it is to see your actual work. I couldn't easily find it and it's only accessible on the main page using 'HOW' and I don't get to see the entire work. Once I'm on other pages, there's no way to get to your work (or at least I didn't easily see it). If I were a potential client, the first thing I look for is your work. 
 
 
That's the only flaw  I see. Oh wait, it's missing a 'member of Designers'Couch' link. :)
 
Nice work man but I strongly suggest giving your portfolio a central spot on the site.

 
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Critiqued My Blog by `Davi F

On 15th Jun, 2009 in Web Design

I like the colours on this. The layout is well organized, nicely structured, very clean. The lines in the footer might be a little too strong for me, I prefer it to be subtle and less close to the title. I also like the header which isn't in this screenshot but on your live site, it's there, looking... [ More v]I like the colours on this. The layout is well organized, nicely structured, very clean. The lines in the footer might be a little too strong for me, I prefer it to be subtle and less close to the title. I also like the header which isn't in this screenshot but on your live site, it's there, looking nice. The search input field is also quite nice. Lovely work.

 
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Critiqued Haute Couture Weddings by ^Mark C.

On 15th Jun, 2009 in Web Design

This is pure simplicity and elegance. I like it a lot. The only negative I can say about this design lies in 2 things: 1. I generally don't like logos being placed on the right because it's not the first impression. I don't think navigation is more important that it should precede the logo. I do be... [ More v]This is pure simplicity and elegance. I like it a lot. The only negative I can say about this design lies in 2 things:

 
 
1. I generally don't like logos being placed on the right because it's not the first impression. I don't think navigation is more important that it should precede the logo. I do believe it works in some cases but this might not be one of them in my opinion. 
 
 
2. The quote in the lightblue could pop-out a little more. It's a little light but the size makes it legible. I still think it should be brighter though.
 
 
Otherwise, I think this design is great. Love it.

 
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Critiqued 4clubbers multigaming. by Trisme T.

On 9th Jun, 2009 in Web Design

The overall design is quite nice. There's no doubt the graphics is there and I like the colour scheme. The effects behind the logo is quite energetic. I'd have to agree that the typography on the site can be improved vastly. Firstly, I find the font size small but that might be overlooked since yo... [ More v]The overall design is quite nice. There's no doubt the graphics is there and I like the colour scheme. The effects behind the logo is quite energetic. 

 
 
I'd have to agree that the typography on the site can be improved vastly. Firstly, I find the font size small but that might be overlooked since your target audience are teens (my guess). The leading and kerning is tight so that can be improved by increasing it. The navigation gets lost and while the audience is young and has good eye sight, that's one thing that should not be over looked. It's needs to be punched-up so it can pop-out with all the content surrounding it.
 
 
I'm not a huge fan of the text in the header, not so much. I think you can do as James said, making the text bigger as a graphic and the copy a line or 2 explaining what the site is about. An example: depthskins.net, see the bold typography? Something like that.
 
 
I'm not liking the composition of things as much specifically the boxes in the right column goes up i the header. I think where you have 'powered by' in the header, that could be removed and placed somewhere else. How important is that information? In my opinion, the sign-in box could be there, the other boxes moved down. The result would be a more open header for more graphics like typography and effects.
 
 
My critique on your composition is quite personal to me because I have a bad habit of making things aligned and fit neat like a puzzle so know this is definitely my personal opinion. To me, this is my idea of the layout: 
http://www.depthskins.net/jing//4clubbers-20090609-210919.jpg
 
 
What I did was crop the layout that looks neat and organized to me and I'm liking that much more. Everything else (the right colum) seems out of place to me.
 
 
Nice work overall. Keep it up.

 
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Critiqued Vaquum by `Simon S.

On 9th Jun, 2009 in Web Design

I love the grunge navigation, it's aligned with what you're going for. I'm a little surprised this doesn't match the CD Cover design in terms of colour scheme. Why is that? My best guest would be you're going for something light, more clean and simple. Nevertheless, it's quite nice.

 
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Critiqued Enviro Assets Mgmt by ^Mark C.

On 5th Jun, 2009 in Web Design

Follow up to your reply (we've gotta implement threaded replies) What you did here: http://screencast.com/t/FEal5ATcT2l is an improvement in my opinion. It gives structure and details. Now you have to ask if it works and more importantly, experiment with this idea: how would it look with thinner lin... [ More v]Follow up to your reply (we've gotta implement threaded replies)

 
What you did here: 
http://screencast.com/t/FEal5ATcT2l
 is an improvement in my opinion. It gives structure and details. Now you have to ask if it works and more importantly, experiment with this idea: how would it look with thinner lines? how would it look if it was in the header and footer? What about making it fluid in contrast to fixed?
 
 
I also wondered why not add a complimentary colour, not necessarily red. The alignment is better btw.

 
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Critiqued Enviro Assets Mgmt by ^Mark C.

On 5th Jun, 2009 in Web Design

It would be extremely hard for me as well to not go overboard. I always believe there could be a balance so nice gradients, shadows, dotted lines, etc are all elements that you can use with restraint to make your designs be both clean and stylish. I always believe that creative designs lie in the de... [ More v]It would be extremely hard for me as well to not go overboard. I always believe there could be a balance so nice gradients, shadows, dotted lines, etc are all elements that you can use with restraint to make your designs be both clean and stylish. I always believe that creative designs lie in the detail of elements.

 
 
Why is your text, bottom of the banner, not aligned with the box? I would align that. What about adding a green line at the top and or bottom, say 10px? 
 
 
I think you managed to keep it extremely clean and simple. Maybe too simple for me but the main idea is that it's effective and makes the client happy.

 
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Critiqued Summer Lynn Designs by `Audrey S

On 4th Jun, 2009 in Web Design

What I like about this design is this nice cultural feel it has. I like the earth tone colours used. It's warm and welcoming. I do have a few thoughts that could maybe improve the design: First and foremost, I'm on a high resolution and one of the things I don't like about fluid designs is that I h... [ More v]What I like about this design is this nice cultural feel it has. I like the earth tone colours used. It's warm and welcoming.

 
 
I do have a few thoughts that could maybe improve the design:
 
First and foremost, I'm on a high resolution and one of the things I don't like about fluid designs is that I have to read ALL the way across my screen. When it comes to reading, lines should be more than 160 characters I think. I don't remember for certain but point is, for me, it's too long.
 
 
When I navigate further into the site, like 'Winter' category for example, what I see is more text. In my opinion a site like this should be imaged based. What at this point, I want to see images of the product. I also found it hard to figure out which category I'm in. I saw that 'Winter' is a tab bit brighter than the others to show active category but it's barely noticeable on my screen. I only see the difference when mouse-over, otherwise, they can pass as the same.
 
 
When I did get to 'Sold Works' I must admit the site really does reflect the product. Kudos to that.
 
 
I think the navigation could have been placed top left than on the top right. Again my resolution works against the design because it's so far right, I didn't notice the 'home' button immediately. You can also make the logotype link to the home page. That would be useful.
 
 
Overall a nice design that reflects the product well. There's great legibility as well. Nice work.

 
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Critiqued Wedding Planners by ^Mark C.

On 2nd Jun, 2009 in Web Design

Very clean, elegant and simple. That green works because it borders on being turquoise. The typography is spot on with great leading. Everything is nicely spaced out as well. What I don't like is the background, a little too much for my tastes but I see you tried to have it not overpower the desig... [ More v]Very clean, elegant and simple. That green works because it borders on being turquoise.

 
The typography is spot on with great leading. Everything is nicely spaced out as well. 
 
 
What I don't like is the background, a little too much for my tastes but I see you tried to have it not overpower the design. I just think the elements of the bg is a little too big and spaced out.
 
 
The other note is on logo. I personally don't think it's optimally placed. Maybe if you had placed it top left of the photo, it would be more prominent. Currently, it's lost because my eyes went straight over it mistaking it for some type of caption. Then I looked at the top for the logo... nothing... oh there it is. It's not hard to see but it's not the first thing I see. 
 
 
Otherwise, this is a great design with much simplicity and elegance. I also think it's very effective.

 
 
 

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