Website critiques & feedback!

[ksafin]

Hello all.

As my team enters our second year, I decided to completely revamp our website.

You can see it at www.eaglesrobotics.org

I'd love to hear your feedback, critique, comments, etc, so I can improve the site and gauge its effectiveness.

Thanks!

[KeatonM]

"This domains disk limit has been exceeded!"

Can't access the site. May want to look into that.

[ksafin]

Originally Posted by KeatonM

"This domains disk limit has been exceeded!"

Can't access the site. May want to look into that.

Haha, you happened to click it at just the wrong time!

We installed some control panel on our server to make domain and file management easier, and didn't change the disk quota.

it should be fine now.

[dcarr]

Really nice graphics. How do you like Joomla?

[ksafin]

Originally Posted by dcarr

Really nice graphics. How do you like Joomla?

Thanks, I take a liking to graphic design & make all of our teams banners and artwork.

Well, I've been using Joomla for various sites for about four years now, and I love it.

It's really improved since I first began using it (1.0)

[dcarr]

Originally Posted by ksafin

Thanks, I take a liking to graphic design & make all of our teams banners and artwork.

Well, I've been using Joomla for various sites for about four years now, and I love it.

It's really improved since I first began using it (1.0)

Neat.
I've always been a WordPress/Drupal-when-I-need-it guy but I'm liking your site and am always open to new things.

[ksafin]

Originally Posted by dcarr

Neat.
I've always been a WordPress/Drupal-when-I-need-it guy but I'm liking your site and am always open to new things.

You should definitely try it!

[rachelholladay]

If I might offer a few opinions -

My immediate first reaction to the homepage is that there is a lot to see. There is a lot going on (maybe too much, I'm undecided) so my eye dances across the screen. In the header section you seem to have duplicated your Facebook and Twitter buttons, although this may have been done on purpose. I do like how your slideshow is more than just pictures, its a series of infographics. Again, however, its a lot of information thrown at the viewer at once. Your slideshow banner does accomplish giving the basic team information, which would normally be in some kind of introductory paragraph. But a different approach is cool. The navbar seems rather functional and incorporates your team theme in rather well. I will say that the "Resources" subtab seems much more loaded than the others in terms of first glance at content.

Within the pages there seems to be a nice continuity, which is always a comfort to the viewer. Adding in a page that gives specifics on your logo is a particularly professional touch. You provided some lovely pictures in your 'Robots' section, but it would be cool to read some details on them if possible. You give adequate discussion to both FIRST and your sponsors, so kudos on that. You media section is standard and easily viewable and expandable, me gusta as well. I would suggest that the album cover for either the FRC or FTC stuff not be the FRC or FTC logo simply because its undescriptive, unless all of the FRC (or FTC) photos will be the same album. Also, you might know this but you currently have no FRC videos linked.

Your 'Contact Us' page is also effective and reflects (what I would assume to be) the webmaster's decision to streamline all outside communication through the email-in feature. Although the blogs are currently blank, I like the idea of them (if I have the idea correctly in mind) and the headers have lovely graphical design. Currently the resources section is also blank (so no review available). I would caution that by having the many subtabs the viewer will expect a significant amount of information in each one. If you intend to fill them all, then I'll offer an early congratulations because that would make your site an amazing resource for all teams. Depending on the size of your resources, however, you might have to consider combining pages, but this is all a personal decision, and you may do with my thoughts as you wish.

Overall, looks nice. Although I'm a webmistress myself, normally my quick website reviews come only from a viewer's aesthetics perspective.

[ksafin]

First of all, I'd like to thank you. I really appreciate you taking your time to comb over our website so extensively, and for taking your time to write out thoughtful feedback.

Now, my responses:

Originally Posted by rachelholladay

My immediate first reaction to the homepage is that there is a lot to see. There is a lot going on (maybe too much, I'm undecided) so my eye dances across the screen.

I get that impression as well to be honest.. Especially with having our banner in the header, the "subteams" icons in the body, and the blog banners in the body, it is a lot. I just like to use less text and more graphics, and it's a bit hard to incorporate without making the page look stuffy. I definitely agree though.

Originally Posted by rachelholladay

In the header section you seem to have duplicated your Facebook and Twitter buttons, although this may have been done on purpose.

The buttons in the header are meant to link to our twitter & facebook pages, while the buttons in the absolute top header are meant to actually serve as functions to "like" and "follow" directly from the website as opposed to going to the pages and "liking" or "following" from thereon. Do you think this makes sense?[/quote]

Originally Posted by rachelholladay

You provided some lovely pictures in your 'Robots' section, but it would be cool to read some details on them if possible.

Probably such will be added. As aforementioned, I try to skimp out on text but it's certainly necessary to describe the robot. I have a small description for each, but should have more content than that.

Originally Posted by rachelholladay

I would suggest that the album cover for either the FRC or FTC stuff not be the FRC or FTC logo simply because its undescriptive, unless all of the FRC (or FTC) photos will be the same album. Also, you might know this but you currently have no FRC videos linked.

I agree entirely. However, I was having trouble deciding what to use as the album cover for both. While I could just use a photo, I was looking more for some kind of broad over-arching image that would encompass the content of the entire album. And yes, I admit I have quite a few videos to upload

Originally Posted by rachelholladay

Although the blogs are currently blank, I like the idea of them (if I have the idea correctly in mind) and the headers have lovely graphical design.

Thank ya! If you look at the top of the page it says "Login to myERX". The idea for blogs is that students create accounts, log in, and we grant them permissions to post to their teams blog. That way all students can blog about experiences during build season to make for a dynamic blog & log all in one. Additionally the backend myERX has a calendar of team activities. It's like a team member control panel.

Originally Posted by rachelholladay

Currently the resources section is also blank (so no review available). I would caution that by having the many subtabs the viewer will expect a significant amount of information in each one. If you intend to fill them all, then I'll offer an early congratulations because that would make your site an amazing resource for all teams. Depending on the size of your resources, however, you might have to consider combining pages, but this is all a personal decision, and you may do with my thoughts as you wish.

We'd like to fill out all categories, but like you mentioned about going light on resources, I don't know how extensive our resources will be. What would you think of doing instead? Having just "FRC" and "FTC" resources rather than split by section?

Originally Posted by rachelholladay

Overall, looks nice. Although I'm a webmistress myself, normally my quick website reviews come only from a viewer's aesthetics perspective.

Any and all reviews are welcome

Thank you!

[dcarr]

I'm not sure how easy this is to achieve with joomla, but have you considered using AJAX to load content instead of re-loading the entire page? Would give the site a super juicy and professional feel. For wordpress, there are plugins that do this, but you have to spend a bit of time making it work properly with different page templates.

[ksafin]

Originally Posted by dcarr

I'm not sure how easy this is to achieve with joomla, but have you considered using AJAX to load content instead of re-loading the entire page? Would give the site a super juicy and professional feel. For wordpress, there are plugins that do this, but you have to spend a bit of time making it work properly with different page templates.

Go check out the website right now

It's a bit clunky w/ modules, trying to adjust.

edit: It doesn't work well with our Gallery or Video components, as well as the frontpage content/modules. Everything else is now Ajax'd.

[dcarr]

Originally Posted by ksafin

Go check out the website right now

It's a bit clunky w/ modules, trying to adjust.

edit: It doesn't work well with our Gallery or Video components, as well as the frontpage content/modules. Everything else is now Ajax'd.

Yep yep! The loading gif doesn't look perfect but I'm sure you can make your own.

One other note: the pop-up video that plays when you first visit the site is off-center and looks a bit awkward to me (Chrome). How should it look?

[rachelholladay]

Originally Posted by ksafin

The buttons in the header are meant to link to our twitter & facebook pages, while the buttons in the absolute top header are meant to actually serve as functions to "like" and "follow" directly from the website as opposed to going to the pages and "liking" or "following" from thereon. Do you think this makes sense?

I would pick one of the other for the social media. I can see your reasoning for putting both but it almost views like a mistake. Personally I would go with ones integrated into your header (the ones with just the small graphic). Its less obtrusive, and therefore more professional.

Originally Posted by ksafin

Thank ya! If you look at the top of the page it says "Login to myERX". The idea for blogs is that students create accounts, log in, and we grant them permissions to post to their teams blog. That way all students can blog about experiences during build season to make for a dynamic blog & log all in one. Additionally the backend myERX has a calendar of team activities. It's like a team member control panel.

Very cool. If it gets rolling as you plan this would be an interesting feature. Plus it would give each person a feeling of ownership over the website (something I personally find important).

Originally Posted by ksafin

We'd like to fill out all categories, but like you mentioned about going light on resources, I don't know how extensive our resources will be. What would you think of doing instead? Having just "FRC" and "FTC" resources rather than split by section?

Yes, my initial suggestion would be one for FRC and FTC. (I almost suggested that in my first post, but must have forgotten too and now suggest it here).

[KeatonM]

Originally Posted by ksafin

Haha, you happened to click it at just the wrong time!

We installed some control panel on our server to make domain and file management easier, and didn't change the disk quota.

it should be fine now.

Ah, I see.

I like that there's a mobile theme, however what appears to be your slideshow breaks on my phone. I attached a screenshot of what I mean.

When I went to the desktop version, the page fully loaded and then I was prompted to download "liq.webm." I don't know if that only happens on iOS, I'll check on my nexus tablet later.

[ksafin]

Originally Posted by KeatonM

Ah, I see.

I like that there's a mobile theme, however what appears to be your slideshow breaks on my phone. I attached a screenshot of what I mean.

When I went to the desktop version, the page fully loaded and then I was prompted to download "liq.webm." I don't know if that only happens on iOS, I'll check on my nexus tablet later.

Yes, unfortunately the slides do break down on the mobile theme :/

And, in response to the liq.webm download: interesting. We had a popup box that would play a quick video (3 seconds) called liq.webm. I'm surprised it asked you to download it.