Website Feedback Please

[gareth_pritchar]

Hey nice site, can’t believe I've been retouching for over 5 years and only just come across it.
My names Gareth and I would like to start by asking for some critic about my website www.garethpritchard.com and just any advice people can give about making the website, more user friendly, display quicker, better resolution, etc, etc… Basically anything that I have missed out by becoming blinkered. Also I have a load of custom brushes and curves I use all the time, I was just wondering the best way of having them available for people to download.
Cheers
Gareth

[Gina_D]

Hi Gareth,

First of all, I like your site... it's clean, straightforward and I enjoyed looking at your work. The only two suggestions or comments I have are minor.

First would be related to your navigation. Your breakdown of the links to pages across the top for the main categories, and then the subcategories down the sides, makes sense and works well. The only suggestion I have would be that you consider consistency in where you locate the subcategories from page to page. They're consistently located in the same place on all but the portfolio page and that's slightly confusing when they jump to the top. Might consider leaving them in the same place and using your space to the right more. For instance, say someone clicks the print link... keeping them located down the left side, but have print link stay at the correct opacity, while photography and retouching are grayed or lowered opacity when someone is on the print page. This being the visual cue of where they are located on your site. Then move your large image to the right where it aligns with the right side of your header. This might give you room for your gallery of thumbnails in between. I hope that makes sense. Keeping the navigation consistent increases your viewer's comfort level in navigating your site.

The second comment is very nitpicky, but hey, when you're down to very minor issues, that's a good thing, eh? It's one of those detailed, graphic design things. Alignment issues. Since you have such a cleanly designed site it would be nice to see little details like alignment addressed. The first one that caught my eye was the subcategories that are listed down the left side. You could align the bottom of the text with the bottom of the image. (print, photography, retouching) Second one is in your header, "The work of Gareth Pritchard", the "T" at the beginning really needs to be aligned with everything else down the left side (home link and thumbnail images). That will also give it a little more breathing room as it's tucked up in the upper left corner very tightly. The third one I've already briefly mentioned... your larger images could be aligned with the right side of the image to the right edge of your header.

Ok, this ended up a bit longer than I intended! Like I said, these are minor things, but add to the professionalism of your site and to the minimalist, clean look you already have going. I hope this was helpful in some small way and once again, really enjoyed your work and site!

Gina

[gareth_pritchar]

Hi Gina,
Thanks for the advice, the idea of the fading one of the links to indicate which page your on is a great idea. I'll sort that asap!
And again I agree with the alignment issues.
Thanks again
Gareth