New Graphic Design Portfolio/Blog. Reviews please?

[deathshadow60]

On a final note - notepad - seriously?

Admittedly something like Notepad2, editplus, Crimson Editor, or any of the readily available and somewhat more robust bits of software is in order, however:

Haha you say you use photoshop etc so do you not have dreamweaver? If not you should really consider it - it will make your coding so much easier!

That fat bloated steaming pile of overpriced manure is the LAST thing Spritanium needs. The only thing you can learn from Dreamweaver is how NOT to build websites, and I have rarely seen anything useful produced with it.

NOTEPAD is better for web development that Dreamweaver could even dream of being... and yes, I'm including only working in code view in that opinion. It just gets in the way. Any of the parts of it good for nubes produces disastrously bad sites with absolute train wrecks of code... and by the time you don't need those tools, it no longer serves any legitimate purpose.

As a dearly departed friend of mine used to say, "the only thing about Dreamweaver that can be considered professional grade tools are the people promoting it's use."

[TehYoyo]

Admittedly something like Notepad2, editplus, Crimson Editor, or any of the readily available and somewhat more robust bits of software is in order, however:

That fat bloated steaming pile of overpriced manure is the LAST thing Spritanium needs. The only thing you can learn from Dreamweaver is how NOT to build websites, and I have rarely seen anything useful produced with it.

NOTEPAD is better for web development that Dreamweaver could even dream of being... and yes, I'm including only working in code view in that opinion. It just gets in the way. Any of the parts of it good for nubes produces disastrously bad sites with absolute train wrecks of code... and by the time you don't need those tools, it no longer serves any legitimate purpose.

As a dearly departed friend of mine used to say, "the only thing about Dreamweaver that can be considered professional grade tools are the people promoting it's use."

I use Notepad++ and love it...just as good as DW (from my experience) and...free! (that can also be interpreted as not 700 bucks)

sfoster, you make it sound as if he can just go out and grab a copy of DW...for some people, it's not that simple.

~TehYoyo

[Spritanium]

I've actually been using notepad++ for awhile now. It is a lot better. I don't see any need for dreamweaver, especially since I like working in code rather than WYSIWYG editors. Just helps me make sure my code is just the way I want it with as few useless tags as possible.

Though getting a copy WOULD be 'that simple' if you know where to look :U

[Spritanium]

I've done a lot of work on the wordpress variant of the site...now I need sleep D:

http://keithpickering.zxq.net/wordpress/

[RyanReese]

First impressions-fast site load. GOod jod. I love how you have the page set out.

The top nav is pretty good, though I question your use of 3 different colors on hover for the top nav. Pick one and stick to it. Just my personal opinion. What you have now works, but I think it'd be better with one color.

I am IN LOVE with your footer and your copyright notice. Very creative. 9.5/10 site. Good job.

[Spritanium]

Thanks! I'm hoping I can keep the relatively quick page loading with the Wordpress version of the site.

As for the different colors on the nav, I like them. They match with the front page links, which is where I got the idea. What I might do is change the h3 ribbon colors to correspond to whatever page you're on, kind of expanding that idea a little bit.

[Spritanium]

Oh man, I'm starting to wish I just had someone convert my site to wordpress for me

This isn't beyond my capabilities, but it's really tedious, especially when trying to make everything valid html5

[sfoster91]

Well that is of course apart from colour coded code, highlighting inline coding errors, inline code help/auto completion, auto tag completion, minimising code selections, tabbing included files for easy access, a reference library, document validation checks, easy file management and uploading, automatically uploading files to your server upon save, and the list goes on and on and on. All of which are improvements upon notepad, and improve and speed up coding dramatically. Dreamweaver doesn’t make bad code, idiots using it do.

I have rarely seen anything useful produced with it.

Show me a professional company designing websites in Notepad!

I don't see any need for Dreamweaver, especially since I like working in code

I ONLY work in code, and Dreamweaver makes coding so much quicker and easier and reduces mistakes. All I’m saying is try it, and you won’t look back.

Oh, and you really can just "grab a copy of DW", btw.

[Spritanium]

I'll consider it. The automatic uploading upon save actually sounds pretty cool, because filezilla can be a dick about that sometimes.

[deathshadow60]

Off Topic:

Well that is of course apart from colour coded code

Ah yes, the illegible acid trip that makes people gloss over sections of code missing errors... Wasn't a fan when Borland added it to all of their 'turbo' products 25 years ago, not a fan of it today.

highlighting inline coding errors

Which for me always seemed to like to highlight VALID code, making it useless.

inline code help/auto completion, auto tag completion

Which typically completes incorrectly, meaning spending more time editing than writing code. If you need that type of 'help', you probably aren't ready to be writing sites yet. (Also I suspect a healthy chunk of why people spend hours messing around with code that takes me five to ten minutes)

minimising code selections

Much like personalized menus, I've never understood the 'need' for that...but then I've seen on multiple occasion people collapsing the section of code their REAL error is in, then hack the hell out of what they didn't collapse. The purpose of viewing code is to view it; much like the point of a menu is to show me ALL the options -- not the ones I just so happened to have used lately. Kind of like using element inspectors (firebug / dragonfly) on your own pages -- If you have to do it, there's something wrong with the code for said page.

tabbing included files for easy access

A massive step backwards in functionality if you are a multiple display user... or a large screen user... Tabbed editors means crapping everything inside one window; good luck dragging it to another display or even just showing side-by-side. One of the reasons I prefer Crimson or NotePad2 is they don't have that nonsense... meaning I can have php, css and scripts open side by side on my leftmost display, browsers in the center-left, etc, etc...

a reference library

That's full of inaccuracies, misinformation and code examples chock full of bad programming. Just open up WDG and/or the reference here at Sitepoint in browser tab and/or window.

document validation checks

Because ctrl-alt-v from Opera (since when developing you should have one each of the four major engines open) is so tough...

easy file management and uploading

Depending on your definition of 'easy'. I find it needlessly convoluted compared to real FTP clients.

automatically uploading files to your server upon save

A sloppy/half-assed process if there ever was one. Local testing BEFORE upload FTW. Install WAMP/XAMPP (or just apache/php/mysql if developing on linux) and make it serve your working directory. Save to there, only upload when you *SHOCK* actually have working code.

... and that's before we talk all the fat bloated crap that turns it into nube predation -- if you stick to code view, don't use it's rubbish template system that by comments alone can cause rendering errors, don't use the wysiwyg or rely on the preview pane, and don't use ANY of the templates, automatic code, etc... it's just a overglorified version of most notepad replacements like notepad++, notepad2, editplus, etc.

... and one that doesn't handle tabs very well either.

It's a really mediocre crutch, responsible for as many if not more poorly coded sites than Frontpage and/or Web Expression; as FP is Microsoft so it's ok to bash it, but for some completely screwed up reason that overpriced steaming pile of dung seems to be as much of a fanboy darling as Firefox is. No matter how bad it sucks people defend it to the hilt.

All of which are improvements upon notepad

Methinks we have differing definitions of the word "improvements"

I ONLY work in code, and Dreamweaver makes coding so much quicker and easier and reduces mistakes.

Where for me all it's automated crap and acid trip colorized garbage just gets in the way making things slower, increasing mistakes, and preventing me from actually getting right down into the code.

All I’m saying is try it, and you won’t look back.Oh, and you really can just "grab a copy of DW", btw.[/QUOTE]
Assuming you don't mind blowing the price of a used car on it... or are you talking about illegally downloading it?

You're going to find many people here use editors like Notepad 2, Notepad++, EditPlus, Crimson Editor or other such notepad replacements, or even notepad itself. While the replacements feature a lot of what you listed above (even the FTP crap) -- just plain notepad + filezilla + all the browsers can be just as functional, fast and simple... if not more so than Adobe's massively idiotic train wreck of a 'development tool'.

DW is just as idiotic as the "lets draw a pretty picture in photoshop first" approach to web development, and is as responsible for useless websites as any of the other sleazy shortcuts people choose to take, that just make more work in the end or result in people sticking their heads in the sand over issues with their sites!

[Spritanium]

Honestly, there's nothing wrong with using Photoshop for layout mockups, unless you're literally drawing a fixed layout and dividing it into 50 different images.

I've started using CSS3 for all my rounded corners, shadows, and gradients, but I still put everything together in PS first to decide how it will look.

[RyanReese]

As long as you understand realistically, that there is a good chance your layout won't really appear exactly as PSD is created, fine. Sure. Go for it. I love converting PSD to HTML. I'm not creative. Gives me something to recreate. However, I understand that certain aesthetics (which many pure "graphic designers" don't understand won't work in real situations, can't be done many times, or even cross browser .

It just gives people unrealistic expectations of what to expect. In Photoshop, you can make it look like a Katy Perry, though it turns out more like Betty White.

[Spritanium]

Of course there are fundamental differences between a PSD mockup and a functioning website. A PSD can look however the designer wants it to, because it's meant to be looked at, not used as a content delivery service. You can make everything look perfect with what's there, but that's not what web development is about. It's about making layouts that work together with the content, and respond well when said content changes.

Photoshop provides a good environment for creating image mockups that will then be used as INSPIRATION for the final product---a living, usable website. But with CSS3 gaining more and more support, there are very few things from that PSD that should end up on the actual site in image form.

[TehYoyo]

Photoshop provides a good environment for creating image mockups that will then be used as INSPIRATION for the final product---a living, usable website. But with CSS3 gaining more and more support, there are very few things from that PSD that should end up on the actual site in image form.

That is...unless you're using a browser w/out CSS3 support...which many people are (read: IE8 and <). And the problem is that a lot of developers and designers-who-think-they-can-code are cutting up their PSDs and putting them into their site. Which was an original problem of yours, if I recall correctly (not the bad coding part, just the long loading times). It's better, now.

~TehYoyo

Edit: Like see? Take a look at your site in IE8 (default Windows 7 browser). The left is on hover, the right is default - on hover, it's super hard to read. Why is that? You need to make it work for IE8 (I mean, I don't care if you take my advice, but whatevs). Bad, bad.

[Spritanium]

CSS3 isn't the issue there. I have to take a look at that and find out why it isn't working (there's nothing in the code that would make it not work, from what I can tell)

At least I think it's not a CSS3 issue, because all the gradients I use have backups for older browsers

[Spritanium]

There's a quick enough solution---opacity wasn't working in IE8 anyway, so I just took out the IE filters and changed it to a darker gradient to make it more legible due to the lack of text-shadow.

It isn't too pretty but at least it's readable.

[jamesc79]

Wow good job bro! Website loads very fast and the design is perfect. I don't know why, but it kinda turns me into buy-mode. I tried with Mozilla, Chrome and IE - no bugs. You should pay attention to preselling methods because that is the most important part.

Sorry for my a little bit rusty english.

[Spritanium]

Wow good job bro! Website loads very fast and the design is perfect. I don't know why, but it kinda turns me into buy-mode.

Well that's certainly a good thing!

[TehYoyo]

Alright. Good fix for IE8 - I mean, it could have been as simple as putting in a provisional IE8 and less stylesheet w/ <!--if statements.

Looks alright, now.

~TehYoyo

Edit: Which, it seems, is exactly what you seem to have done.

[desihiphop]

wow love this this site... i like your logo and design also.

[ShakeelSafari]

Well done man keep it going. all though you are doing good work, beside this i can't give you a job. I suggest you to start creating logos also which will give your work more open space to go further in the field of Designing.

[Spritanium]

http://keithpickering.zxq.net/wordpress/

Working on a new home page design that will hopefully look less like a splash page.

The portfolio module is going to show random portfolio entries in a content slider.

Let me know what you think.

[jaimegm]

Hey buddy I like the effects in your images

[Spritanium]

http://keithpickering.zxq.net/wordpress/ Gonna post this again because I've made a little more progress.

I'd like to get @deathshadow60 back in here...I was enjoying my attempt to live up to his standards.

I still need to get the whole sliding portfolio entry thing done, but first I have to set up portfolio entries as actual posts that can be searched and accessed from other areas. Still trying to figure that out.

Try scaling the window on the main page...I'm loving it.

[ultimategp]

Hi, the website look good, I like the colors and graphics. The information is all well laid out.

However I suggest that you get a full domain to look professional.