What do you think about this website I designed?

[bif]

I did it for some friends. Open to comments, suggestions, improvements, etc.

http://chocolatebar-cafe.com

[mainegreen]

1. Ok

Copperplate Gothic Bold is an evil font. It's overused and almost always evokes chintzy.

You have weird whitespace/scrolling issues. Whats with all the empty yellow void below the content?

The color choices are nice and fit in with the company name.

While fixed-width sites are not my favorite, it behaves well at different resolutions.

The navigation is simple and clean. This is important! Good work.

I think all your images need a 1px black border. It will frame them better.

The site layout is ok. Not great, but ok.


For the kind of business, this site isn't to bad at all.

[bif]

2. Well...

Copperplate Gothic Bold is the font they use for their logo. I thought I'd tie in with that. I used to have a bunch of photos of their chocolates below the yellow void (on the homepage) but I though it looked a bit busy. Do you think I should put the images back? What do you mean by whitespace/scrolling issues? I wish I had a design background, but I'm a writer...maybe I should have an art director help me with the design?

[mainegreen]

4. Ok

The problem with the copperplate gothic bold is on this page:
http://chocolatebar-cafe.com/Pages/news.html

While the font is ok for the title, to use it in text and links is cruel. It will look bad no matter how it may be tied in with the companies logo font. It's hard to read. Just use a normal font, like arial, helvetica, times new roman and the like.

What I mean by whitespace scrolling issues is that every page I look at, I can scroll way down below the end of the page's content, into a suffusion of yellow. You shouldn't be able to do that. It's bad for a number of reasons, one being people can accidently scroll down there without noticing and then suddenly, they have no website, no content (or so it appears to them), just a mass of yellow.

The front page is fine. You're right: adding more would make it look busier.

[bif]

5. Gotcha

I thought it loked crappy when I used it. I should have taken the time to pick out an easier-to-use font. I'll go back and change it. As far as the length of the page, do i simly resize it?

[mainegreen]

6. Not sure of the tool your using.

Normally, in web design you never size the vertical, it simply stretched to contain content. If you're using a visual designing tool though, you may have to resize it to fit only the content.

[bif]

7. GoLive

I just changed the font on the News page. But I can't figure out how to change the page size. You can change the grid, but I think that's just for designing purposes.

[keroro gunsou]

3. don't use...

graphics where you can use text. learn to use style sheets and your life will be much easier, they saved my life and they can save yours too :D

i've got some ideas on how to improve the site... but i am just waking up... will post more when i get coffee in me

[keroro gunsou]

8. ok i'm awake now

http://patrick.northarc.com/himitsu/cbc/index.html

check that out

[Sweet Freedom]

9. how about something like this?

[KG]

10. i vote for this one.

maybe a simple frame around the the photo....

[demmiblue]

12. I like this one, too!

Personally, I like things centered. The tabs across the top remind me of a bar of chocolate! Much easier to navigate... my eyes are drawn to the links, as well as the picture/description. Well done, dist22dem!

Props to bif for the color choice! Warm and inviting!

:hi: That is nice of you to build a website for your friends!

[Sweet Freedom]

13. I was thinking "bar of chocolate" as well.

And then, I had to go find some chocolate. Fortunately, there's plenty of Easter candy around the office. Yum. :)

[bif]

15. Thanks for the design help

To both of the above posters. I was toying with the idea of a vertical toobar--and this design confirms that I should have gone with it. I'll redo the site in the next couple days. I just redid it and need to gear up to doing it agasin. Thanks for the advise.

[Merrick]

11. Chocolate Crucifixes - YUM!!!

Chocolate induced serotonin boosting sensations of bliss infused with Jesus's love? Sounds positively orgasmic. Might my head explode?

[DS1]

14. Needs a new, original logo. Something that sets them apart

Send royalty checks to

DS1
c/o The Grog
Newburyport, MA 01950

[applegrove]

16. Cute but the navigation bar could be a little clearer. It looks like one sign.