Greetings, my friends!
After countless complaints about the horizontal scroll design, I decided to re-design my website. And Jon, the amazing web designer that he is, has graciously accepted the challenge to do so.
If you have time, I would love some feedback before I go live. I invite you to post a comment here and let me know which version you prefer, the classic horizontal scroll that I already have with 450 px
height images:
http://www.amydunn.com/fashion.php
or this one:
http://www.amydunn.com/fashion2.php
The new features include a preview of more of my pictures on one screen, larger thumbnails, and bigger pop-up images. Instead of a scroll, the design now has cursor-navigation where you use the left and right arrow keys to go from one image to the other. I have some exciting news coming up with potentially booming traffic hits, so a fresher design clearly warranted my attention. Let me know what you like and what can be improved.
Peace and Love,
Amy
19 Comments
I think I may be one of the very few who actually LIKED the horizontal scroll feature on amydunn.com vol1 lol. But, I can see why the 2nd version would be more appealing to more people, it’s more intuitive and seems easier to navigate/find things you’re looking for etc.
Either way, you’re still rad!
Thanks, Ness!
I received this unsolicited critique almost a year ago. Some people just couldn’t figure out the horizontal scroll, LOL:
“Hi Amy,
I was lookin’ over your website & well it needs some work. Some Pix get cut off & the Archive does not work…
You might want to post smaller pix or maybe a 9 block of thumbs.”
Hi Amy,
I like the newer version and think Jon has done a great job with you terrific photos.
Linkee
Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaanks!
Hey Amy,
I like the new version, but I will say it seems like it would be a bit simpler if a person didn’t have to use the arrow keys on the key pad to navigate from photo to photo. Have you thought about the arrows that show up on the image as it comes up to either go to the next, or previous photo? Just a simple click with the mouse moves you along.
Just a thought. Other than that one little quibble, I dig your site. Well, I kind of dig you too. lol
Mark
haha, Mark.
I appreciate the feedback. That was my same gripe about the navigation/arrow keys. How the heck is anyone supposed to know that? LOL
Thanks for the message on flickr. Glad to hear all is well with you and that you’re shooting!
#2 works better in a lot of ways from a design standpoint. You waste so much real estate by only sliding images horizontally like that. A circular rotator would be cool, but that would require flash and some programming to do it. If it were me I’d do #2 with cool flash transition to load things up. Plain english meaning that it would do a cool flash effect while it preloads the images for you. If you guys get stuck on anything let me know, I know a little bit about doing cool effects and such.
PS – I like all the new images
Thanks, Pete, for the compliment, and for your vote, AND for the offer to help!
Hi Amy! I really cannot decide. My first thought was I liked the original, horizontal scroll most likely because I’ve used that layout for my ever-changing website before. But then I remembered why I changed it. I was always worrying about people not realizing they have to scroll to the right, so I put a note on the site that told them to do so. But then I thought that was kind of ridiculous to have to do that and that perhaps a layout as such just wasn’t a great idea. Anyway, I go to your website, intuitively see that I need to scroll horizontally, and am amazed by your work. I suppose a lot of people would open your page and become too distracted by the beauty of your first image to realize they need to figure out how to navigate to more.
My vote would be for your new layout.
Jaysen
I like number 2 better. It is also a lot easier to use as you can scroll more quickly using the mouse wheel (for those of us who have one), whereas the first one requires you to either drag the bar (inconvenient) or click and hold on the right arrow or use the right arrow key on the keyboard (slow).
Thank you all SO MUCH for the feedback. Jaysen, you’re hilarious, and Karl, you know I always appreciate your insight.
The feedback really helps, and I’m happy to have a fresh design. There is something cool about being able to see a preview of the images, and I’m appreciative that Jon is willing to re-design the site for me.
I have such a great network, yay!
The new navigation is definitely better. I have a similar php that I haven’t implemented on my site yet which will auto-resize your pics. So if you have the same, I think it will reduce you the time you need to prep pics for the web. (well, maybe one step less to do)
So, yes for #2 seems to be a consensus.
Sweet! Party people.
The php Jon implemented will auto-resize for me, but I still need to shrink ‘em from the original size. The 5D Mark II makes ‘em HUGE, and that slows down the loading.
BTW. Maybe I am not looking hard enough, but is there a way to go back to your website from this blogging area? I’m not sure if you intended to isolate the two. Just a thought.
J
Sorry Amy, you can delete this one. I’m talking too much. About the auto-resizing business, if you are preparing photos for print (8×10 etc.) I think the auto-resize saves you the extra step. No? I mean you do have to lower the res, but no need to change the dimensions.
I love feedback, Jeff, so keep it coming! I accidentally deleted the tab that takes you back to my photography page (d’oh!), but Jon is fully aware of that and promised to implement some sort of link to take the reader to my main page. Thank you!!
Hmm…my blog needs a lot of work.
Jon spent some time today updating the blog. What do you think?
It looks very nice. Awesome job Jon. So ya wanna work on mine? It need ‘A LOT’ of work! This is what happens when you try to do everything yourself. 9-5 I.T. , weekend/evenings photog, process client photos, plus build and maintain your own website. I have tonnes of pics to update my site, but no time. Anyway. I’ll shut up. Amy, I’m really quiet in person Lol!
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