Soaring Designs [Version 3]

Yeah, it has come again, this time with version three! Soaring Designs v3 is planned to be released in the coming week(s).

David and myself have worked quite hard on this design, all with hope to transform Soaring Designs from a amateur firm into a much more professional one. The design itself was done by me, and was planned to be very simplistic as well as clean and professional looking.

The site is not really near completion, it still needs a lot of php work. I figured that I would give you all a sneak preview, so here goes.

http://www.soaring-designs.com/new/profile.php

Please give me feedback regarding this version. What could we do to make it better? What suggestions would you give us for the next version?

A new feature we included is randomized banner images. Currently there are 5 that cycle, and I plan to update these as time goes on. What do you think about this feature? Do you like the banner images? Do they work with the site well? If you hit refresh time after time, you are bound to view all five banner image. Which is your favorite?

I plan on making a kickass homepage that will differ from the rest of the pages, to give viewers a sleek entrance into Soaring Designs!

Thanks a lot, and enjoy!

-Jim

overall its not bad. i'd like to see a different blue or a contrasting color for the page background (rather than the blue you use in the header), that would give it some more pop. nice and clean tho, works fairly well overall.

one thing i will say is you REALLY need to get someone who writes well to write your content. that first page is atrocious, seriously.

chris

the field/sky photos are nice and match the idea of "soaring", the palm trees don't seem as appropriate, they make me think vacation and the photos themselves aren't that great anyway. and the one with just clouds is pretty bland, blends right into the background.

also, if you want to have randomized banners, i would suggest you limit your photo choices so that you maintain a strong, confident image for your firm (i.e. keep one consistent style, or subject matter, or point-of-view, or colour scheme, etc.), i just think it's important to establish a solid, memorable identity for the firm/website, your range and abilities can be demonstrated in the portfolio section.

also, if you want to have randomized banners, i would suggest you limit your photo choices so that you maintain a strong, confident image for your firm

I agree. Dont include images just for fun. If they dont have meaning to the design......they dont belong on the layout.

//drastic suggestions below

With that said, you could scrap the whole banner thing. The reason i say that is:
1) Everyone with a similar layout has random banner images...no originality there.
2) Even thought the field image goes with "soaring", the image was taken from the ground.....which doesnt really give a "soaring" vibe.
3) The other pics arent all that interesting, or dont match.

If you were to keep them, maybe merge a bird/plane/kite into the sky. Or how bout a single sky scraper, like in the middle of the field? If you were to scrap the banner (im sure you could find better uses for that space anyway), then you could work a soaring theme behind your site name, possibly a sky background, or clouds drawn in vector (for a diff vibe). That would also make it "pop" from the blue background.

Also there's alot of similar kinda designs......so (on first glance) what makes you better/more interesting than the others?? If you can figure that out, you'll bridge the "amateur firm into a much more professional one" gap.

its not too bad could use some paddnig around your text its too close to the edge.

uhmmm .. . I think It's quite okies ...but
do you think it's too Simple...?

I like it,..

Its nice and simple..

Good job.. good luck with your site..

It's simple, it has color, it's small (which I tend to be the sites I like more), it's orgainized. What more could you ask for?

Well, really ... it needs to showcase your talent in itself. Considering that this is a site where (I'm just guessing here) you are going to offer web services such as designing sites or graphic design, you should probably let your website showcase some (not all) of your talents. I know if I was looking for someone to do my dirty work for me and came across your site, I would seriously consider not contacting you or possibly even looking into your portfolio.

Hope that helps a little. ;)