Dynamite Art

Alrighty then, I was just tryin to be helpful. :(

I know that you were trying to be helpful and I greatly appreciate it. :D

Super... one of your first flaws is trying to be original.

As someone who is learning the trade, it would be in your best interest to "steal" a layout. Not completely. You should put some personal touches to it.

Another thing I would recommend would be to take a graphics program* and draw up your layout graphically, and then code it.

*probably Photoshop since you're on this forum, but IMO Fireworks is easier to use for this

What do you mean as "someone who is trying to learn the trade?" I didn't take it offensively but it sounds like you're implying that I am a newbie at this stuff, which I'm not. Anyway, I am NOT stealing anyones ideas...even if I was a noob.

You admitted yourself that you don't know how to design layouts. Therefore you are "someone who is trying to learn the trade".

Quit getting offended.

If you don't want to "steal anyone's ideas" then you're slowing your down your own development.

uhh - you have to get better hosting - the popups killed me -
now- for the site itself... - I looked at all the tutorials -
there isn't a singe one I haven't seen before - why put them up? - there are sites the offer the same things - you say you want to be original and yet there isn't a single original thing on your site - why have it at all if you're not offering something that others cannot offer? the layout is no grand prizewinner either - as you yourself confessed - why bother and spend all that time on something that has nothing to offer? I know that making tutorials is a time consuming, tedious process - why not spend that time at getting better with layout designs??

Originally posted by mihai
uhh - you have to get better hosting - the popups killed me -
now- for the site itself... - I looked at all the tutorials -
there isn't a singe one I haven't seen before - why put them up? - there are sites the offer the same things - you say you want to be original and yet there isn't a single original thing on your site - why have it at all if you're not offering something that others cannot offer? the layout is no grand prizewinner either - as you yourself confessed - why bother and spend all that time on something that has nothing to offer? I know that making tutorials is a time consuming, tedious process - why not spend that time at getting better with layout designs??

In his defense, to get better at layouts, you've got to have something to make. The tutorials give him something to design.

Ok degroat, I already told you, I wasn't offended...
2nd, I never said that I don't kno how to do layouts, I said that I cannot come up with any good ideas. Now, mihai, I already said the the hosting is crappy and that the tutorials aren't all that original but what tutorials are original? I mean seriously...think about it...go to 5 different tutorial sites and I guarentee you will see the same tutorial at least twice. It might not be the same directions but the same effect. Thats how my site is...not same directions for the tutorials but same outcome.

Originally posted by supersaiyan1322
Ok degroat, I already told you, I wasn't offended...
2nd, I never said that I don't kno how to do layouts, I said that I cannot come up with any good ideas. Now, mihai, I already said the the hosting is crappy and that the tutorials aren't all that original but what tutorials are original? I mean seriously...think about it...go to 5 different tutorial sites and I guarentee you will see the same tutorial at least twice. It might not be the same directions but the same effect. Thats how my site is...not same directions for the tutorials but same outcome.

If you just write a tut for a technique that you, yourself developed - it will be original.

You also keep saying that you can't do designs. So either, don't do them at all. Or learn. There are plenty of books that teach design tricks, stuff like that. There are also sites that teach that too, I'm sure.

Not everyone is born with a talent of designing websites, but people learn. They learn, they get good, and voila! They're good ad design.

You guys have to learn how to take the grittiest of critiques.

I'm going to tell you something. When I critique someone's website, I drive it into the ground hard. Like, really hard. I pummel it. why? Becuase that's how people learn. That's how I learned. My friend who was better than me told me my site sucked to high heaven. At first I was discouraged, but then he said something very wise.

"Dude, it's your fricking first site. You can't actually expect to get good results until you've done this kind of thing for a while."

I try not to come out seeming ****y by telling someone that their site blows, but if it must be done, it must be done.

By saying someone's site blows, you aren't insulting them as long as you back it up with constructive criticism. Also, you aren't insulting their skills or potential, you're actually bringing the fullest potential out.

Furthermore, when Malevolent Jester said you weren't good at Photoshop and html, it's just what he could tell from your work. Ever hear of the saying, "your work precedes you"? Well, if you show someone something you did, and it's not your best, then you really shouldn't be asking for a critique. Youc an ask yourself for that critique.

And also, Malevolent Jester, Yest here are books and tutorials but I find that the best teacher is time and experience. You really learn how to do it after doing it so many times. I don't like to consider myself a "good" designer since there are so many out there that kick the **** out of me, but I do design very frequently, like every day for the past couple of years. It's incredible how much I love doing it.



Having said that, I will give you my critique of the site.

It sucks.

Now here's why:

First of all the preloader can be done with more style; i think that a big logo as such is unnecessary. To think of the fastest example that comes to mind, I will say 2advanced. look at their preloader. Very simple. It just says "loading interface" in small letters. That's it. nothing too special, but remember that when designing, "simplicity is key."

Um I'm not sure (too lazy to check coding) but if you used an iframe to make the newsbox, take it out. It's unnecessary, just use a div, since the site is justified to the left.

The logo is very plain, just times new romain overlayed over a gray box. The gray box doesn't have a metal look. If this was what you were going for, then try to do some kind of shadowing or something to make it look metallic. Hell, you've got a metallic tutorial right there on the site. Use it.

The sideways text is redundant and the chrome doesn't look nice against the plain gray.

The wires, as people have stated before, are too tutorial-y.

And also, yes you said your tutorials were original, and I'm not trying to accuse you of anything, but the lightning tutorial is just the same as the TP tutorial for lightning. I have seen the grid and the water tutorials before too (with the water, Absolute Cross just comes into mind... may not be the one, though. also TP has a water tutorial kind of thing too.) And the metal tutorial has been done and redone, no one knows who did it.

I'm not saying you copied or anything, please don't think I did, but I'm just saying that if you're using a different method to get to the end product, then that different method is the same as a lot of other people.