Ok, I've fixed 90% of the stuff I didn't like from the first version of my first website and I'm ready for some feedback on the aesthetics, coding, and content of www.okfoundrycompany.com. Please provide any help, criticisms, etc. that can help me get better at this.

I built this site as my first site for my family business and here's some of my current dilemna's.

I think the logo needs help, but I tried to work around it for this version. I kind of like the historic feel, but I wanted some tension between the old and the new. One day I'll get a pro to design something better that can bridge our heritage to a modern aesthetic.

I tried very hard to be standards compliant AND work in multiple browsers. I have run the W3C validator several times, and I'm 95% there. Yahoo adds some non-compliant script for site statistics.

I'm still struggling with CSS inheritance, background image placement for the shadow effects, and the footer menu, so the CSS is a little bloated. I'm a little overwhelmed by the IE bugs for box model, margins, etc. and have probably implemented some sloppy CSS as I tried to borrow code and implement tricks to get things to work. I now know I need to really learn the positioning models and all the browser variants.

Cheers,

James

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Architectural Iron Castings
www.okfoundrycompany.com

Very nice colours and layout. Clean and pleasant. some good colours too. I like the design a lot ;)

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Hi James,
Only had time for a short visit so far, and I, too, found it to be a clean and straightforward site.

I will try to find the time to review your site more thoroughly.
In the meantime as a token of appreciation for your helpful reply to my post - I would like to offer you an innovation online consulting chat on a subject of your choice. You may contact me through info@best100ideas.com.

yours truly,
Amir

Thanks folks. Your quick impression is a great help and too kind.

Amire, I'll look for your mail.

Cheers,

James

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Architectural Iron Castings
www.okfoundrycompany.com

I like the larger, black and white graphic on the top, but I'm not too sure about the color one on the side. It looks like you added a Photoshop filter to it. If so, I would choose a different one because that one makes it hard to make out what the picture is. I don't think it goes well with the other graphic or is the right for the feel of the rest of the site.

As for the logo, I like the font you chose to bridge the gap between old and new, but I think it would look nicer if the graphic and words weren't so seperate. You may want to play around with it some more to see what else you come up with.

Other than that, it's a nice site. I knew nothing about the topic, but it was easy to learn about what exactly you're about and what you're selling.

Monkey, thanks so much for the feedback. You're getting right to the heart of some aesthetic issues I'm concerned about. The logo was actually created by an online logo service from a graphic I provided from some of our stationary from the 50's. I didn't really want to recreate the 50's logo, but that was the only one implemented well enough to use. I was curious about that spacing also, but I haven't tried to decompose the logo and re-assemble.

Yeah, the color photo is photoshop filtered. The original photo is ok, but the mouth of the furnace is a very common photo for a foundry site and our furnace is really not very impressive as we're so small. I was hoping by washing the photo, the colors could provide the feeling of foundry with the molten metal in an artistic way, but avoid looking too much like a small foundry. Of course it's a real stretch for me to use photoshop and not have it look just like someone who had photoshop playing around.

I'll play around with a less altered photo and see if I can get it to look ok. Glad you like the BW pic. Maybe my art attempts aren't all doomed.

Great feedback.

Cheers.

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Architectural Iron Castings
www.okfoundrycompany.com

Full marks for table-less code, pity about the 28 validation errors!

For me the style looks too like a blog site - that's the effect of narrow text in a shaded border.

The color image out to the right is preventing the site fitting 800 pixel width resolution. I'd place that under the menu. Speaking o the menu, what's the little fuzzy logo in the bottom right of the menu box?

I wouldn't leave the email address on the site - unless you particularly like SPAM - use the form only.

I don't have a problem with the logo, I think it sums up the business, but I think it would look better not in a drop-shaddow border.

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Paul Bilton design services ~ Sites not Sights

Paul, thanks for the props about tabless design, I'm sold on it.

Yeah, the validation errors are a disappointment. I think they're all coming from the Java script Yahoo added to end of the page.

Good food for thought on the layout. I tried the logo without the drop down while designing, I'll have to give that a second look since I was on the fence anyway.

Oh, the little logo widget in the menu is a standard perspective identifier from a blueprint. I was trying to use some images from engineering drawings to give some subtle engineering flavour to the layout. I want the image to be compatible with the expectations of engineers and architects or designers. Not sure if I have the artistic chops to achieve it, but I want architects to feel comfortable coming to us for ornamental castings and engineers coming to us for certified ductile iron. The color scheme I've used is much softer than you'll find on most foundry websites.

Cheers.

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Architectural Iron Castings
www.okfoundrycompany.com

When I first enter your website, I knew it was an architecural website, and it is. It's great that you design your webiste based on your interest. It's very clean and user friendly.

I love the design. I think its perfect but it could without the color picture on the top right. I think it would make it even better but even with it, it looks amazing. Good job.

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Debt Consolidation and Debt Management

Thanks for all the wonderful feedback. Such great support. Couple of votes against the orange picture, I'll take a hard look at that. The people have spoken!

Cheers.

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Architectural Iron Castings
www.okfoundrycompany.com