site check--be brutal

[bpaulsen2000]

advertising site (http://www.demicooper.com/)

[hemebond]

Splash pages are lame and unnecessary; tables are not for creating layouts; code is invalid; HTML Transitional is for newbies; the design is sexy; and javascript rollovers used (that's bad)Really the whole thing needs to be recoded.

[firepages]

Tables have been used for years for layouts and will continue to be used for a while to come , however you will find the benefits of CSS especially in a fixed width layout well worth the inital changeover hassles.

but I assume at this point you are more interested in the presentation aspect (cos that's all your clients really care about)

I don't like spash pages as a rule but I think an ad agency would be expected to have a splash page & I do like the one that you have there.

the rest of the site needs more colour or an image or so at which time it should end up as a very nice looking site , the basics are already there it just needs those finishing touches.

[tsguitar2004]

Real quick before I eat:

You should have images on all those main pages.

All pages, except "contact," have a problem with the right-hand image of the content area. The lined background is, well, misaligned.

The links from the contact page are wrong. Where did FAQ come from? Why can't I go from contact to portfolio? You get the picture.

If I'm a little weak in the eye department, I want to read the navigation. Those items are *really* small. Add to that the fact that they are on a different axis than text usually is and you have bad navigation. Work on making that text bigger, particularly if you keep it oriented that direction (which I think you should).

There may be more to point out later, but I'm hungry and I haven't made dinner yet.
-ts

[Graft-Creative]

Tables, yada yada yada, and whatever else aside: I'm Liking it, a lot!

Yeah, splash pages are usually lame, but I'm not gonna get all dogmatic about it: This one works, it looks great, it intrigues me and makes me want to click *enter*.

I do feel a bit let down though, once I'm looking at the main pages, the plain black, centred arial (or whatever it is) seems to look bleak to me, after seeing the splash page.

I think I get why you did it like that, I'm just not sure it works. Why not use some subtle css on the headings, just to break it up a bit?

The black sidebar on the right, I didn't see it at first, I just thought there was some kind of alignment problem with the page.

On your portfolio page, I think the design really comes into its own, it really seems to compliment the portfolio examples.

As firepages said in his/her post, just needs a few finishing touches.

P.s. Great copywriting by the way! Apart from the words 'baby' and 'fabulous' on the portfolio intro page: 'It's the real thing, baby' makes the agency sound like it's up itself, and the word 'fabulous' - well, it's just camp :D

[bcarl314]

The black sidebar on the right, I didn't see it at first, I just thought there was some kind of alignment problem with the page.

I have to second that. Also, the text on the sidbar is small and hard to read. Almost illedgible. I'd suggest making it "stand out" a little bit more.

[chilipie]

I like the splash page. It's kinda cool. Just a note though, don't you need "again" at the end of the slogan or whatever? Once you've entered the site, while the design is good, it feels a bit "weak". I think this is mainly to do with the fact that there isn't a header image - maybe see what it looks like with one? And bloody hell that is a lot of nested tables!

[bradyj]

I love the visuals of the text on the splash page -- very cool -- the photoshop shadow and the torn paper edge could be made more realistic, but that's nitpicking. I do agree that splash pages aren't useful anymore, you tend to lose more of an audience rather than gaining a larger one. The only thing I'd say, as a designer... do you really read it? I look at the visuals, but my eyes go everywhere -- while I think it's pretty, it may not be functional then.

The typography for the subpages needs to be improved on. An alternating bold line at that type size doesn't grab your attention, or lead your viewers eyes to the proper information they need to find.

I also agree that the buttons are difficult to read -- and I'd probably like them more if they kept the scan lines over them, instead of a solid black on active.

Your address/phone # should be actual text so google can find you, or atleast a text replacement; it's going to kill your SEO.

They've already discussed it, but aside from the tables -- the code is very large and probably a little more than needed -- CSS would simplify this... even if you stick with tables, and use CSS for padding and placement inside the tables, you'd simplify the layout drastically. This also eases updates, and is a good selling point for clients -- which has helped me recieve more up front and more referrals.

You've got a nice professional print portfolio on there as well, I might add.

[Venom989]

The main thing I would change is the navigation. I've never been a fan of having to read text when its on a 90 degree angle like that. Perhaps something near the top and a lil bit bigger so its easier to see. However, I'd said your content is well displayed since the background is black and the middle is white, so right away my eye focus on your content. Good job on that pont! :)