Dante's Pasta

[Green Beast]

Hey guys,

Just made another site, this time for an Italian restaurant. The client hasn't seen it yet, but they did ask for something richly-colored and warm. I think they'll like it. It's really quite accessible (lots of features meant to make it so). Warning, it's a tad image-heavy, not unreasonably so, but I thought I'd mention it. Once loaded, provisions were made to make the site function well for dial-up users, and there is a style changer on the Site Info page. Your thoughts? Dante's Pasta (http://adagiospa.com/_dnt/)

Thanks.
Mike

[NancyJ]

Ditch the background - too busy, really detracts from the otherwise great design.
One thing, the navigation background image seems to tile strangely, maybe thats intentional, just looks odd to me - IMO it would be better if it tiled smoothly.
Other than that it could just do with some work on the photos - check this site out http://www.tirolskaizba.sk/en/, now thats a great restaurant site, just looking at those images make me hungry! /drool

[mark87]

I really like the middle section, but as NancyJ said, I think the background is far too busy. I'm also not a fan of that bottle. Perhaps it would look better if it remained static, but with it moving about like that, it looks a bit odd.

If that bottle was a PNG which faded nicely instead of having jagged edges as it does now being a GIF (I suspect!), it would look great.

[Green Beast]

I really like the middle section, but as NancyJ said, I think the background is far too busy. I'm also not a fan of that bottle. Perhaps it would look better if it remained static, but with it moving about like that, it looks a bit odd.

If that bottle was a PNG which faded nicely instead of having jagged edges as it does now being a GIF (I suspect!), it would look great.

You're right Nancy, beautiful site.

Mark, it is a PNG... if you look at it with something besides IE (crappy PNBG support). I think you'll like it better. The bottle stays fixed, and it's smooth. In fact, in anything but IE the bottle has a slight showdow and the flame has a glow around it (it's why the background is lighter on the left).

The side bar tiles... yeah, I know. Bashed my head against the wall on it.

Thanks guys.
Mike

[mark87]

Ah yes sorry I did view in IE before, and it does look alot better in FF.

Perhaps you could try some IE hacks to get it to look more like it should? The PNG fix is easily done (just use the IE alpha filter), and you could possibly make the bottle stay fixed as in this example (http://www.cssplay.co.uk/layouts/fixed.html).

[Green Beast]

Ah yes sorry I did view in IE before, and it does look alot better in FF.

Perhaps you could try some IE hacks to get it to look more like it should? The PNG fix is easily done (just use the IE alpha filter), and you could possibly make the bottle stay fixed as in this example (http://www.cssplay.co.uk/layouts/fixed.html).

Thanks man. That's awseome. It's "fixed" right now, but I can make it "position:absolute" no problem and apply that fix. I like it.

I'm not really familiar with the IE filters but I can look into that. Someone elsewhere said that, too, but they also said it'd invalidate the CSS. Any info to that end?

Mike

EDIT: I won't be able to use that I don't think. Reason being is that if I apply position:absolute to the bottle PNG it'll end up over the content on 800x600. Pretty sure, unless I can sucessfully z-index it.

[Graft-Creative]

At first glance it looks interesting, and very nice - however the more I look at it the more it seems busy and over worked. I think it's a great concept though.

A few things that gripe me at the moment:

I'd knock the vine leaves back a bit in terms of tone, too bright at the moment, they kind of jump out and don't gel with the rest of the header montage etc.

Sorry, I think the navigation buttons are just awful - the arrow thingies don't seem to fit the rustic mediteranean theme at all, and the wooden background on the buttons look like they're trying too hard to look rustic - if that makes sense?

The bottle loks clumsy, I'd maybe make that duotone like the checkered background pattern on the right - just to send the whole thing back a bit, in terms of perspective.

Also it looks like the picture lighter above the wine list link needs a new bulb? It sould be casting a glow downwards, with an upshadow - not a drop shadow?

Sorry if it all sounds negative, good concept, just needs a bit of attention and simplification IMHO.

Kind Regards,

Gary

[mark87]

To use the alpha filter you just basically create an element such a div, and make it the height and width of the image, and then do something like the following.

#bottle {
filter: progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.AlphaImageLoader(src='bottle.png')
}

I can't remember if it validates or not, but I think you can use conditional comments to serve that to IE6 and below only, and then it should validate.

[Green Beast]

To use the alpha filter you just basically create an element such a div, and make it the height and width of the image, and then do something like the following.

#bottle {
filter: progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.AlphaImageLoader(src='bottle.png')
}

I can't remember if it validates or not, but I think you can use conditional comments to serve that to IE6 and below only, and then it should validate.

It will invalidate. I did little reading up. there is a JavaScript solution I found out about that would probably be best in this situation becuase the look is still okay if they didn't have JS available.

@Mark... That's perfectly cool. I don't expect every one would go for it. Too many good reviews will probably give me a big head anyway ;-). I will say that the client said, and I kid you not, it's the best site he's ever seen. That counts for a lot :)

You wrote some thing that really caught my attention:

At first glance it looks interesting, and very nice [...]

The reason I say that is lately I've been reading that we only have 1/20th of a second to make an impression one way or the other. I'm glad I got your 1/20th anyway.

Not sure if you know but the light is off until you mouseover or focus on it (uses client side scripting) then the light turns on and the shadow changes its angle. I did leave some shadow because it looked better with it. Wasn't sure if you hovered on it or have scripting disabled.

Your comments are appreciated.

Mike

[mark87]

@Mark...

I think that was aimed at Graft-Creative... ? :)

[harbingerOTV]

Im not sure if I'm following the png thin correctly. I did a hck jod to feed all non-ie and ie6 pngs and all non ie6 gifs here:

http://codingforums.com/showthread.php?t=63339&highlight=pngs

granted the filter wont validate but you can always conditional comment that in. Validating failing because of an IE filter "I think" shouldn't be a big issue. It kinda falls into the using amazon/ebay links in your code. They dont validate but they serve their function.

Some graphical issues that bug me Mike.

The repeating Itlay bg i dont think works. i know ive made the same comment on another one of your reviews but i feel the same way. Maybe just at the bottom? And off center it so itis just "sort of there".

The wood grain on the sidebar repeating is way too tiled.

Thw whole checked background and the bottle bug me. It looks cheesy.

Graphically you've done a lot of work on it but Ive seen your other stuff and you can do better.

Actually if scrap the checkers and the bottle and slap in a solid color, it would probally come together a whole lot more.

Not to be negative but I really just think the over graphics kill it.

[Green Beast]

Im not sure if I'm following the png thin correctly. I did a hck jod to feed all non-ie and ie6 pngs and all non ie6 gifs here:

http://codingforums.com/showthread.php?t=63339&highlight=pngs

granted the filter wont validate but you can always conditional comment that in. Validating failing because of an IE filter "I think" shouldn't be a big issue. It kinda falls into the using amazon/ebay links in your code. They dont validate but they serve their function.

Some graphical issues that bug me Mike.

The repeating Itlay bg i dont think works. i know ive made the same comment on another one of your reviews but i feel the same way. Maybe just at the bottom? And off center it so itis just "sort of there".

The wood grain on the sidebar repeating is way too tiled.

Thw whole checked background and the bottle bug me. It looks cheesy.

Graphically you've done a lot of work on it but Ive seen your other stuff and you can do better.

Actually if scrap the checkers and the bottle and slap in a solid color, it would probally come together a whole lot more.

Not to be negative but I really just think the over graphics kill it.


Thank Harbinger. Hehe, nothing ventured, nothing gained. I like it but want to go back to a more naked design next time.

I sort of agree that if I smashed the bottle, ripped off the table cloth and if (I think) extended the existing border pattern and elevation all the way out it'd be a cleaner design. I'd probably do it too, but based on the feedback I'm getting from the owners I think they'd be pissed. They really dig it. It's their cup of tea so to speak.

Thank you very much for the feedback.
Mike


@Mark (really this time)... yep, Graft-Creative. sorry about that. :)

[Graft-Creative]

I'm only being picky cos I kinda like it ;)

Gary