SITE REVIEW: Zero One Studios

Hi all

Got a studio/modelling agency site pretty much done - the full size images only pop up to a full size window on portraits, not on model portfolios or weddings, and some of the photos in the portfolios sections will likely change over the next few days, but please let me know any comments & suggestions!

Cheers

http://www.zero-one-studios.co.uk

Nice site!

The main problem I have with it is the small font size...really, everywhere the font is too small. Although I like the contact font at the bottom it may be wise to switch it...seeing as that the prominent picture is pink, you may want a less 'bold' font (figuratively).

Also, I have some difficulty with the scrollbar in the "Model Agency" section; I can't scroll all the way down without the mouse error, or whatever that is called.

The links mess up at times...it's hard to explain how but it happened twice while I was looking at the site. One thing you could try is to make the links an different color when the reader is on that page, so they'll know where they are.

After clicking a few of the links, the slow fading effect turns into a long wait (at least for me)...maybe you could speed that up.

Other than that...great logo, nice picture; but if everything could be made a tad bigger (ie text), and if buttons could have squares around them for contrast/outlines.

If you're going to "have more content," I suggest fixing that scrollbar and making the text bigger.

Great job!

I'd use crisper fonts throughout, especially with the contact details.
The map poping up when your address is clicked is great, I'm wondering why the phone/fax are not selectable though. Maybe have the email clickable ?

For the model portfolios & weddings portfolios I would add useHandCursor=false; to keep the hand cursor from confusing people if thoose pictures don't pop anything up.
For the portfolio(s) which do popup fullsized images I would consider poping them up in windows with no toolbars (leave them resizable/scrollable)

Just had a thought (maybe a brainfart, not sure yet ) in the sample model portfolios instead of the brightness change onMouseOver It would be neat to brighten up only the outline & have a twinkle star gimmick inside that movieClip that you can _x/_y position over one eye for each of them & animate it to appear/twinkle/dissapear onMouseOver (or on it's own at random intervals), Along with some bios (the mouseOver effect makes me think "somthing" should be happening there )

Wow some really good points thanks guys!

@ CLicky, cheers for the review - I'll sort the font at the bottom and put a 1 px crisp black border round the buttons, speed up the fades, and debug that glitch with the links. All good stuff ta

@ joebert thx for the points, the twinkle thing could well be on! have to check with client tho
in a few days, all the pics will pop up their respective images, tho you're right about the no toolbars thing. will sort the contact details at bottom ie selectable & clickable- good idea!
Cheers guys
Chris

Well, for one thing - your site is not SEO friendly. In fact, there is no SEO going on period, but even if you did, there is no content since its all flash. If this was a personal site, then that would be fine by my standards, but in my opinion, I feel that any business on the internet should have some degree of SEO so that traffic can get to them.

Something that should definitely be brought into consideration between you and your client(s).

Other than that, the flash itself is simple and the design is ok (the logo could use some extra umph) but I am not getting the impression of a model agency or anything to do with the services you offer - there should be much, much more photography and pictures or visuals in general being displayed or at least more than there is. If you look at other model agency sites you can get the idea of what I am saying. I am getting the feel of a personal site than a business with this one and since it is a business, more should be done to target the user/consumer into what you offer right away, rather than to have them dig for it.

Your definitely on the right track though, it just needs to be pushed more.

Cool good point, will look into a clearer theme. I haven't started on the SEO yet, but will do soon. There may be a HMTL version in the pipeline so that would certainly help, but any suggestions on flash SEO would be v welcome!

Chris

Like clicky said, the scrollbar could use some customizing. That's the 1st thing that occured to me. The logo could also use some work.

There are some pointless elements in your code and design, such as:

Your movie is 750 by 550 px but you only use about half of it. IMO the white space doesn't do you any good. wmode=transparent only works with Internet Explorer !

The text that Macromedia Flash creates ( <!-- URL's used in the movie-->
<!-- text used in the movie-->
<!--Welcome to the home of Zero One Studios, Newport... etcetera )
Is completely useless, since it's hidden.

And... there is no such thing as Flash SEO Tho' there are rumors of such contraptions being the future. All you can do is add some META keywords.

Cheers for the points 5/7 - must look cross-browser at the site, haven't touched on that yet.
Hopefully a html version will up soon with SEO in mind.
Will explore the scrollbar issue. I've not customised them before so I need to get to grips with that. :S
Chris

whats with Small sites in flash, almost many flash sites I see, are miniscule, i.e Unflux's site, ah, alas I am confused of this fad.

anyways, it looks good.

I don't understand why you have flash for that site in the first place.. It makes no sense to me. The site would look just as well without the flash and would help you immensely with SEO. Also, the only other thing I think that's holding your site back is the logo. It seems very fuzzy and the color doesn't match the rest of the site very well. It really bothers me. If you get a crisper, better logo (perhaps white with a slight drop shadow?), I think you've got a winner! I like the unusual color scheme, it's not something you see every day, but actually is pretty soothing. You have a nice blend with the pink.

hi
As stated, the font size is too small, the the bigger image is still not available, but one can click on them, its better to disable that click, so novice user do not wait for larger image and get bad impression of site, overall good work, but for seo you should go for html

kashyap

Cheers guys - gonna do some tweaking over the next few days.

good site!

i like how fast it loads and the layout is nice and clean,

the portfolio page is well set out and the images load instantly on my connection anyways, good use of flash too, i really wanna learn flash, just don't know where to start

I agree with a lot of what was already said. The big blue text ....I;m not digging it. Where are the pictures?

I too was lost in the navigation. It was obvious enough that the new section had loaded.

OFF TOPIC BUT STILL NEEDED: The reason flash developers make small sites is so that the visitors still using 640x800 (they are out there) or 800x600 don't have to scroll their way to carpal tunnel.

I don't think the blue logo works to well with the pinkish theme. Maybe a new logo in the lineup???
Here's one I made, I can give you the copy without the text if you want it.....free of course: http://www.truceco.com/images/mock_photography_logo.jpg

-Corey (Truce)