Houston, we have liftoff.

[Joe Diaz]

Loving the new look Dan.

IE can be tricky to design for. Or all the other browsers can be... depending on your perspective. What we have been doing is using conditional IE specific style sheets. What happens is your site detects what browser the viewer is using. If they are using IE it will load the IE specific styles.

 

[Craig Sjoquist]

You sure do set the standard of web design awesome very professional really one of the best I've ever seen for your type of client your looking for you hit it perfect

Thank You

 

[surf city]

As usual Dan, awesome stuff.

 

[The Vector Doctor]

Yea, the navigation is kind of hard to figure out, cause that bar makes it like you should be taken to a page displaying those things, not that top graphic just changing to those type of things. It looks nice. Just think the navigation needs to stand out a little more or emphasis on what actually can be clicked.

I agree. The first time I went to the site I clicked on the nav bar and nothing happened, I only noticed the graphic above changing. I thought it was unfinished. I clicked on the 5 clickable text links along the top right to get to the categories

We have become so used to clicking on most nav bars and either going to a link or having a drop down box. The up arrow thing needs some other way to indicate it is clickable

 

[Red Ball]

Elegant. Very nice work.

 

[GB2]

Couple of minor things...I agree completely that the first page and those slider things need to be changed. Also, when I finally got to the other pages I couldn't even concentrate on the content because the slider things weren't there they are plain on all the other pages and the first thing I did was try everything to get back to the first page. That made me think that when testing a web site you should have somebody try it in front of you and watch them make ignorant mistakes like everybody does when you can't see them. OK, the other thing is the "read more" at the bottom of the first page doesn't do anything. I tell you, it's amazing how a little glitch can lose someone's total focus on all the other valuable information. By the way, I think all the rest of the site is terrific. You really have a lot of content on there.

 

[Dan Antonelli]

Thanks for feedback about the home page and nav. We'll have new slide frames in place tomorrow with a more obvious call to action.

Gary - don't know what you mean about not being able to concentrate on the content because the slider things weren't there - ?

WIll have to recheck the 'read more' as it works fine on Mac in FF and Safari, don't have PC here at home - so will check in the office.

 

[GB2]

Sorry, that's why it would be nice if you could see the pathetic situation as I try navigating through a website rather than me trying to tell the story. I simply meant that on the first page you have those arrows that are drawing complaint but then when you go to every other page you no longer have the arrows but have some plain text navigation in the same place at the top. Well, that just threw me off and I kept trying to get back to the page with the arrows at the top (the first page) without using the back button but by trying to navigate there but apparently that isn't possible. Well I did that for a few minutes and probably went through your whole site without looking at a thing, only because I was so focused on trying to navigate back to the first page. So the whole point of even mentioning that is to be a reminder that seamless navigation is critical because as soon as there is a glitch in navigation you stand a good chance of losing someone's attention.

 

[SignManiac]

Dan, It crashes on my iPad. Home page loads but certain links shuts down Safari?

 

[signmeup]

I design my own websites.(they're awesome....honest!) but the most interesting thing about them is if you're with a client in their office and you say,"open up my website", to show them something. They open the site and then bumble around like this is the very first website they have ever been on. It's amazing how incompetent they are. After all, I spent hours figuring out how to make the thing easy to navigate and read and all that. They can't figure out how to click a freakin button or scroll or anything. The pictures have a pop-up feature....when you hover over them the little hand appears....Jeeeeez! if you would only click the damn thing it would enlarge you idiot......

My point is... the average joe I deal with are complete idiots when it comes to browzing a website. (it's not me is it?)

 

[Dan Antonelli]

OK we took some suggestions above and implemented some additional graphics on the slider images on the home page. Hopefully that makes it clearer where to click to get more information about the subject that is represented on the frame.

What did you all think about the successes>image makeover section? I've never really seen it done yet on a sign company (although we are doing it now for two new web sites for sign guys). I think it would be really powerful for that to be a feature on a sign company site - especially showcases work for a client that involves several components (monument signs, window signs, interior ADA, etc). And then you can sort them by industry type, etc.

Anyway, so far, most of the calls and feedback from potential clients last two days have referenced that section so I think it's working as I intended. I know that particular section took a lot of time - 20+ case studies to write, format, prepare images for. But I think its a good investment.

Thanks again for all for the feedback - much appreciated.

As for iPad, we load now on iPad but TypeKit is disabled for iPad so it doesn't look nearly as tight - however it does the trick. On the iPhone, it does however work with TypeKit. It seems, as of now at least that TypeKit is working with Apple on a fix, so hopefully its' temporary.

 

[signmeup]

Nothing happens when I click the buttons. I have to click the space above the button to go to the page. If the arrow has slid over the button I want to click the button still won't work..... I have to click the arrow. If that is how it is intended to work then it works great. I just don't really get it.

The case studies are great. Really enjoyed reading them. Well, I haven't read them all but I intend to as time allows. Excellent idea!

Did you get rid of your client list? I always thought that was a neat idea too.

 

[Dan Antonelli]

Yeh, I don't want you to click those buttons still unless you want to change which frame you are on. Click the image on top where it says 'click for more info' to then access more info. The nav below just changes the frames, and that is how I intend it to navigate.

No, the client list is still there- but instead of one epic list, its broken up by sector with some jquery to pop them open. Cleans up the page, and still SEO friendly -
http://www.graphicd-signs.com/successes-clients

 

[GB2]

Dan, there is a block on the right top in the first page that says "Get more info about our web design" but then the funtionality of that block changes with the changing pictures. So if you want more info about your web design and you click that block, you may end up with info on vehicle graphics or something else. As far as the cycling arrows above the what we do blocks, I don't see any change with that at all. They still do the same confusing thing. A persons natural instinct is to click the what we do block to navigate to that item, it is not clear that you should wait for the delayed arrow to appear and then go and click that.

 

[TheSellOut]

That is a beautiful redesign of your website Dan! People looking for your products and services who make it to your website will instantly know that they found the right place!

Great work as always!!

 

[signmeup]

Yeh, I don't want you to click those buttons still unless you want to change which frame you are on.

Clicking the button doesn't do anything. I get the little hand like there's something to click but nothing happens.

 

[Dan Antonelli]

Clicking the button doesn't do anything. I get the little hand like there's something to click but nothing happens.

Sorry, but can't explain that issue. Tested on PC all IE and FF and can't replicate. We did have the wrong button language (each frame said 'click to learn more about web design' instead of just the web design frame) - those damn photoshop layers will get you every time!.

Anyway, sorry you guys aren't getting how it works -

 

[signgal]

wow, my first retweet! glad to lose my... *coughs and thinks better about finishing that statement*

 

[Dan Antonelli]

wow, my first retweet! glad to lose my... *coughs and thinks better about finishing that statement*

Wow. I'm not sure I've been ever retweeted before, either. *more coughing* lol

 

[The Vector Doctor]

When you click on the navigation bar it still does not go to the proper page. You are forced to click on the up arrow. I quickly clicked on each bar and the "effect" of arrow appearing could not "keep up". Assuming some of your visitors are dumb, they may not ever click on the arrow. Why not have both areas clickable?

I love the look of the design, I think that this one thing might cause some of your potential customers to miss out on the rest of your website

One more thing. When you click on the 5 navigation bars, the graphic changes on each but there is a little area that says "get more info about our web design". This text does not change but clicking on it will take you to a page that is not related to web design. Shouldn't that also change and not remain static? For instance, when the vehicle graphic is displayed and I click on "get more info about our web design", it goes to the vehicle page and not a page about web design