Re: WEBSITE REVIEW: Online Magazine (version 2!)

[stevendeeds]

Well, I have several criticisms. As someone who works for a newspaper who has e-Editions, I can say with confidence, this is NOT the best way to do what you’re doing.

Lets start with my homepage criticisms

1. Your featured issues thing is a cool idea, i like how the current issue is in focus, what I don’t like, is a separation from that idea with the “sign up for mailing list” and “facebook” links. They don’t register to me as mailing list and facebook. I expect them to be other editions. Or maybe special editions. Definitely don’t agree with that part of it
2. Loading time is an issue, I notice you are resizing the magazine covers on the home page using inline or css styles. As far as performance is concerned, that’s a big no no. It does look like your images are optimized for web, but, you could probably push it a little more on the optimization.
3. Stupid ugly spinny star. Stop it! lol
4. Why not make that big skateboarding heading actual text instead of an image? it’s just impact for the word skateboarding right? impact you wouldn’t even have to embed, it’s web safe. it would also cut down on loading time.
5. Not too hot on the drop down. love the color and how it interacts with that grey, but maybe think about making those list items an absolute width, so they’re all the same size.

Okay, on to the issues themselves. Like I said before, I work for a newspaper, and am actually about to put a new e-edition up in the next couple hours. (im at work right now, don’t tell my boss im trolling css-tricks. lol)

1. I don’t want to have to reload the page for every new page. Use php and javascript, or ajax, load the whole thing once, and only display the part the user wants.
2. I like the ads being able to be clicked on, i think that’s a good idea, however, when i was tring to get to the next page, i just clicked on the right page, expecting it to load the next one, and instead, it took me to an advertisers site… maybe have an alert when someone clicks on an ad ,”are you sure you want to visit “advertiser.com” ” also, I would make a full height div on the left and right of your pages that on hover, display a big ol’ arrow. Those tiny arrows aren’t doing it for you. I had a really confusing time navigating, until i saw those itty bitty little arrows on the margin of each page.

Good Luck Man!

-All good things-