So, it's been a good run with my web site thus far. It looks great visually. But I hated all the images it uses, every aspect of the design uses an image. From the body to the menu.
My new design will be entirely of CSS3 & HTML design with PHP running the client area. I'm hoping swivels' CMS can help me out there as everything else on the site will be HTML and won't need a CMS, but it's something I'd like to look into in the future. Now, this design is far from becoming a working version on my site but I'll hopefully have an HTML mock up in a month or so after I complete all design elements. Here is the home page and the client side looking at event details.
Compare that to what I had for an earlier design, and I think the Revamp works on every level. The viewer is shown my portfolio upon viewing the site. The Introduction page has been removed and included in the About. Which I think is a big plus.
A new element to Version 2 is the ability to Log in. Here clients will be able to log in and request services, check up on progress and post details about events that I am hired for/to. The ability to log in is there to merely aide people in acquiring my services. Usually calls a bit to personal for first contact and no one really knows what to write in an e-mail. So, the client registers then "hires" me and I'm sent the details. We'll continue to converse through e-mail.
I'm also thinking about opening the hiring to anybody, whether registered or not. I'll need to think about it as the clients will have no real control of the event details after it's posted. The details image has an edit option but I'm not sure if I'll keep it. Same with ability to delete events.
I'm also not positive about the update system. If the events are going to be uneditable and most conversations outside of the site, there is no point for it. I'll see. I'd also like to add a text box to have one testimonial written in after each event is closed. Currently, I'll have no where to display testimonials (maybe About?) but it'll be good to collect them anyways.
As for the Gallery on the Details. All I'd like to do is type in a gallery ID (perhaps from some photo gallery like CPG where a script will fetch three images from the gallery and link to the rest. I'm not expecting a horde of jobs so it wouldn't hurt if I had to add a gallery by hand.
I got many words on my previous logo so I set about to accommodate them. One big thing was that there was too much emphasis on the word "IDIOT." Despite words for a new, third colour, I did not comply. I couldn't get anything to look great with three colours, maybe farther down the road!
I choose a gray background because intended blacks and whites appear pure. Overall site colours (logo, text) have been desaturated a bit so they aren't as sharp and distract the eye when looking at portfolios.
Any opinions and ideas are welcomed!