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Site Name: Astro Zombies
Owner: Alice
Reviewed by: Georgina
Reviewed on: 23rd March 2009

Previous reviews:

valid HTML 4.01 transitional. However, you have 19 warnings, because of FanUpdate writing your entries automatically in XHTML.

One day you might want to try converting to XHTML. I have a tutorial on that.

Your CSS has 4 errors. After your h5 section, you are forgetting a } to end it.

Browser Compatibility & Usability

Looking at your site at Browsershots.org, your layout is looking consistent in most browsers.

I think your text is rather large. It could be made a little bit smaller. The letter spacing is also a bit too much.

The navigation would be better without the patchy background, and without using an image – rather, horizontal CSS block navigation.

The layout image could be made just a bit smaller. On such a large scale, the photo of the flower doesn’t look very good. Also on that note – on a small laptop screen, your layout’s a little too wide.

Layout

I haven’t visited your site since your last review. I notice that with your layouts you have a certain style.

I can’t say this layout is better or worse than the layout you had in your last review, but it is a lot simpler.

I think the background behind the flower is a little bit too harsh. The pattern is too harsh and having it lighter would be better. The flower is so intricate, that it deserves to stand out. Hence, a more subtle background would have been efficient.

Parts of the photo look patchy – like the inside of the flower. A bit of editing would make it looks less patchy and harsh.

Your CSS could have used less green and a bit more pink or dark red. This would make everything less monotonous and make the CSS more interesting.

Content

Inside

Well, as I mentioned in your last review, your photography is great. I notice you’ve added collages. You have one, and I don’t particularly like it because of the effects.

I don’t really like your icons. The effects you’ve used have made the colours quite blinding, and also aren’t very good effects. I wouldn’t use any of these as icons. The way you’ve edited them and the choice of colours is just too much.

Well, that’s very unique to include videos for your recipes!

On your Cornflakes one:
nummy should be yummy (unless you were going for the ‘nummy’ thing)
recipies should be recipes
as it a should be as it is a.

Your cornflakes cake video was very funny and entertaining. It made me quite hungry.

I really would like to see more! These can really interest the reader rather than having an actual recipe – but – as an extra, I think you should also include the actual recipe – for those who have too slow a connection to watch. It would also be very nice for the viewer.

You have a “coming soon” note – personally I don’t like these; it makes it seem as if your site is unfinished.

About

You don’t quite have a credits page but you have made note of who helped. Try to mention FanUpdate and your host Sophie too.

Creator

Yay! You added this page! I’ll just go through the errors:
Alice should be Alice,
Acoustic should be acoustic
songs on should be songs
CD’s should be CDs
Sophie the should be Sophie. The
Beccy, Beccy should be Beccy (unless you have two friends called Beccy)
The Mighty Boosh it is should be The Mighty Boosh. It is
rarley should be rarely
tarten should be tartan.

Originality & Creativity

Well I did mention your photos are very original. I really like the new addition of the video recipes – that’s very unique and excellent! I’d definitely love to see more of that.

I know you try to be creative but your graphic skill isn’t too great and needs some work. But we all have to start somewhere, and experimenting with Paint Shop Pro makes practice.

Organisation & Errors

Well organised; not too many errors – just a bunch of spelling and grammatical errors here and there. No broken links or images found.

Overall Comment

Well, Alice – I must say, you have improved slightly on your website. You’ve improved in coding, and added more content, and followed my suggestion of a page about yourself!

Your coding’s great – no problems there, just the tiny CSS problem. All you need to work on now is your graphics. Effects might be cool – but they don’t always give the desired, well, effect. Keep them to a minimum when designing – as they say, less is more. Keep things simple. I always mentioned your photography was great. Well, the photo in your layout is very nice, but it would have looked so much better on its own without the harsh background. This sort of thing is what you have to keep in mind.

Use likeable colour schemes. By likeable, I mean, don’t use drab colours – use a bigger range. Often I understand it can be hard to tackle colours – try Colourlovers.com if you’re stuck on a scheme.

I like the video you’ve added. Please, add more! I have never seen recipes on websites as videos. Extremely unique – excellent stuff.

Your site should continue to grow. If anything, and if graphic design isn’t something you enjoy, by any chance – simple layouts will always work.

I am not sure if you’re into writing. Because if you’re stuck on something to add to your site (I noticed you haven’t added much) – then I think you could try adding articles or writings.

Best of luck with growing your site. Your site still seemed a bit empty to me, and I think you need more practise on graphic skill, so I’m giving you just one more cookie.

Rating

(out of 5)