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Site Name: Smashed Dreams
Owner: AnneMarie
Reviewed by: Georgina
Reviewed on: 24th June 2009
Site Name
It’s a catchy name that isn’t too long, and easy to remember.
Coding and Validation
Your HTML is valid. You have a few warnings but obviously, they’re from WordPress. I know that you have validated to HTML and not XHTML (which is what WordPress codes your pages and posts in).
Your CSS is also valid. You have just a few warnings from the Lightbox JavaScript. You can actually fix these. Take a look at this, in your Lightbox CSS:
#prevLink {
left : 0;
float : left;
}
#nextLink {
right : 0;
float : right;
}
Floated elements should have a width, so in this case, width: #px; added to both these selectors (where # is a number) will remove the warnings. It should be just the right width of the next/previous buttons of the script, I am assuming.
I know that you asked me for help with vaidation but it’s still impressive that you decided to, and did, to the best of your ability before doing so.
When you have the time I suggest converting to XHTML.
Browser Compatibility & Usability
According to Browsershots.org your site looks the same in most browsers.
Your layout is centered and easy to navigate. I suggest creating the header image as a background using CSS, rather than using img src. That way if the image doesn’t load, your website can still be navigated if the images happen to not work.
I’m sure you’re aware of it but it is best to have text navigation so that if there is a problem with images, the site will be easier to navigate. “You” would be better expressed as “visitor”.
The layout is quite wide. Keep in mind that it won’t look great in smaller resolutions, such as those of 800 by 600 pixels, with such a large width.
The font size is fine, but I suggest increasing it, because with a large-scaled layout it would even out a lot better. And on the plus side, it’s easier to read.
Layout
Firstly, I want to address your CSS. Since the first time I visited your website I noticed that you don’t really change your font styles. To be honest, it would be more interesting if you could change it when you change your layout. Seeing the same fonts for the headers in particular, is a bit boring after a while.
I like the colours you have used in this layout. The blue is very bright but I like how you have evened it out with the black. The colour scheme is fine and I don’t see any problems – apart from the fact that purple is in the CSS but I don’t really see how it matches with the image. Running your website through the Degraeve color palette generator, there is a palette of alternative shades of blue that you could have used.
The layout looks a bit incomplete with the sparkly background only evident in the header and not in the main background. If I take a closer look it’s also easy to tell where the header image ends. Perhaps you should have used a transparent background on the image to reveal the starry background.
Some padding on your container would be nice. The text is too close to the edges which doesn’t look very neat. You also have an extremely large gap between your content and footer, which also doesn’t look very neat. I see you are using height: 5000px; in your CSS. You should place it at height: auto; as this will make the div extend as high as the content within it – so you don’t need to worry about it, and there won’t be such an ungodly gap. And it’ll be more fair on those people who applied for advertising in the footer.
The layout overall is very nice – a relatively good colour scheme, a good image of good quality, and some evident creativity thrown in. All I suggest is to tweak those parts of the layout and change your CSS around a bit to include different fonts.
Content
I have to address your sidebar – it’s quite cluttered. You could really remove the calendar; I don’t find that necessary. Also, things can be moved to the footer, particularly the website statistics. Instead of those validation buttons you could use text as well.
Domain
The page about yourself is great, and well organised. With the favourite songs you should list them with a space both before and after the dash, eg. “The Great Escape – Boys Like Girls”.
This isn’t necessary but I’d prefer your likes and dislikes in a list down the page.
On the ‘about Smashed Dreams’ page:
neopets should be Neopets
MS paint should be MS Paint
occasinally should be occasionally
graphics, all kinds and should be graphics, of all kinds, and
html should be HTML
freewebs should be Freewebs
stopped the web design should be stopped web design
highschool should be high school
found it; Freewebs and should be found it – Freewebs – and
applied still trying should be applied, still trying
You’re comments should be Your comments.
On the past layouts page, awhile should be a while.
You should say “affiliates” instead of “affies”. “Applications” should be “Application”.
this rules should be these rules.
On the advertising application, “applications” should be “application”.
It would be good if you could use a question and answer script for the “Ask me” page. Some people do like to remain anonymous.
The gifts on the gifts page are quite large; perhaps make a few of them thumbnails.
Writings
I won’t review these in detail. I like how your pages are set out; I read your story titled “International Day”. I spotted an error – starred should be stared. I liked reading this; it was very good.
I also really like the ‘Time to Move on’ poem; it evokes very nostalgic emotions and is well written with nice allusions and imagery.
Contests
On the results of the icon contest page, t’d be should be It’d be.
I don’t see any problems with the other pages in this section.
You
The blends aren’t bad – they’re well made and of high quality. Some of them have nice effects too. Try to avoid using celebrity images though; they’re not very original and without credit from the photographers, is considered illegal. Try using some legal stock images; you can often find some nice photos around.
I like the icons; there aren’t many but they’re very simple and well made. I really like the Kelly Clarkson one. I’m not a fan of the animated Selena Gomez one – animations can be distracting, just keep that in mind.
Ooh, articles. The article on commenting etiquette is great – I like how you have outlined points with headings, as well as popping a few rhetorical questions in at the beginning – that really got my attention.
great, who should be great; who
Affieship should be Affiliation
offended in anyway should be offended in any way
written here, this should be written here; this.
The WordPress plug-in tutorial is definitely useful; you’ve inspired me to create my own, even if I do only use about four plug-ins. I didn’t know about the quiz one; I generally hate annoying people with anti-spam things, but I haven’t had a spam problem yet, haha.
Just thought I’d make a note here – instead of having so many subpages, it would be easier if you had them under subheadings in the visitor section. For example, instead of a whole new page for tutorials, just place them all on the visitor page under a heading “tutorials”. Same with the articles.
The MySQL database tutorial is fairly simple; nothing much to say there.
The back/forward history links are also pretty simple, and something one could find out through Google, so it’s not very unique or useful. You shouldn’t be using <textarea> to display code. Textarea is intended for user input and not for displaying code. You should be using <code>. When you do so though, replace < with < and > with >.
The blending tutorial is good, supported with screenshots and images. It’s good to see you’ve done this; it’s annoying when people write such a tutorial and just explain it in a big paragraph.
Again with the adding sidebars tutorial, use <code> and not <textarea>.
You need to update this as it says “My current theme feat. Taylor Lautner”.
n should be In
awhile should be a while
its really should be it’s really.
On your WordPress theme tutorial:
juts yet should be just yet
auctual should be actual
furthur should be further
I think it was a very good idea to note not to edit the Loop. In other tutorials I have seen explanation of it; too much for a beginner to handle. Overall it was a great tutorial; I really liked how you outlined what could be edited and how – you did it very simply. Other tutorials I have seen have made things a bit complicated. Perhaps it’s just that I am more familiar with WordPress, but I think that you have definitely summarised the creation of a WordPress theme well.
The other WordPress tutorials are simple and well explained; I don’t see many problems.
The brushes are very simple but nice. I feel compelled to make my own now. Perhaps you should make an imagepack as well, for those who have Paint Shop Pro, so they can create their own brushes there.
I obviously won’t review the reviews section. You should place the links to the subpages on every page in this section though.
Originality & Creativity
You had quite a few pieces of generic content like tutorials and graphics. I find that overall, your layout and writings were very unique. Your tutorials definitely had your own personal touch, but most of them are tutorials on topics I have already seen.
You have good graphic skill, and it would be nice to see more graphics from you. Perhaps if you have the time, something like premade layouts.
Organisation & Errors
Well organised. No major errors.
The subpages could be reduced a bit (I don’t like pressing ‘back’ all the time). Also, your layout needs a few tweaks.
Overall Comment
I enjoyed reviewing your site, AnneMarie. I wasn’t sure what to expect because I never really browsed your content before. You have a good amount of content. I know that your website is an example that first impressions can change. Your website didn’t seem to have a lot of content when I had a quick look but after reviewing it you do have a nice variety of content that’s both useful and well made.
I know I made a lot of comments on your layout. It was really the only thing that bothered me about your site. Your content isn’t thoroughly unique but it’s definitely useful and interesting, and the tutorials and articles are helpful. Your layout is what needs some tweaks and some editing to make it look a bit neater.
I believe you’re great at writing and graphics, so continue to update your site and add more. I like how the contests get visitors involved, and personally I like reading your blogs because they are very interesting.
My advice, to sum up your review, would just be to tweak the layout a bit, continue adding content, and please clean up that sidebar. 
