back to Completed Reviews
Site Name: Oh Typical Me
Owner: Mandi
Reviewed by: Georgina
Reviewed on: 8th January 2010
Site Name
It’s cute and I personally think it suits you. “Oh” is much too common in a site name but altogether in yours, it works.
Coding and Validation
Your coding is valid and so is your CSS. There’s one warning but it’s not a huge problem. I’ve noticed that you’ve been really vehement about valid coding now which is really good. I have noticed that in doing this, you are able to keep your coding neat and organised. Great job!
Browser Compatibility & Usability
Your site is navigable and functions in Firefox, Safari, Opera and Internet Explorer.
The text can be easily read and the navigation is easy to spot. However I think you could add a bit of padding to the edges of the content and sidebar sections. It looks a bit squished. You can also move the navigation a bit down the page – it’s so squished touching the top of the screen like that.
Layout
I think it’s really great that your layouts are always quite unique. As for the “lava lamp navigation”, I’ve seen it on other sites before but you seem to like it with a lot of your layouts. I don’t really like it in this layout because it doesn’t suit the theme you have going on. I think your navigation would look better with some scribble or coloured bubbles in the background on hover.
Like a few of your previous layouts, this one is drawn. It’s really unique in that sense, but to be honest, you can improve.
With this layout, the pencil is rather lopsided. I think you could have made it neater and perhaps used a brush with a thinner diameter to draw this. I also think that the navigation and your site name look a little squished. The site name should have a lot more brown around it, or you could have made the text smaller. I think you could have varied the diameters of the brush to obtain a neater look.
The good points I like about this layout are that it’s rather unique and uses some really unique colours, and I really like the top and bottom sections and how they grow out of the top and bottom of the screen. On the colours note though – the colours are a bit dull, and it’s hard to see the colour of the <h2>. I think if you used some white in the text and links, it would brighten the layout up altogether. Your previous layouts were a lot brighter. I know it’s nice to dabble in some dark colours but this layout is looking a little too drab.
I’m not really liking the white background on the headers. They don’t really suit the layout’s style. A rough scribble would be a lot better.
Content
About
On the main page there are some mistakes:
on of should be one of
piczo should be Piczo.
On the affiliates page then that should be than that. I love the way you’ve set out this page; it’s very unique.
On the contact form page, MSN needs to be capitalised.
Extras
On the main page there are some mistakes:
WordPress layouts, and php include coded should be WordPress and PHP include layouts, coded
life, please should be life; please.
On the premade layouts page, have credits remain should be leave the credit on. The premade layout still has your old site name typed on it. I suggest you increase the line height of the layout’s CSS because the text is quite squished. I like the layout but the yellow in the sidebar is a little too bright for me.
I love the textures! They look amazing.
The smilies are okay. The grey ones have such a thick border though, and don’t look very appealing. The other set is also quite big.
The photos look great, but the second half of the previews link to such small photos. Was this intended? Because the other thumbnails lead to much larger images.
I love the scribbles! I love the Beatles one. Looks really good!
On your portfolio Poisen should be Poison. I love the way this page is set out.
Tutorials
On the main page you have some mistakes:
like header used should be like the header used
to how I do should be in how I do
navigation, I use should be navigation; I use
wordpress should be WordPress.
On the ripped paper tutorial, the screenshot reads your old site name. Also, it might be a good idea to isolate each screenshot on a new line so it looks neater.
software, I should be software; I
be, fill should be be and fill
it’s actual paper should be it’s actually paper
you choose should be you chose
and Wallah should be and wallah or and voila (depending on personal preference).
On the notebook header tutorial:
it’s tike should be it’s time.
I like these two layout tutorials because they are very unique. I especially like the torn paper one because it has a very good effect. The notebook one is pretty simple.
On the scribbles tutorial:
Im should be I’m
(for should be (For
backgound, I should be background; I
637 x 649 demensions should be canvas with dimensions 637 x 649
demension should be dimensions
half way about should be about halfway
scribbling, some should be scribbling. Some
image. if should be image. If
scetchy should be sketchy
image, It’s should be image, it’s
i like should be I like
i grab should be I grab
the finished peice should be The finished piece.
Additionally, when you use smilies you don’t use them like this:
Hello!
.
You finish your sentence (with a period or exclamation point) and then you insert the smiley. The smiley isn’t in it’s own sentence either, so it stands independently like so:
Hello!
Yes, it’s habit… but you can also stop that habit. Personally, I used to treat each smiley like its own sentence but that isn’t the right way.
I don’t really like this scribble tutorial because you’re not drawing the scribble from scratch, you’re just tracing. It’s a shame when you could be drawing your own characters or apples or little dudes or whatever.
On the lavalamp navigation tutorial you have some mistakes:
ok should be okay
css should be CSS
then Css should be than the CSS
this code it’s fine should be this code; it’s fine
it, Since should be it. Since.
Unfortunately I cannot view your WordPress tutorial; I continue getting a “500 Internal Server Error”. I also happened to ask Vicky to check that it wasn’t just my computer, and she had the same problem. Perhaps re-upload the file or rename it; something simple like that should do the trick.
Ask Me
A title on this page would be good!
Originality & Creativity
You have a very original and creative website. I must argue about your graphic skill though, as it still needs a bit of improvement. However, keep going with your unique style and perfecting the quality of your images and refining them. Your textures are great and so are your scribbles.
Organisation & Errors
Quite well organised, but I think you could really work on fixing your spelling and grammar mistakes. There was also the WordPress theme tutorial which wasn’t loading.
Overall Comment
Your site is definitely very original, Mandi. I like that you have a portfolio included in your website, which gives it a personal touch. I like your website because it’s original and even though your graphics aren’t the best, you try very hard and you are quite dedicated to your website.
I suggest you keep working on your layouts because I know you can come up with something a lot neater and a lot better if you spend more time perfecting it. I know you opt for a similar style each time so perhaps it would be a good idea to venture out and try something new. You also need to fix up the errors you have on your site!
