Portfolio Re-design, the looong process begins... I want you guys with me on every step. Rating Options

[digitalfragrance]

Hey guys. I'm in the process of re-designing my portfolio. I've made a flash intro (heavily inspired by John H.M. Chan), and now I'm working on the look of my actual portfolio. The final project will be encoded and animated in Flash CS4... but I'm just in the beginning stages of design.

P.S. - I'm still a n00b when it comes to Flash.

Click Here for Flash-ness

Homepage [beta .jpg]

click to enlarge

Edit - I'm 75% done building the portfolio part. I've posted the links to it.

[Simba]

Haha, don't blame you for being inspired by Mr. Chan

cool to see you're exploring flash!

I'll bbl with design analysis ;D

[none345678]

I really like it so far :D

I need to learn flash still, im just lazy when it comes to having to learn things. =P

[Smarmosaur]

i like it so far, but i feel it needs more. you used such a beautiful picture, you need to play it up a little. overall, i think it's a little...awkward. nice, but awkward.

totally off subject but how did you learn flash?

[digitalfragrance]

^ I was thinking the same thing. I patterned it after a magazine design.. but I don't know.

I had to do an honors-option end-of-the-year project for a design class, and my professor wanted several flash animations. I had no choice but to force myself how to learn in order to get an "A". Now, I'm self-teaching myself flash with the help of random online tutorials.

[JonHMChan]

Hey guys. I'm in the process of re-designing my portfolio. I've made a flash intro (heavily inspired by John H.M. Chan), and now I'm working on the look of my actual portfolio. The final project will be encoded and animated in Flash CS4... but I'm just in the beginning stages of design.

P.S. - I'm still a n00b when it comes to Flash. pinch.gif

Haha, don't blame you for being inspired by Mr. Chan

cool to see you're exploring flash!

I'll bbl with design analysis ;D

Aw. You guys.
It's funny, I used to be inspired by your own layouts back when I only knew HTML and CSS a few years ago. I really loved some of the Xangas that you did, digitalfragrance.

And Juna's just doing his flattering thing

So far, it looks like a really good start, especially if you're jumping right into flash so quickly by going into CS4. I think I'll write a tut for people that want to learn flash, and one thing that I'd highly recommend is that you start out playing with Swishmax - it's a much more simplified version of flash (not made by macromedia, and only for PC, unfortunately) that helped me learn the coding quickly. I actually do most of my work on Swish because it makes it so much easier, faster and more user-friendly. I only do the really complicated things (like my intro for my site, the coding is intensive) on Flash CS4, because Swish simply doesn't have the power to do things like that. Both programs use the same coding language, actionscript, so if you're familiar with Flash raw, you can easily master Swish and learn that way (that's how I did).

Design-wise, I agree with Smarmosaur. I feel like it does need a little "more" when it comes to the look. Though it looks like you're going for the client-friendly look, I feel like it needs something extra to make you, in particular, to stand out among the masses of others that you might be "competing" with when it comes to design and showing your portfolio (assuming that's what you want to do, of course). Really look forward to seeing the progress on this. It looks like it'll turn out great!

[digitalfragrance]

http://midnightsnack.net/intro.swf
http://midnightsnack.net/home.html

Okay. I've animated my jpeg designs that I linked. I'm just getting the skeleton coding done. I can always add more design touches, like textured backgrounds... and so forth.

I know it's not flashy. I don't want it to be... I'm going for more of a classic feel. Jon said it best - it's client-friendly. But hey, then I'm done coding everything, I'll add some more personalized things. You see, the details of my designs will have subtle touches. It's going to be great overall, in the big picture.

And Jon, I'll look into Swish. I started my Flash experience with Macromedia Flash 8 Basic. Most of the things were the same with the exception of AS3... gah. That took some getting used to.

How long does it take to load for you guys?


Edit. I've added a curvy details to make it more feminine.

[digitalfragrance]

EDIT
Check the first icon in "Identity." I added a pop-up window of specifics. Now, I just have to figure out how to get around the pop-up blocker of IE.
http://midnightsnack.net/home.html

[technicolour]

The font looks a smidge pixelated on 'graphic designer' in the top left, but other than that ILOVETHIS. Simple, awesome. Colorful yet not over the top.


Bravo Rachael!

[digitalfragrance]

Thanks Kristina!
I lessened the compression - does it look any better on you screen?

[technicolour]

A bit, yes. :)

[digitalfragrance]

Ha!
I found my problem. I didn't realize that that layer was rasterized when I imported it from Photoshop. Now, I did it in Flash, and it's a lovely vector with no smudges!

[technicolour]

AH! So much better. Seriously.

[digitalfragrance]

I just noticed that my triangles on hover look jank. Dang it. Time to re-do that.

Edit Icon #2 of "Identity" is complete. Intro.swf has been changed to the index.


Edit 2 Identity Section Complete. GOOOOODNIGHT. I've worked about 13 straight hours on this today.

[Smarmosaur]

liking the swirlies! incorporate them more, though, for sure. maybe around the linked images on your pages...?

[digitalfragrance]

^ I might do that. I need to do something more creative and better than the jank triangles on my links.

Edit "Print" section is complete

[*Janette*]

I love everything but the font. Something about the font is just....too plain or something. I don't know. But the flash is great.

[digitalfragrance]

I love everything but the font. Something about the font is just....too plain or something. I don't know. But the flash is great.

I'm going for both a classic and fresh feel, so I used Times New Roman for the classic, and Franklin Gothic Demi for the fresh. It was the font used for the "Dick Clark's Rockin' New Years Eve" logo this year and has been used in many national news channel's motion graphics

SO yeah, the fonts are plain, but there is meaning behind them. Also, I wanted a more "magazine feel" so plainer fonts were my calling.

Oh, and all sections are complete except the "Other" category.

[pandemonium]

that looks awesome...
you should submit some flash tuts for dummie ppl
you know, like me XP

[digitalfragrance]

that looks awesome...
you should submit some flash tuts for dummie ppl
you know, like me XP

I might sometime when I'm not burnt out Flash has taken it out of me.

All sections are complete now... and now I have to edit my links and make them better.

[*Janette*]

I'm going for both a classic and fresh feel, so I used Times New Roman for the classic, and Franklin Gothic Demi for the fresh. It was the font used for the "Dick Clark's Rockin' New Years Eve" logo this year and has been used in many national news channel's motion graphics

SO yeah, the fonts are plain, but there is meaning behind them. Also, I wanted a more "magazine feel" so plainer fonts were my calling.

Oh, and all sections are complete except the "Other" category.

Ohhh, I see what you mean. I can totally see the magazine-ness to it now. (:

[digitalfragrance]

Mkay. I think I'm done...
I'll probably find something wrong with it later.

[emberfly]

It loaded very quickly for me... instantly really, I didn't even know it was loading--it was done right when i clicked the link.

I'm confused, though. Why are all the images pixilated/bad quality on my screen? Is that just my computer?

- I love the font you used. That modern/classic/whateverit'scalled font is my favorite.

Also, when you click on the links: home, identity, print, web, etc., the text changes to blue on all of them except print. Is it meant to be like that?

I think that music thing you have on the side with the stop/play and volume control is super awesome. It's very useful, especially for me since I have absolutely no volume control on this computer... My computer is handicapped

Also, the image side of the page is like 2 pixels higher than the content side of the page... i'm like OCD over that, but I'm sure clients won't even notice.

[digitalfragrance]

It loaded very quickly for me... instantly really, I didn't even know it was loading--it was done right when i clicked the link.

I'm confused, though. Why are all the images pixilated/bad quality on my screen? Is that just my computer?

- I love the font you used. That modern/classic/whateverit'scalled font is my favorite.

Also, when you click on the links: home, identity, print, web, etc., the text changes to blue on all of them except print. Is it meant to be like that?

I think that music thing you have on the side with the stop/play and volume control is super awesome. It's very useful, especially for me since I have absolutely no volume control on this computer... My computer is handicapped

Also, the image side of the page is like 2 pixels higher than the content side of the page... i'm like OCD over that, but I'm sure clients won't even notice.

I'm pretty sure the pixelation is just you - I didn't compress the flash move at all. Some of the pop-up windows images aren't the best, but I had to scale down some hi-res photos... and that's just what happened. Sometimes Firefox leaves images pixelated if it doesn't load them correctly

The print link is not supposed to be like that. I'll fix that today That's what happens when you're editing links at 2AM.

You're welcome for the volume! You need a new computer!

The image is meant to be like that - it has to do with the way that the animation opens every time you click a new link. Also, I didn't want everything to be exactly centered, so I purposely added those two thin lines on the bottom of the content/top of the image.

[Maccabee]

I really want flash now.
Its great for sites that are small and dont have a ton of content.
It looks really good.
I suggest trying to make your flash site feel like its not flash as much as possible.

For example. For the nav when you hover a link make it change to a hand.

I know you cant change this but what bugs me about flash sites is that you cant ctrl click stuff and you cant see the url of a link in the corner when you hover it.

Keep up the good work.

[digitalfragrance]

^ It changes to a hand when I hover over it...

Anyways, Ctrl + Clicking is impossible - the flash file links within itself, so there is no URL to speak of. The only time it links outside of itself is for the pop-ups, and all you have to do there is copy the address in the address bar once you click the link.

[Maccabee]

^ It changes to a hand when I hover over it...

Anyways, Ctrl + Clicking is impossible - the flash file links within itself, so there is no URL to speak of. The only time it links outside of itself is for the pop-ups, and all you have to do there is copy the address in the address bar once you click the link.

Ya i know that but thats what bugs me about flash.
And how you cant select text.
But thats flash not you.
And if you can I'd suggest making the music qauility better.
Even if it takes more time to load.
Or make the music load separately as the page is up.
And there is a big blank space at the bottom.
And I dont know flash but if you can specifically tell it to use a hand because its not for me.
Im using linux but its a file it should be the same for everyone.
And the intro is a little big.
The screen im using now is only 768 pixels high and your intro exceeds that.

[digitalfragrance]

The Intro was my next phase - I realized it was too large once I viewed it on my laptop. And the music... well that's how i got it. I'll try looking for a better quality one online.

[Maccabee]

In your intro the words except for enter are selectable.
I didnt think that was possible in flash.
I dont know if you can but if you can make the text in the content sections of your site be selectable.
Or atleast change to a text sign thing.
That really makes a big difference.

[digitalfragrance]

You have a really good point... I'll do that when I have time.