Looking for any feedback to help guide the future direction & development of this site
http://www.natemcclain.com

BRIEF HISTORY
The site was started 3 years ago as a showcase for Nathan McClain’s artwork and an online memorial. Initial visitors were mostly folks who knew Nathan.

QUICK GROWTH
The site has quickly gained a wider and even international audience which has shifted the focus to being an online virtual gallery and musuem for Nathan McClain’s artwork & life.

FEEDBACK
2007 is the 10th anniversary of Nathan’s passing and looking to perform a major overhaul to the web site. Seeking any feedback related to making the site more engaging for people who never personally knew Nathan.

Why would you visit a website of someone you never knew?

Please be as brutally honest towards the site as possible and all feedback will be considered.

Well, I would visit a site of someone I never knew if it caught my interest. What I mean by this is.... For example, right off the bat, I want to see some of his best works instead of a picture of him.

I think the site should also be black. Maybe get a better picture of the author.

Excellent feedback! The home page at www.natemcclain.com has been tweaked and the whole site is ready for additional commentary.

It is not immediately apparent that the site is a memorial which may be fine considering your goals. I think the navigation is simple (which is good). On the gallery I noticed that the thumb nails aspect ratio is off which distorts some of the photos.

For example:
Thumb: http://www.natemcclain.com/images/TestTube_sm.jpg
Actual: http://www.natemcclain.com/images/TestTube.jpg

I am also curious what makes something a Web 2.0 site.

Good luck!

Thanks for pointing out the aspect ratio on the images.

In terms of Web 2.0, I've found it means different things depending on who you talk to. The community intellegence aspect of Web 2.0 is where I think the site currently fits (kinda) where the visitors of the site help write the stories about the artist and reviews of the art.

Here's a wiki link about Web 2.0 that may help define it better:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2