So, here's the deal. Over the next month or so, as time permits, I'm going to redo this HTML, photoshop, semi-old-school website. The client would just as soon leave it alone, but I'm insisting on a CSS upgrade. Besides, imagine using a reader and having a bunch of Photoshop pieces in the masthead with no alt tags. That would be stupid and it seems like it would suck to have to sort through it all.

I have to stick with a similar design and color scheme. It will be centered with a div container at a width of 765 px. The current menu will be replaced with a JavaScript drop-down that I have already built. So, my first question. Does anyone have any suggestions in the case of JavaScript being disabled? My plan is to provide a menu in the footer. Here is the rough draft of that concept: http://faux.kerntechsupport.com

Outside of that, I will be converting the image galleries to flash to prevent blatant photo hijacking. Well, I hope to in the near future, anyway.

Any other ideas as well as aesthetic critique on the old and new are welcomed and appreciated. Here is the link to the website I will be updating: http://www.fauxfxca.com

By the way, I'm aware of validation--that's why I'm upgrading the site!


Thanks in advanced.

-GP<><

Okay - first things first....

...as the site seems to receive updates/edit on a semi-regular basis.... maybe either some CMS or the incusion of a WYSIWYG Editor into the code (FCK Editor / TinyMCE).

Do refer to my post for basics... will save you a lot o problems later.

Start with a "frame" in markup/css.... nice boxes with borders/bgcolours.... remember to throw i dummy content in the Nav, Main and Section areas.... and vary the amounts of content as you go... saves realising you avestuffed up a week after making the mistake

Keep it simple!
Most of the clever CSS Layouts are actually simple... they jsut look clever - remember, it's glass boxes that can be next to each other, inside each other or ontop of each other.
And remember that you can "paint" the glass with BG Images... so no need for the old "make a box to hold this edge image, make a box to hold the other edge image" etc...

Always try to use Text and not images for Links!
You can always make bgimages for the links.

MAybe rething the colours a little.
You may not beable to "change them" per se, but you could tweak them for a better contrast...
(try squinting real hard and reading some of that text! - Light on dark bleeds alot more than dark on light!).

Maybe include a little more "flair" with the images...
You have nice scrollwork for the divides.... so maybe make up "frames" for the images with the same sort of design - even if it only covers the corners!

Increase thesize and detail of thesite.... I noticed the list of Commisions.
They would be advised to document them.
Even if it's only the odd one or two.
It will help keep the site referenced by SE's, provide more things for potential cliets to refer too, and help "advertise" the clients if that would benefit them

Try styling the form elemets with EM for height... same as you would text (which you did!).
This measn that if text size changes, so do the form inputs (apart from CB. and R.).

Possibly rethink the Flash Gallery... as no flash plugin means no picy's
For simple protection, you could do any of the following...
Layer the image - have a container around the image. In the container you would have 3 things... the image, a caption for the image, and a span. Set the container to Relative Pos, set the Span to Position Abs and Display Block, an dfill it with a Transparent gif.
Not perfet - but stops the right click issue, even with no JS!
Option two - get one of the silly little No Right click JS Scripts (make it external and call it menu2 or something!)
Option three - no single image... break an image up into parts and put them in
Option four - Watermark all images, with a colour-opaque mark (Damn site harder to brush out!!!).
Option five - Corner-ise the images - simply clip the corners and apply a little motif with the logo in each corner.

Or do all of them
More work - but makes it more effort that it's worth to simply copy the iamges - and will work for everyone.

Also, please try to include a descriptive file name and a god Alt text


That should keep you busy

I'll say you gave me a lot to think about.

I have never implemented an editor such as FCK. Interestingly, a prospect called me last week wanting not 1, but 3 websites for his business--all different, too. One of the stipulations was that he wanted to be able to update the text himself. I have heard of custom control panels and I have a contact person who will make them for me, but this FCK looks like something I might want. BTW, my business is geared to having me maintain the websites--what a great excuse for "Sorry, I don't' know how to do what you're asking me to do."

I don't want to overuse the scroll you are referring to. It is actually part of the clients logo, now, thanks to me. LOL. I might use CSS to border the images. This is a tough call because the client insists on a black background. I might be able to use some deep reds for framing. Good point, though.

I'm not fixed on the flash gallery, but we are in a high-speed age. Further, the client's business revolves around design (i.e. faux finishing), so I want the gallery to look cool. My biggest concern with Flash is IE 7 - I don't want to deal with work-around scripts for Flash activation. We'll see what happens on this. Personally, I think the free album generator serves just fine.

Thank you for the input.

creative site! it is not the similar to some of the site in the internet! believe me, you are the leader,that you choose black and red colors.everything is clear and easy and quick to get!

http://www.fauxfxca.com/ took ages to load for me (over 10 seconds on 2mb cable broadbad)

The slow load is the reason I'm redoing it. But there's another reason... one word: Yahoo. The revision you see there now is from a couple of years ago.