The classic: Please critique this site

[iostream.h]

iExam (http://www.isophonic.net/iexam/)

This is for a new program I'm writing. Suggestions?

[Chaszmyr]

Looks bad on a big screen, imo. Should be a fixed size. And i'd prefer if the "download iExam" thing was inside the upper right corner of the box

[iostream.h]

Looks bad on a big screen, imo. Should be a fixed size. And i'd prefer if the "download iExam" thing was inside the upper right corner of the box

Ok, I put the download image in the box. And it has to work on any size screen, I'm not sure how I could improve that aspect of it.

[Vanilla]

Hi
The Page is very clean, I quite like it.

Three points:

1. The service you are offering appears to be generic, i.e. not JUST for dentists but for ALL health professionals who perform examinations on patients. If this is the case then I think the picture logo should really be more abstract rather than a picture of a tooth as that implies dentistry.

2. I would concur with the previous comment in that by allowing the page to stretch to any screen size the design is diluted to the point where it looks really boring on larger screens. I would fix the design to say a dimension suitable for an 800x600 resolution and either left adjust the image or have it centralised.

3. The name iExam is good but I have to say the first time I looked at it I figured it was going to be something to do with school! (Actually thats not a bad idea, you could easily offer a similar service to protect homework I guess, though I presume Mac users would just use the .Mac service.) Also assuming the service becomes incredibly successful Apple may take exception to you using their "ixxxx" branding and type fonts as it generates an Apple look and feel.

Anyway, best of luck with your venture.
Vanilla

[mnkeybsness]

make the page fixed-width and centered... there just isn't enough content to justify having it span the entire width of a window.

also you have a spelling error in the Diagnostics paragraph: "document" is spelled "docment"

[michaelrjohnson]

Looks pretty good.

I would agree with the members who suggest a fixed-width content box. I would use 800 pixels, personally. Good work.

[friarbayliff]

Good work - I would also tend to agree with the whole fixed-size thing

[decksnap]

I understand that it is FOR the Mac, but does it have to rip off Apple's design standards? The name is one thing...

[davecuse]

I understand that it is FOR the Mac, but does it have to rip off Apple's design standards? The name is one thing...

I agree, there are a ton of pages out there that seem like a direct rip off of Apple's overall style. Originality is always a good thing..

Is this name set in stone? iWhatever was clearly introduced by Apple, I mean if the program was for another OS would name it Windows Exam XP? Or LExamux?

[stevehaslip]

I understand that it is FOR the Mac, but does it have to rip off Apple's design standards? The name is one thing...

ditto, it may be well done but its not exactly creative. :confused:

[iostream.h]

ditto, it may be well done but its not exactly creative. :confused:

While it may not be very creative, it does follow Apple's aethetic style. When people use third party software, they enjoy having the same kind of experience (hence the HUIG). The same goes for software websites. People will feel much more comfortable on http://panic.com than http://haxial.com when purchasing (and trusting) software.

[stevehaslip]

fair point, he didn't claim to be creative in a graphic sense (not that you can't be obviously) instead he is writing the application. kudos to you iostream.h. But personally i would never have done something so similar.

[iostream.h]

I've added a bunch of content...

[kettle]

Here is what your code is doing (http://validator.w3.org/check?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.isophonic.net%2Fiexam%2F)

...and see where it leads you. It'll be good.

[Mechcozmo]

Good, clean, simple, and overall simple. If I can't find something on a webpage, then I usually don't bother.

Do a Google search for "good webpage ideas" I did that a while back, and found a link that was, essentially, an essay on how to make a good webpage. It was very good, however.

(Your site does a lot of what that site says)

[decksnap]

While it may not be very creative, it does follow Apple's aethetic style. When people use third party software, they enjoy having the same kind of experience (hence the HUIG). The same goes for software websites. People will feel much more comfortable on http://panic.com than http://haxial.com when purchasing (and trusting) software.

This may be true- but you are not Apple. Is it your goal to fool the buyer into a false sense of security then? This is your product, not Apples, and by your own admission you are trying to make them feel comfortable by making your program look like an Apple program.

Beyond that- Apple has spent considerable time and money iinvesting in and building on their brand identity. Is it fair then for you to just take it as your own?

[gekko513]

I like the site. It's clean and simple.

And I really don't understand why people dislike that it's Apple like in appearance. This is a product site, it's not a work of art that is supposed to be judged by it's originality.

Almost all business sites are based on well-tried themes. That's the safe way to go if you want to be taken seriously, unless you've got lot's of money (for the design work) and a product that needs to stand out from the crowd.

[iostream.h]

This may be true- but you are not Apple. Is it your goal to fool the buyer into a false sense of security then? This is your product, not Apples, and by your own admission you are trying to make them feel comfortable by making your program look like an Apple program.

Beyond that- Apple has spent considerable time and money iinvesting in and building on their brand identity. Is it fair then for you to just take it as your own?

Quite honestly I think it's encouraged. Apple wants consitency in their 3rd party apps, and I don't blame them. And in no way is my having the same general aesthetic trying to fool anyone. I use very secure payment methods and send out serial numbers immediately.

[davecuse]

Might have to disagree a little there. It's one thing to have your app fit in with the overall look and feel of the OS, it's an entirely different thing to mimick Apple's design cues in your marketing.

[decksnap]

I like the site. It's clean and simple.

Almost all business sites are based on well-tried themes. That's the safe way to go if you want to be taken seriously, unless you've got lot's of money (for the design work) and a product that needs to stand out from the crowd.

As a designer, I am utterly offended by the above comment-no serious business would have their identity be a ripoff of someone elses. Apple's identity is not a 'theme' for you to steal and use as your own, and to belittle it in such a way is to belittle some of the greatest designers in the world.

Davecuse has hit the nail on the head. Anyway, I'm done preaching!

[Kingsnapped]

Unless you download the software, there's not much on there to describe it. Why don't you include a section with screenshots or a list of features?

[iostream.h]

Unless you download the software, there's not much on there to describe it. Why don't you include a section with screenshots or a list of features?

The little dotted boxes will be filled with screenshots when I have them.

[jeremy.king]

also you have a spelling error in the Diagnostics paragraph: "document" is spelled "docment"

You still haven't fixed this. An attention to detail is almost as good as the product itself. A site riddled with poor english and spelling mistakes would make me think twice about buying software from such a site.

[iostream.h]

You still haven't fixed this. An attention to detail is almost as good as the product itself. A site riddled with poor english and spelling mistakes would make me think twice about buying software from such a site.

Well the text is filler right now, and I blame the ppor englsh and grmmer bceause i wrot it at 3 in the monring.

[Don't panic]

Well the text is filler right now, and I blame the ppor englsh and grmmer bceause i wrot it at 3 in the monring.

maybe you should ask for feedback on the site when the site is close to be done. right now it's way too preliminary to pass any judgment on it, other than the overall style (which as others stated, is nice).
as far as the program goes, how is it different from just saving the images in a folder with a file name? i'm asking because from the site it's not clear at all what it does, and when i downloaded it crashed upon opening.

let us know when you have added content
cheers

[Les Kern]

The overall look is fine. Business folks don't like to waste time in admiration, but rather want to get in, see, and either leave or investigate further.
BUT
Being in education, having owned a few businesses, and having quite a bit of experience under my belt, you absolutely MUST re-write the top sentence:
"Whether you have twenty or twenty thousand patients, iExam can help you by organizing them in a way beneficial in such ways from diagnosing your patients to covering yourself from lurking legal action."

(PLEASE take the following as constructive!)

It make no sense at all, especially "...by organizing them in a way beneficial in such ways from diagnosing your patients to covering yourself from..."
Wow. Really bad.

"lurking legal action" is NOT what anyone wants to see! Lose lurking.

My humble opinion: Keep the look, lose the english parts.
If I may:

"Whether you have 20 or 20,000 patients, iExam can help you not only keep an accurate record of any patients history which will assist you in caring for them, but that history could be beneficial in any litigation."

But that's one poor example...

Also, I'd HIGHLIGHT benefits to patients. The real value to any GOOD doctor is the well-being of their patients. Stress THAT and not "legal action". They'll get the drift even if it's only mentioned briefly.
It's the PEOPLE man!

Hope this helps.........

[scem0]

My only suggestion is to provide screenshots.

scem0

[rand()]

Hey!

I think it's a pretty good looking site. I would darken up the tagline a bit - it almost blends. I get the "barely readable" thing, but I think you're on the edge of too 'barely.'

I disagree with the fixed width issue - I would rather see you use more dynamic font sizes. Compensate for window width by adjusting the sizes. That's going to liven up the entire page, regardless of which resolution the target's running in.

The wordings are terrible, but like you said, it's just filler for now.

Good work!

-rand()