VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

JBarrett · Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2014 1:45 pm Post subject: Web site update

I've been working for a while at updating my web presence. It started by moving the existing content from two different sites (VO and animation) to a new domain, and adding an acting section to the mix. Then I decided to jump on the WordPress bandwagon instead of hard-coding the site like I've done for years. I think the new version is ready to roll out, but I wanted to get some feedback here first. Here's the link (please read the NOTE below before viewing):

http://www.justinsbarrett.com/index.php?preview=True

My design goals:

Keep it clean and simple, yet still appealing
Put a few demos on the front page for easy access
Put the primary focus on acting and VO, while still keeping the animation stuff alive
Choose a responsive design theme that auto-adapts to different screen sizes
Media should play on a wide variety of devices

NOTE: That "preview" bit in the URL is critical. The live site is basic HTML, and overrides the WordPress home page. If you remove the "preview" flag, you'll see the current "blah" home page, not the new WP version. All the other WP pages work fine, but clicking the "Home" button in the nav bar will take you to the "blah" version, so for now you'll have to use the Back button to return to the WP home page preview. Once it's ready to roll, I'll kill all the HTML stuff, which will let the WordPress version go live, and everything will work peachy-keen-like.
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Justin S. Barrett
http://www.justinsbarrett.com/

todd ellis · Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2014 3:27 pm Post subject:

justin - i really like the quick demos on the home page - then the option to drill down if i want, nice.

when i click the "home" button from elsewhere - it takes me to a "work in progress" page.

really like the clean, functional design.
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"i know philip banks": todd ellis
who's/on/1st?

Scott Pollak · Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2014 3:36 pm Post subject:

I'm not as wild as Todd is about how 'clean' it is. To me it looks like every other blog site out there. It's almost sterile.

"Simple" is great, but bland isn't. I'd suggest something visually, even if it's nothing more than a color scheme, to add some 'oomph' to your product: your voice. Something that ADDS to the overall descriptive qualities of your voice style. Just as Bob Bergen's site is loaded with cartoony icons and images, and mine has the puppy dog and wine glasses (since I sell my voice as 'warm and rich'), and so on.

Just my .02 worth.
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Scott R. Pollak
Clients include Pandora, NPR Atlanta, Wells Fargo, Cisco, Humana, Publix, UPS, AT&T, HP, Xerox and more.

www.voicebyscott.com

JBarrett · Posted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 6:35 pm Post subject:

Todd: Thanks for the comments. Re: the "Home" issue, I did warn you about that in my initial post.

Scott: I totally agree. Another friend made a similar comment, but I am completely stumped on what to do. I'm intentionally ditching the "justinBvocal" logo/brand thing because, in my view, my name is my brand, but part of me likes the color scheme that I used for that site. I'll try to fiddle with the colors a bit. However, I'm not a graphic designer. I feel like I have a decent sense for how to lay things out on a page, but the real design part of designing a web site has always eluded me. Perhaps I can barter with someone to get some things done.
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Justin S. Barrett
http://www.justinsbarrett.com/

JBarrett · Posted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 6:54 pm Post subject:

Re: the design thing, I found some really beautiful free themes in my search, but a lot of them featured a full-width rotating gallery space at the head of the page, and I'm hesitant to go that route for a couple reasons. One is that it forces visitors to scroll to get to the actual content unless what's in the rotating gallery actually catches their interest. The bigger issue, though, is one that I've heard in some discussions of VO web site design: talent photos can sometimes work against you. I could potentially use some photos of my acting work in that kind of gallery header, but if someone comes to the site looking for my voice work, I don't want the photos to distract them. It's also possible to use other content in that space that's not a photo of me, but what would it be? And there's the flip side: if someone comes looking for my acting work, they probably *do* want to see photos of me and/or my work right off the bat.

This is the problem with having a dual-purpose site. Do I keep the front relatively "sterile" so that neither side gets distracted, or do I embrace both sides and openly share photos without worrying about what potential voice clients may think when they see them?
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Justin S. Barrett
http://www.justinsbarrett.com/

Quicksilver · Been Here Awhile Joined: 29 Oct 2012 Posts: 217

I like the clean feel but think you would benefit from some sort of graphic identity. A logo at the least, maybe a more signature color combination. Also, the demos don't align in a way that is pleasing to the eye on Chrome.

Just my .02.

Add a logo and make it "yours" and I think it will be a great site.