VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Lori Berman

Hi guys,

So......most of you probably don't "know" me that well though I have posted a few times, read just about all the time, and respect (most) of your opinions Wink

A little less than a year ago I had someone put together a website for me. I know it isn't perfect and certainly needs work and doesn't speak to my "brand" in any definitive way...but it is a site and it is somewhere I can direct people so that's all good stuff. And I don't think it is the worst thing out there, though yes, certainly could be better.

I'd love to get a few objective opinions though, esp by those in the "biz..."

Most importantly, wondering what impressions you get when you go onto the site --is the pic too much? Does it create certain associations about what I might look or sound like? (Which of course I don't want it to do)

I will likely take it down but and for now that will leave the site without any real graphic, which I think will be okay, but was really just curious about first impressions and of course any constructive criticism. you might want to offer..

(Oh and if you want to comment on my demo, that'd be cool too.)

Thanks so much,

Lori

and the site is......

loribermanvoice.com

cyclometh · Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 12:59 pm Post subject:

The graphic of the face profile should probably be a little smaller, it seems to dominate. The lighter-colored box behind the text doesn't quite encompass the text properly, at least on my system- the right end of the text goes outside the box about half an em.

I'd suggest moving the demo to the main page so people don't have to click to another page to see it. Also make it a little larger (not much) so that it's easy to select the "play" button.
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Corey "Vox Man" Snow
http://voxman.net

Lori Berman · Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 1:21 pm Post subject:

Thanks. Yeah, the pic is definitely too big and I will likely take it down completely....unless I got a bunch of folks here who thought it was okay.
Did you have any initial impressions of the image itself? (Besides the fact that it was too big?) Is it really cheesy? I know it is certainly bordering on cheesy but I did think it was a somewhat different illustration (vs the classic microphone) so that's why I went with it. But don't want people to necessarily assume anything about me (other than the fact that i am a woman) by looking at it.

Monk · Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 2:15 pm Post subject:

I'll second getting the demo right there on the first page.

As far as the graphic of the face, I like it. but then my face is on my website and I'm one handsome devil...

What bugs me is the various sizes of the color boxes and how close the text is to the top of the inner box.

Something like this:

http://monksvoice.com/LoriBerman.jpg

with the player right up on top.

my .o2
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Company, villainous company, hath been the spoil of me...

www.monksvoice.com

Lori Berman · Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 2:52 pm Post subject:

Monk,
LOVE IT!
Thanks for the rec...any chance you know how to use wordpress???
Agggh..I had someone create this page for me with the intention of making updates as necessary, but I'm having a tough time figuring out how to manage some of the graphic stuff. I'd love to a) get the image/graphic a little bit smaller; 2) get the tabs for the navs a little big bigger and 3) as you suggested, get the demo player up higher and more prominent and 4) pull the whole page together so the tabs/player/copy aren't all so separate from one another. Kinda like how you did it!! Unfortunately I'm playing around w this and haven't quite figured out how to do it.
I did put the player on the home page, now trying to figure out how i can label it "commercial demo"
Baby steps.

But I do appreciate comments re the illustration. Which by the way, is NOT me. Just an illustration I picked up online that I thought looked sorta cool.

thanks again, keep thoughts/ideas coming... Smile

Scott Pollak · Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 2:57 pm Post subject:

I kinda sorta really kinda hate getting into a critique discussion, when I just recommended to Whit in another thread that she takes critiques with a grain of salt.

But Lori, I have one question for you:

What does your website visually say about YOUR VOICE?

One of my pet peeves is that probably 90% (at least) of v/o websites show a mic, or a waveform, or something along those lines.

I'm not a marketing guru, but I tried to portray, visually, a couple of things on my site that sort of visualize the sound I provide. Warm, classy, mellow.

What does Lori Berman offer with her voice that gives her an edge over her competition, and how do you show that visually on your site? Not only with an image (possibly) but also with colors and visual design.
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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

Lori Berman · Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 3:03 pm Post subject:

HI Scott,
Yeah, I know. No question it needs to be branded better, and I WILL get there. But I'm not there yet, so just trying to salvage what I have. I actually think the colors represent me (i.e. not perky and pink or sunny and yellow, but a somewhat "flatter" voice with a dash of sarcasm, wit, etc)

Mike Sommer · Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 3:54 pm Post subject:

The tabs are fine, the problems is the image- it's too big and honestly (you'll hate me) I don't think it's that well executed. And being so bright, it just pulls the eye to it, even though I want to read the copy, the image is fighting me all the time.

Then I'll also point out this VO and not Film or TV, to me it's about the voice and talent, and not the face- even if the image is highly stylized.

I think I would actually like to see the picture of you as a little girl, from the about page, than the drawing. ( Just an idea)

The color combination is a little odd too. It's not bad but everything is fighting each other. The pale grey green, on top of a vibrant Violet leaves me a little uneasy.

Since you're a copywriter too, I would plainly state that on your Tab link, "Copywriter." When i saw the link I was not sure what you it was, and even when I went to the page it still was not immediately clear what it was all about. Especially when the only header on the paige said "Lori Berman Professional Voce Actor," and the first line of the text talks about being a voice actor. You might want to include a nice header on that page, and rework the copy to what you are selling there--- Something like: "As a Copywriter Lori ...." This immediately sets the stage for the new scene.

The demo is pretty darn good.

I think over all the website should reflect the energy you have in the demo.
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http://voiceoveraudio.blogspot.com/

Acoustics are counter-intuitive. If one thing is certain about acoustics, it is that if anything seems obvious it is probably wrong.

Bob Bergen · CM Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 981

Hi Lori! I agree, the demo rocks. But I didn't love the website. It's clean, but kinda dull. Void of personality. And it's redundant. The first 3 buttons, with the exception of a few bits of info, have the same demo option. I think you have a nice starting point. But you need to kick it up a notch. Right now it's "plain wrap" when it needs to be "specialty store."

BB

Lori Berman · Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 7:33 am Post subject:

Thanks Bob (and everyone else!)
I had actually taken the visual out completely last night so when Bob looked at it, the illustration of the face was totally gone and as a result the site was really pretty bland. I think the general consensus is it was too much with the illustration taking up a good part of the home page, and not enough when the illustration was removed. So....The image is back, but much smaller and not nearly as dominating. I know I need to use the site to help convey my "brand" and who I am. Not there yet, but I feel for now, a user can get to the site, listen to the demo easily and get the information they need. And the illustration just provides a little bit of graphic interest to the site. Nothing more than that. Down the road I hope to get folks to the site and have them go, "wow! cool site!" My hope is that at this point they'll be going to the site to hear my demo and they'll be able to do that easily.

Thanks to all for your thoughts (feel free to keep them coming tho' if you want) And thanks for the compliments on the demo..... Smile

I promise to be a more active participant on this forum.......assuming you want me to be Wink

thanks again,

lori

cyclometh · Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 7:52 am Post subject:

Interesting changeup, with the smaller graphic. I recommend moving it down so that the top margin of the graphic is on the same line as the leading text, rather than floating to the right of both the text and the demo playback tool.

That way you have a more natural flow and no tailing text floating underneath the image.
_________________
Corey "Vox Man" Snow
http://voxman.net

Mike Sommer · Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 9:13 am Post subject:

Monk · Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2011 9:22 am Post subject:

_________________
Company, villainous company, hath been the spoil of me...

www.monksvoice.com

ConnieTerwilliger · Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2011 9:39 am Post subject:

Won't repeat the other comments, but if you keep that graphic for a little while, please move it to the left side of the page - so that she is looking at the copy. That is one reason why people have commented that it seems to be fighting with the copy - it actually is! By forcing your eye the other direction.
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Lori Berman · Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2011 2:27 pm Post subject:

Hi, thanks to all for your advice.
Connie, the image was originally on the left and was much larger and even more distracting (believe it or not) I moved it to the right b/c I felt like if I kept it on the left, even if it was smaller, it would continue to be distracting, since you typically read left to right so of course that's the first thing you will look at. I realize your eye is instantly drawn to the image no matter where it is --but i do feel like it works the best on the right, for now (if i continue to keep it)
My goal is just to make the page as user friendly as possible, while realizing it isn't ideal and that at some point (hopefully soon) it will be updated and become a little more reflective of who I am.

Thanks again everyone. Smile