www.bossmodels.com.au

[benlowry]

Hey guys,

Check out www.bossmodels.com.au please it's finally up although there's still a few features to be added.

Cheers,
Ben

[host man]

mmm blues and greys.

But, took a hell of a time to load, and when it did, all they flashing bits were annoying.

I found the sheer amount of images etc really frustrating, and such a small area for all the thumbnails seemed like a waste of time.

I noticed that after you click on a model and it loads their big pic, if you click on another model, the previous thumbnails are visable below. Heaps of confusion. I clicked on a woman, and then a man, and the thumbnail numbers for the woman could be clicked on - result...I thought that I was clicking on the womans images but it loaded a man!!!!! Or if you like that kinda thing!

Also, I really wanted to click on the image that loaded when I rolled over the thumbnail numbers, but it vanished.

Do the instructions always stay there? Hope not - If the usability needs so much explaination, you gotta ask yourself if it is working for ya.

Liked the subnav when you rolled over it.

[host man]

hey ... a buddy of mine showed me the Frederica fontana site when I showed him your site. Pretty similar mate

[benlowry]

Hi Host Man,

federicafontana.it is a similar site and i gleaned a lot of inspiration from it but the bossmodels site is also very different. Basically the only real similarity I feel is the draggable portfolios, and that concept wasn't new with federicafontana anyway.

The portfolio navigation is a little complex but there's instructions on how to use it to best advantage.

Cheers,
Ben

[host man]

hmmm

Sounds like a rip to me.

I found the site way too confusing and think that the user will become lost very quickly - adding to bad user experience( shudder )

I feels like you are trying to put all the content on the one page, and I think that it doesn t work .

Nav and usabilty is king.

I stand by my comment, that if you have to explain how to use the site in such depth, then it simply isn't working for you - I haven't seen many sites that have to explain how to use the site. Isn't that the beauty of browsing?

What do others think about this?

I Like the top and side navs.

Are you gonna address the portfolio problems? I also checked it on my MAC, and the portfolios just screw up. Big problems.

[3quid]

the main thing as far as i am concerned is that its just too confused.

could do with something to clarify what the important parts of the page are and what parts are optional to the experience of surfing your site


3quid

[fluteplayer]

hi

even with hispeed internet its lill slow... then some delay when whiching between images.

also when i view the first male photo the window enlarge and overlaps the navigation window with small fotos at the bottom...
it must be consistant....when displaying the photos concerning the size.

I also dont like the idea that you have to close a window to view the next person... I assumed the windows close by itself and after I had a bout 30 open I realized it.

Also the white panel display info as part of the image. Why is it overlapping half of the photo. In many cases it blobks the face of the person... reveal the entire photo.

[ikandi-mac]

not bad, tho i found the window system was kinda annoying. But i can understand someone useing the site to find these people would like to see 2 or maybe 3 up at a time to compair (so nicly done)

one thing i did notice is the information for each models like hight eye clor and stuff like that was EXTREAMLY hard to read, way too light of a font, I have a 4 color print press color converter for my monitor and if that was to ever get printed it would be inpossible to see, but for the sites user ablity its great, good job (just fix those colors)

[big daddy bruce]

have to agree with most of the criticism.

Took a while to load, lots of type was not very legible, and I didnt like the way the portfolios worked, didnt seem at all intuitive. Biggest problem was that i felt way to crammed in - too much stuff on the page. Had no real desire to drag the folios.

Also, the Portfolios do really strange things on a Mac

[benlowry]

Can someone describe exactly what the portfolios are doing incorrectly on macs please? What would be causing problems here I was under the impression the Flash Player was cross-platform compatible ..

And host man - how is it a rip of federicafontana.it? Is it because both sites are done in Flash perhaps? Or is it because they're both in the modelling industry? Perhaps it's a rip because they both have buttons? Or is it the "you view both in a browser" thing that's leading you to feel like it's a rip of what's clearly a very different site?

Images are in the process of being manually checked for size and thumbnails are being redone .. they were inherited with the site and unfortunately the previous developers had a rather shaky system with the images.

I'm currently working out a way to have the portfolios positioned dynamically when they load to minimise the over-lapping on other open portfolios. Any suggestions on this approach would be more then welcome.

The images will be smaller files as well which'll be a relief to the dial up users, although as there's some 16,000 it'll be a week or so before the revised versions go online.

Font colouring will also be revised .

Thanks for your time guys,
Ben Lowry

[benlowry]

Also just out of curiosity .. does anyone know of a more compact versions of the ScrollPane, ScrollBar and Checkbox components bundled with flash because these contribute almost 50% of the swf's published size which is 50kb.

[host man]

wow - spot the guy that cant take criticism!!!!!

The idea of posting to a forum is to get criticism (good and bad) for the benefit of the project. - If you cant take the heat, get out of the kitchen. As most people dont know other members of the site, nothing is made as a personal attack. its all about growth.

That said, if you respond as you seem to, is it any wonder that it can slip into a slagging match. Shame really.

As for your responce........

In one of your previous posts, a layout you did for the site was exactly the same as the frederica site. The difference being that hers uses space and layout exremely well, and yours doesnt.

Do you bother with testing on a Mac or cross your fingers and hope that it will work?

Problem 1 (with a Mac), is that none of the portfolios align properly - they go off the top of the window.

2. Therefore once opened, you cant close them!!!!!!!

3. If you open a portfolio on top of an existing one, the previous one is still viewable and clickable!!!!!!!!!!Pretty stupid

4. Therfore makes the text illegible - duh

5. The thumbnails for each portfolio just isnt working. You scroll over a number and the annoying loading flicker stays there forever - either the thumb doesnt exist or there is a loading problem.

6. On several folios, a semi transparent box covers the main image, and is not behind the text - see babies

The fact that most of the posts in this discussion agree with the criticsms seems pretty clear that there are some issues with the site.

But hey if we all thought the same, it would be pretty boring

[benlowry]

Well I guess thank you for your feedback on the mac issues hostman.

I still don't believe the site is in anyway a rip of the federica fontana site, which is what you stated earlier. Really quite a baseless and rude thing to say. In no way could your earlier remark be interpreted as constructive criticism, which is *actually* what this forum is about, and what i'm looking for, which you have *finally* managed to provide although again you mention federicafontana's site.

[host man]

I totally object to the idea that offering the opinion that a site is ripped from a (in my opinion) fantastic site is baseless.

As a designer, if you see a cheap imitation of a site which really blew your socks off, i believe that it is fair game to mention it. There are a number of sites that have polls of ripped off sites - the 2advanced site rip offs ranking v.highly!!!!

You also seem extremly defensive about the whole issue (as you did admit that you <gleaned> a lot form the frederica site) It is well known that guilt is often learned through over reaction.

How you deal with criticism (both good and bad)is a double edged sword. You may not agree with the bad, but an effort to understand it and for it to make you stronger is paramount.

if not, I think that most designers would commit suicide after every client meeting!

[benlowry]

Host man,

Your comment about my site ripping off federicafontana was blatantly rude, inappropriate and you *still* haven't been able to justify it. So take your smart-ass remarks back to day-care son.

Whilst there, ask your teacher about criticism and insults and see if you can figure out the difference!

And then flop out some url's son because I'd love to see what someone as enlightened as yourself can pull out, especially while you say my work is a rip off and then in your latest post, imply it's a "cheap imitation".

[host man]

Please grow up.

As i mentioned earlier, you all but admitted to "gleaning" the frederica site. Guilty by your own admission.

I suggest that you dont ask for people to give feedback on your work if you throw a tantrum when no one pats you on the back and tells you how clever you are.

[benlowry]

host man. Show me some of your work and i'll show you a site I can justly say you ripped off. Note the word "justly". Better yet, tell me *how* I rip off federicafontana?

[host man]

Sorry mate, I dont play kids games.

Go and use your immature pop 101 psychology on someone as insecure as yourself.

You submitted your work for feedback - DEAL WITH IT

[benlowry]

That's right son. You can't justify stating my site rips off federicafontana which is really a disgusting thing to say.

[host man]

The very fact that "your" portfolio works in the exact same way as the frederica site. Except for the usabilty problems you are having.

Also, several flashkit users have pointed out your portfolio just simply isnt working well.