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Tom_Doak

  • Karma: +2/-1
Revising my web site
« on: July 06, 2004, 05:51:41 PM »
Group:

I am in the process of revising my web site.  We get about one e-mail a month telling us how bad and out-of-date it is.

What would you like to see covered on it that isn't?

What do you think should be on Page 1?

(Serious suggestions only, please.  :) )
« Last Edit: July 06, 2004, 05:52:43 PM by Tom_Doak »
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RJ_Daley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Revising my web site
« Reply #1 on: July 06, 2004, 06:04:29 PM »
Tom, I notice when I pick on your home page, each time I go to it, a different architect or Kaiser quote comes up, but with the same picture of the boys playing a shot over the sheep at KC.  I would just say that the new quote popping up is great, and they set the theme of your site and working ideals.  But, you should put the changing quotes on an automatic changing pop up rather than having a new one pop up only when the home site is picked on.  Then when the quotes change, have a good series of pictures of your work also pop up on a slideshow like basis.  

I don't know anything about what web designers say about appealing color schemes.  But, I'd try to find a color scheme that isn't so lush and bright green  ;) ;D 8) ::)
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A_Clay_Man

Re:Revising my web site
« Reply #2 on: July 06, 2004, 06:07:12 PM »
How about a detailing of some core principals? Maybe even make it an easy enough read, so even some prospectus principles could understand it.

I'll add, that in fairness, perhaps you should provide space for commentary on your designs. Maybe a message board for each course?
Placing up front your interest in feedback. Similar to the justification you must've felt in compiling the C guide for your friends. Continuity in ethos.
« Last Edit: July 06, 2004, 10:20:18 PM by Adam Clayman »
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Tony_Chapman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Revising my web site
« Reply #3 on: July 06, 2004, 06:13:36 PM »
Tom - This a great question and one I am surely not qualified to answer.

You seem like a "classical" guy to me, yet the color scheme and overall "look" to your site appears to be very colorful and loud. This is just me. I would go for a more mellow, older, historical look to the design.

I find the information you provide to be excellent and your course write-ups awesome. Maybe you could also find a way to include some of your drawings on the site as well.

You know, I would call Carlyle Rood. I don't know the guy from Adam, but I could look at his website all day.

Good luck.
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John Foley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Revising my web site
« Reply #4 on: July 06, 2004, 06:19:17 PM »
How about some snippets from the Confidential Guide, only the positive ones though!

More pictures of the works in progress.

More of the great renderings Don Placek puts out.
 
Stay away from the java-enhanced, video feed fly-overs, hole morphing, music playing bells & whistles, it gets real old  real quick.

Keep It Simple & keep it updated.
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Integrity in the moment of choice

Carlyle Rood

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Revising my web site
« Reply #5 on: July 06, 2004, 06:59:57 PM »
I would encourage you to build an expanded portfolio section.  Be sure that the images are large enough to show the detail you want.  In the interest of bandwidth, you may want to provide thumbnails with links to higher quality, broader-dimensioned photographs.  This will allow visitors to browse all your images quickly and then select their favorites.

I think it would be interesting if some photographs of golf holes were presented with your drafting blueprints.  Or compare and contrast them with photos prior to and during construction of the hole.

Carlyle
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Mark_Guiniven

Re:Revising my web site
« Reply #6 on: July 06, 2004, 07:02:46 PM »
Tom,
The site Visual Unity http://www.visualunity.com.au did for Mike Clayton is probably the best I've come across. Traditional but fun-looking Macromedia Flash front end with simple html popups for the changing content. Excellent use of Adobe Acrobat pdf files that people can save to disk / exchange with others / print off at a later date. Easy navigation menu based on an old fashioned scorecard.

http://www.claytongolf.com.au

With your schedule you need something that isn't a chore to update. You don't need to publish a small gazette every few months like Martin Hawtree does but a monthly update with some construction site photos would be good. I like what Geoff Shackelford did with the hole-in-the-making style photos from Rustic Canyon for instance. Have your selected essays on pdf to download like Mike has done. A contribution from Bruce and the other guys would be good to read too.

I guess the main thing with any site is to have something that isn't a pain in the ass to keep current.


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Kevin_Reilly

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Revising my web site
« Reply #7 on: July 06, 2004, 07:20:55 PM »
One part I'd disagree about...the use of Flash is often over-kill and complicated.  For example, on the otherwise nicely-done Mike Clayton site, it isn't always intuitive about how to navigate around and use drop-down menus (for example I didn't realize that you needed to double-click on the drop-down menu to remove it).  html sites are much easier to navigate (for the user) produce and update.
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"GOLF COURSES SHOULD BE ENJOYED RATHER THAN RATED" - Tom Watson

Mark_Guiniven

Re:Revising my web site
« Reply #8 on: July 06, 2004, 07:55:24 PM »
Yeah, Kevin if that menu retracted automatically after a short delay it would be even better. It does say "menu... double click to open/close" though so most people should be able to work it out.

Nothing wrong with just a text-based site like you say, especially if it's got a lot of material people may want to print off. I just thought the flash was a nice way of infusing that 1920s Sandbelt style richness into this particular site.
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Mike Benham

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Revising my web site
« Reply #9 on: July 06, 2004, 07:56:55 PM »
I agree with many of the suggestions above ...

One other is get away from the standard "Times New Roman" font style as it looks like it is the default choice (and it probably is ...).  

Ps:  I think the Fazio site uses Times New Roman ... ;)
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"... and I liked the guy ..."

ian

Re:Revising my web site
« Reply #10 on: July 06, 2004, 08:34:49 PM »
Mark, I didn't like the flash media stuff on Mike's and navigated away because of it. The site's nice but too busy with all the effects. Just an opinion.

Tom,

Keep it simple, lots of photos and links or postings of your writing.

My experience is that if you don't hook somebody right away, or worse frustrate them, they navigate off to somewhere new.

The major issue people have with web sites is companies keeping them up to date, a monthly update is very important.

We are also updating our web site :P, which is embarasingly two years out of date. I'm learning to do it myself so I can keep it up to date.

Suggestions: How about a link to a lowly second rate restoration architect who could use a few jobs? Some of those fancy clubs must need some ladies tee expansions? ;D
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Tiger_Bernhardt

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Revising my web site
« Reply #11 on: July 06, 2004, 09:20:15 PM »
Tom, I liked it as well. I find the flash to be overdone as well. I just hope you can put more pictures and stay as up to date as possible. You have so many great sites to work with these days that a picture is worth a thousand words.
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Ben Cowan-Dewar

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Revising my web site
« Reply #12 on: July 06, 2004, 10:10:08 PM »
Good suggestions. Lots of images, it is your product and there are some great shots. Having literally 18 photos would not be overdone, it is a large part of the sucess of our site.

Also, include your writings, but I would not lead with them. The problem with the web is that people are in skim mode and concentrate on headlines and images. I would stay away from flash, because the people you are selling to are the lowest on the scale of computer and need simple navigation.s
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Geoff_Shackelford

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Revising my web site
« Reply #13 on: July 06, 2004, 10:24:32 PM »
Don't forget a link to Nicklaus.com. :)
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Mike Nuzzo

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Revising my web site
« Reply #14 on: July 06, 2004, 10:24:55 PM »
What do you need a web site for?

It's a lot to keep your content updated.  Active links and references to all your press (keep digital copies for when the links expire).

What would be good...

Many great images.
Enough copy to keep the treehouse coming back.

An online journal or "blog".

Lots of links to porn.
Cheers
« Last Edit: July 06, 2004, 10:25:30 PM by Mike_Nuzzo »
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Joel_Stewart

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Revising my web site
« Reply #15 on: July 06, 2004, 10:30:04 PM »
Tom:
Try not and get to complicated for those sites take forever to load and if a user is on a dial-up, you may lose them before it loads up.

I would like you to have an area for links and not just to your golf courses that have web sites.  Perhaps you don't want to promote sites such as GCA but I find it difficult to find meaningful sites for research and classical golf history and information.

Good luck.
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Michael Moore

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Revising my web site
« Reply #16 on: July 06, 2004, 10:41:06 PM »
I hold designers' web sites to  very high standards.

A long time ago there was a link to an essay called something like "PGA Tour is ruining the game" and it never worked. Now there is no such link. What was that all about?

Tom Paul says you have learned a great deal from talking to and observing tour players. I am curious about that as well.
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Metaphor is social and shares the table with the objects it intertwines and the attitudes it reconciles. Opinion, like the Michelin inspector, dines alone. - Adam Gopnik, The Table Comes First

Kelly Blake Moran

Re:Revising my web site
« Reply #17 on: July 06, 2004, 10:43:02 PM »
I would scrap your website and just send people to this one, you have pretty much taken it over.
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David Kelly

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Revising my web site
« Reply #18 on: July 07, 2004, 01:38:19 AM »
I would be interested in seeing before and after photos of restoration work.
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Thomas_Brown

Re:Revising my web site
« Reply #19 on: July 07, 2004, 02:35:20 AM »
My 2 cents:
 Geoff Shackelford's website is the best one I've seen for content & architectural opinion on his course - RC.  But, he's more of a writer than an architect(so far).  sorry Geoff  :'(
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Andy Levett

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Revising my web site
« Reply #20 on: July 07, 2004, 04:07:55 AM »
Tom, Ian
If you put a copy of Macromedia Contribute (software for non-technical users to update websites) on your laptop you can update content whenever it suits you, on the road  for example.  You can download a free trial copy here
http://www.macromedia.com/software/contribute/
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Mike_Sweeney

Re:Revising my web site
« Reply #21 on: July 07, 2004, 06:39:38 AM »
Please no flashmedia.
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Tom_Doak

  • Karma: +2/-1
Re:Revising my web site
« Reply #22 on: July 07, 2004, 07:17:32 AM »
Kelly:  Hope you were pulling my leg.

Funnily enough, I was looking at other architects' web sites last night and Coore & Crenshaw's site has a bunch of links to the profiles of their courses on GCA.
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Smokey_Pot_Bunker

Re:Revising my web site
« Reply #23 on: July 07, 2004, 07:41:50 AM »
Tom,

In my personal opinion something that I think would be interesting would be the routings of your courses such as Ballyneal and Sebonac.  People here on the site talk about the routing as the have seen it or been on site, but would love to see it if possible in terms of making it work in relation to the topo maps and possibly a few pics to go along with it maybe.  Before and after pics would look good in letting fans and potential clients seeing what you are all about.

How about a architectural contest for a hole or entire course where people could download a map and come up with a routing of a course or hole over ground that you have already worked on in the past.


Just thinking out loud here.

Carmen Dorso
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Dan Herrmann

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Revising my web site
« Reply #24 on: July 07, 2004, 07:46:38 AM »
Tom,
I'd do your web page like you do your golf courses.   Use the themes of your design to guide you.

Don't use flash - it's too slow for dial-up connections - it's the "windmill" of web pages.  It can be effective in very limited situations.

Do use frames.  Put your links down the right side or near the top, under a heading frame.

Use simple fonts and colors.  

Make use of photographs placed wisely.    Black and White photos can be very effective.
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