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Chris Andruszko
18,392 PointsI start my job search today!
I learned my first bit of HTML last summer and now I'm using HTML, CSS, Javascript (including jQuery), PHP, and MySQL. I've been a very happy customer of Treehouse for a year now. And now I actually have some websites created for my portfolio. I'm looking for junior front end developer positions, but I'll apply to anything that sounds good.
If any of you have the chance, I'd like some feedback on my site: ChrisAndruszko.com
I have four items in my portfolio (five if you include my own site). Three are websites, one of which uses a custom WordPress theme I created, and one is a WordPress plugin (just to show that I can do some backend stuff).
The weird thing is, I created those sites for clients who don't plan to use them right away (one is awaiting translation, one is waiting for the logo design from someone else, etc.) so I put a link to their site, even though there may be no content on it. But I also linked to a version of their site that I'm temporarily hosting with example content so potential employers can get an idea of what it will look like when the sites are finally being used. Is this an okay thing to do?
5 Answers
John Hill
Front End Web Development Techdegree Graduate 35,236 PointsBreak a leg out there, Chris! I checked out your site and I'm really digging the aesthetics of it. The subtle fade-ins, enlarged pics on hover, and the background flickering are well done! Consider changing the paragraph fonts to something more readable like a non-decorative sans-serif, and consider changing the color of the buttons on the front page from dark gray to something lighter perhaps. I also feel like I want to click them… And it'd be super clean to provide a hamburger menu for mobile screen sizes.
For half-finished projects, I would say it's ok initially since it gives clients an idea. Just be sure to let visitors know which sites are under construction and be sure to update the links when the projects are complete. Good stuff man -- you're well on your way to greatness! I think just brushing up a bit on typography and color theory will really make your work shine.
Jay Padzensky
4,731 PointsHey Chris!
Best of luck out there! It's pretty amazing how much you've content you've learned and are able to apply in only a year's time! It's definitely inspiring. Hoping for your success!
As for your site, while I love the dynamic-ish background and projects page, I find the footer to be a little too prominent for my tastes. Additionally, your contact page is squished a bit to the left and wouldn't mind seeing a touch of margin to separate it from the end of the page. Otherwise, really impressive work! Great job :)
Chris Andruszko
18,392 PointsI thought I had fixed the contact form earlier because I've seen that margin error happen a few times, but it seemed to happen randomly. I found out there was interference with the JS, so I needed to flex a div inside the div the JS was affecting. Now it should be fine.
I gave the footer a translucent background. I don't know if that's what you had in mind, but I think it's a little less prominent now.
Thanks for the feedback!
Camila N
10,677 PointsHi there! I wish you the best in your job search! I was looking at your site and have a few suggestions, just some things my boss always points out at me :)
- The boxes at the home of your site shouldn't be images, as they have text. Maybe you could style them with css, that would allow you to make some animation of hover with them in the future. Also, you could add a link from those boxes to a related section of the site :)
- Loved your bio!
- In the contact section, maybe you could validate the information with javascript while the user is typing, that way you could notify with a color (red) or a little box on the page (not a pop up) if the information is valid. Also, after I entered non valid information, the website went blank and it only showed me the error message.
- The height of the page takes 100% of my screen, plus the menu. Maybe you want to make it take 100% including the menu area.
- Make sure all your anchors and links use the pointer cursor (bullseye website)
- If something in your portfolio is a work in progress, label it as such :) Everyone tends to write 'WIP' but maybe clients are not familiar with that.
- I would link to my github account if I were you, and if you use it. I don't know how it is in the states but in Argentina everyone wants you to use git or github on your projects so it would be good if you start to use it too :)
As for the design, I'm no designer but I liked the look of the website. I would only add more 'air' on the sides so the content can 'breath'.
Sorry for my english! Let me know if you need anything else, and good luck!
Chris Andruszko
18,392 PointsThank you so much for those suggestions! I spent all night working on the ones I felt were most important. I'll get to the rest soon. But for now, I changed the height issue, changed the form validation, and got rid of the images on the home screen. I also added the link to my github profile. We use Git a lot in the states, but I've never really had to use it until recently, so my profile is pretty bare.
Also, your english is perfect, so no worries! And thanks again!
Camila N
10,677 PointsChris Andruszko
And also, don't be overwhelmed by the list! I remember when I got my first list of changes and corrections at my job, I couldn't believe how long it was, even though the design had already been approved.
Those things are normal and by no means a sign of anything, it doesn't mean a website is badly coded or anything.
Edit: I checked the site and it has improved a lot! I would check the overflow of the main container as the scroll bars are still showing, and also when the page is longer than the height of the viewport, the background image doesn't cover it all. I would use background-size: cover for that.
jpxayhijta
8,353 PointsNan
Chris Andruszko
18,392 PointsCamila N Thanks again for the feedback. When I was working on it last night I was just using my laptop with a smaller resolution instead of dual screen with my larger monitor, so I didn't notice those weird margins on the sides. I didn't think to check either. But I fixed that and I added and changed a lot of stuff. So I think it looks a lot cleaner and hopefully, HOPEFULLY works as good for everyone as it does for me. And, of course, I'll still be adding smaller adjustments.
Bharat Gehija Your site looks really clean. I love that type of simplicity.
Artful Wisdom
Courses Plus Student 6,506 PointsHey Bharat!
Just a suggestion from a fellow treehouser. I notice your website load up rather slow, the common user doesn't like waiting no more then 5 secs for a page to load. I had a similar problem on mine website (Artfulwisdom.net) and I use this google tool to find what the problem was. I hope it will help you as much as it helped me.
jpxayhijta
8,353 PointsNan
jpxayhijta
8,353 PointsNan
Camila N
10,677 PointsI recommend using https://tinyjpg.com/ for ALL your images. I did this and saved a website I was doing 40mb. After that, I convinced the company to start using the tiny png API for every image the users upload. It's really helpful!
Artful Wisdom
Courses Plus Student 6,506 Pointshelpful tip Camila! I will inform my developer. Thank you
Chris Andruszko
18,392 PointsChris Andruszko
18,392 PointsI'll look at some fonts I like for the paragraphs. And I think I'll create the hamburger menu tonight.
Honestly, I like development wwwaaayyyyyyyyy more than design, but unfortunately it seems no one can be just one or the other as far as front end positions go. So yeah, design is definitely something I need to work on.