u/89dpi

Think there is rarely always right in anything.

For example. Most dashboards have a left-side nav.
My latest project had a horizontal layout to save space.

It's a dashboard that probably gets like <10 users from each company.

Theoretically, going with left-side icons would be fine.
What if it slows someone down when they are in their first week working?
Or what even if they need something occasionally that takes 10 seconds more time to find.

In my case: Western people read from left to right. With complex data tables, it is a good idea to keep the left side fully clean, so focus can move to the right spot.

While if your context is. Users need to navigate between multiple features quickly.
For pro users, there might be an advantage of using keyboard shortcuts. On the other hand clean might not be better. Maybe a larger click area for links is better. If you have a 40x40 square to click vs. a 40x120 rectangle with a clear label.

Thanks for the detailed reply. Really appreciate it.

I don't want to argue, but I think there's more beneath the surface here.

There are plenty of situations where people want a lawyer who is willing to go through flames for them. You're hiring someone to protect you, whether you're right or wrong. If anything, my content might be too soft for this direction.

1. WCAG
   I believe the white/red contrast is accessible, and on mobile the text sits on a dark background. Happy to be corrected. I've seen too many templates or real sites with light grey text on white or unreadable long lines etc. Arguably much worse.

2. Conversions.
   CRO theory is nice, but how many people actually convert straight from a homepage hero? People searching for specific legal help often land directly on service pages, articles or paid landing pages.

Service pages have a clear CTAs, and the fixed navigation keeps the booking button accessible.
https://attorney.framer.ai/services/business-law

Also, finding an attorney isn't always urgent. Especially for businesses and high-end clients. Here I believe that a strong branding can make a huge difference.

Finally, it's a template. A starting point. Buyers can easily change the red, reduce the shader opacity or remove it entirely. If end users browser settings prefer reduced motion then it should be much calmer.

My thinking is that it's easier to tone down something distinctive than turn another generic blue law firm website into something memorable.

Might be wrong, but that's the thinking behind it. At the end of the day its a fund side project. Will see if it gets enough visibility in the marketplace so that real attorneys and lawyers will notice it and build on top or not. This validates the strategy.

Again. Thank you for thinking along!

Shortly.

I personally feel that part of UI/UX moves closer to visual design. And this is how I have always wanted to work.

First you need IA and big picture. What is the flow you build generally.

Then you need concept design. This sets the style. Here design apps eg Figma are good. Based on this step you figure out look and feel. How type is treated, colors, spacing. This can be messy.

Now building actual prototype or flow. Design apps have never been good for this. Too many duplicates or different states. Even with components it’s tricky and takes a lot of unnecessary time.

I am ready to experiment. And I do believe there are stronger attorneys eho preffer something more impactful.

Sans hero section did you check content and service pages and do you think there is strategically something really wrong? Also considering that each attorney who wants a great website uses this as base layer. Original photos + brand colours in my opinion allow enough freedom to transform this into something calm

Thanks.
Good to hear some think that I shouldn't save it to my HDD and burn it from existence.

Think I keep it for now and maybe soften the hero. And perhaps footer. Feeling the hero section already scared the most viewers away :)

Valid. Moved it already and now scaled up! Ty!

Thanks for the tip.

Manually moved the human-made icon star to the right position.

Ai is used for content and images but think I used state vector map for this icon myself.
Think I just didn't mean that the star represents the actual location.

Love the detail-oriented review though!

The first point was.
I have a fairly well-performing legal template.
Wanted to explore another paid template in the same category to compare how they perform.

If you ask about this branding.
I wanted strong, impactful branding.

Think this is important, especially for small companies.

My own strategy and what has brought results is.
Small companies could take a stand and look more unique.
Big companies need to be more generic and appeal to the masses.

So naturally, I feel that there are winners in this industry who are ready for something stronger.

They are ready to go through flames for their clients

yes

I didnt sign up as I dont have UK company nor don´t know which reporting is needed.

Can give few comments on landing page.

Usually enterprise software has cta - book a demo or call etc.
Now you mix both. If people can explore and test it (and for free) then keep one.

You might want to add quick demo video.

I suppose the idea is clear for those who know what the carbon reporting is.
If there are some ranges for companies who need to comply you might mention that. And is it monthly?
45 per month is quite a lot for smaller companies.

For larger. Your page currently looks a bit rough around edges. I may be too critical as web designer though but it doesnt look like a proper company. Its more as someones indie project with a landing page done.

Now thinking that if I run a serious company I have two questions.
A) Do I trust them with my info.
B) If I invest my time and learn how this workflow works are they still operational after 6 months?

I do like the graphical shapes. However, I dont feel how they relate to carbon reporting.

Backed by and working with feels weird.

If you have a dashboard, it might show this. Or a demo.

Generally, the UI boxes eg different carbon reporting cards mix with your body content.
Overall, the whole page gives a bit of AI feel. There is just too much.

Check how some larger startups do their marketing websites. And then take visual gues from there and simplify every bit of a content until there is nothing more to take away.

https://attorney.framer.ai/

Created Framer template for attorneys and smaller law firms. 
Purpose. Just to have fun. Some affiliate income maybe if someone converts to a paid plan. My initial goal was to launch it as paid but its free atleast for now. 


Designed and build in Framer. 
Images generated with Midjourney and ChatGPT. 
Custom code components (pattern) Codex mostly. 
Some retouch and graphics done in Photoshop and Figma. 

Curious to hear general feedback. Especially from those from US. Do I have something in structure that is completely wrong? 
And as a solo designer who just launched it happy to hear about any bugs. 

Think the impression is still on visual.

Maybe as designer I feel it more.

But let me phrase it this.
A decent website is not that expensive.

I imagine that having a full production line for a chair. Warehouse etc. There are a lot of expenses.
So if company doesnt have a decent looking branding then its sus. Makes me feel like someone is at best ordering something and then reselling.

Giving something to customers is noble idea. I know it from my own experience. I tried to do SaaS that is free for small businesses. Reality is that your generosity is not often appreciated.

Discounts etc work in web and ecommerce. Yet you need to make it feel tasty.
You need to make it all about the user. Now it felt just. We did read some business book and if we get this 10 from N-number of people then we consider that our idea is validated.

First impressions matter.

1. It is nice that you have gone with a simple look. And I might be fully biased here as designer.

But this picture + texture pattern gives me huge AI vibe.

If its real product site it makes it feel suspicious.
You mostly sell quality and trust.

1. Slides switching. Chair is changing. How does it even look.

2. Overall. Non-designers would say that this hero is clean.
   As designer, it does feel off.

The big problem is that. Minimalism works if done intentionally. Everything that is not needed should be removed. Or there needs to be hierarchy.

In your case. You start with work. Then repeat work, game, ...

1. If I scroll I see 3 chairs. Different color. Different look but slightly. Same price.
   Its just too confusing.

Mesh seat feels most like button. Overall this structure is off. If you think everything is important nothing is.
Go check there are quite a lot of good furniture or chair websites.

1. Scrolled few sections more. AI images. AI icons that look off.
   Your price is pretty low or affordable. But there is almost 0 brand. A good wireframe.

But being serious. Choosing something from IKEA is probably less risk than figuring out which whitelabel chair you are selling.

1. I dont know if chair is something you want to reserve. You either need it now. For work or to build a new office. Most probably you would even want to visit showroom and feel how it is.

2. If you have real production. 20+ years of experience. Add photos. Invest into high quality renders. Show the story and people. Keep the clean style but actually design it.

A) I would not consider. I am happy with my Cosm and I havent seen a better looking chair.
B) Playing price games makes it feel sus. It does remind more aliexpress where you have various discount codes popping up. If you build a brand think about this.

Could we establish a baseline for what is good for you?

When there were reviews, I often discovered that most templates had some bugs or something similar.
Yet this happens with most websites.

But on an opposite view, there are different cool websites. I personally don´t even think that a template should be that cool or unique. Yet I feel the marketplace has tons of options. So really interested to know which website is aesthetically high quality for you.

Something that makes it look like a real business not a template or AI generated wireframe.

Sure you have colors and special fonts there. Yet it feels rather like a wireframe with a gradient background.

I dont necessarily mean you need to add elements. You can work with spacing. Or typography and grid. Build a look that makes it feel like effort is put in.

It does lack focus.

Take a step back and leave the Ai to the side. Read and remove everything that doesn’t explain what you offer in simplest terms. Then provide real trust. Branded look might help there too.

Tricky question.

I use whatever gets the job done.
Like which kind of animations you need to show?

Adobe XD had great mp4 export for prototypes.

AE. Still king if you need more complex motion.
Rive if you need it interactive.

For the portfolio site itself eg web animations. GSAP.
Nowadays I work a lot inside Framer so I try to animate there.
Or code. Canvas animations.
Sometimes lottie. AE lottie has been workflow for animated illustrations. Also some frame by frame scroll animations.

Haven't used much, but Jitter seemed good.
Simple. As I can navigate around in AE I just haven't felt the need. Suggest to check this first probably as it might be just enough.

So yeah bit tricky to say without knowing what you want to do exactly.
If you want to show UX flows then Figma prototype + mp4 export or screen recording might work too.

Think you are overdoing it, honestly.

1) I see a bit of branding conflict with body typeface and overall style and logo.

2) As designer your goal is to showcase work.

3) Its not even clear what is it. Is it a intro page or what?
I clicked on the big text. It scaled. Sloooooowly. And nothing.

This interaction is fully wasted.
I feel I am pretty tech savvy person. So I was lost. Can I scroll to see work?

4) Your intro text. It feels rather like a tag cloud. As designer site. This probably has 0 SEO effect. So dont just add keywords there. Focus on balance. 3-5 lines perhaps.

5) Work thumbnails. Those illustrations feel AI. I have nothing against AI but it gives me 0 ideas what type of project this is.

6) If I click. Again its slowly animating.

Answer to this. Why you want award? What is your target audience?
Other creative or agency person?

Animation shouldnt be used to indicate that you can animate. It should extend.
Now it rather stops.

7) One image. I felt like dissapointed. I had to wait and open to see one image.
Not much info what you did. Not even a full clear overview whats the end result like.
On Mentos as an example you show one open product page.

8) Vibrant blue distracts. You can be punk.
But now add that on western world people read from left to right and top to bottom.

Your layout doesnt really help.

I get it 97% what you want to do. Artsy. Different. Make a stand.

But we enter into territory that rules shouldnt be broken because you can. More it should be broken because there is intention.

9) Even going into details. Feels some text is clipped. eg bottom ends of g-s are missing.
There are orphans.

You might say I am nit picking. But if goal is award then people who rate should do the same.

A website and a website are very different topics.

A simple, good old truth in the web design business is.
There is always someone who does it cheaper and better than the current price.
Also, there are many who charge way more and do much worse.

Business is international. And even here in the comments, you can see that people assume that few prompts and 2h, something decent can be done? I am not against AI; however, as much as I have used it it still takes a lot of time. (And building websites for 20 years, I suppose I have a pretty good idea of what I ask and what the baseline limits are.).

Long story short.

A common small business website. Let's say 5-8 unique subpages. Custom design. Actually done by someone who puts some thought and sweat into it.

3500-5000$.
One-pager, decent I believe, around 1500$.

As a fun fact to indicate how different the prices could be. I have freelanced for agencies. And it's not a secret that often the end client will pay easily 20-30x more than the people who actually design and develop the website will get.

If it's a serious question and you are really interested, I have written a bit longer (still very basic and generalised) about how the price might be formed. https://give.ee/en/articles/website-cost/

might be that more users are coming from marketing.

Think in my area, it means:
Higher lead quality.
Shorter sales cycle and probably a bigger % closed.

Its cool.

From hero I wasnt sure what do you offer.
It felt like IT related.

And when I scrolled I saw delivery and gardening. Felt like you offer some kind of handyman service.

Keep in mind that nobody likes to read online.
Your design should send the right meaning.

And your branding represents the human feeling. While if I start reading and see AI it gets messy.
So after a while it starts to feel like you just found some nice illustrations and thought hell yeah these look nice.

If you have IT service. Show fashboard or demo video or something. Make it stupidly simple to understand what do you offer.

End of the page starts to slip away too a bit. Like CTA block + form block.

Web design is all about building momentum. Footer CTAs do work. Not like a lot but they do get clicks.
In theory this has to feel like "Hey you saw what we offer now its your chance to test/start".

Also you have playful style. Perhaps think about changing CTA button color. Now they are red in red. So kind of blend in.

+1

and surprisingly it brings long term results

What you do sounds like a cool topic.

If you want something a bit more special then happy to help with a Framer site (could do other stack too however it seems to suit you well).

Here is one robotics-related Framer template I did:
https://www.framer.com/marketplace/templates/aeva/

You can find links to more work in my profile if interested. I believe your inbox is full already.

Yes, it happens and it is visible.

As a web designer, I might be fully biased however, I see it going two ways.

A) AI improves. And like a lot. It starts to understand brand more instead of choosing the most obvious color scheme.

B) Lots of companies ruin their websites. Their 2018 website might be better than the new fancy AI one that is sold to appear in AEO/GEO and generate tons of leads.
Coming years might be pretty good for web designers.

Some of your other points.
There is very simple logic.

Small business.
Good design + plain and simple content.

Design shows trust. This sets you up to big boys league.
Simple straightforward content. Its easy to read for customers.
Simple content works better for SEO.

Big brands
Simple design + more vague content

Here things change. Usually you need to go more conservative on content. There are more target groups. More functions.
While now its time that your content sounds YOU.
Right people already know what you offer. Now content should have tone and unique voice. Your brand values become more important etc.

Both
Original photos. Absolutely they help. Especially if 7/10 of your competitors use some slop.

Ai tools for website building. Useful yes. Can average joe take it and build something decent?
Not better than taking a wordpress template and installing it. Similar options have been available to small businesses for 10+ years.

Having website done by AI is better than no website.