First Try at a website with Xara

**Rtruant** · 18 August 2009, 08:34 PM

Not too bad for a $50 budget ($75 including coffee).

Laboratory website pages

In case you're wondering, the home page graphic was done in Google SketchUp.

I made extensive use of Youtube for embedded videos, and photo pop-ups for the gallery.

**Scotty** · 18 August 2009, 11:15 PM

Hi,
I like the overall concept but had difficulty navigating wiht some of the menu items, the "Title" didn't link just the small arrow heads. But I really like the design don't get me wrong.
Jim

**gwpriester** · 18 August 2009, 11:27 PM

Neat idea but at the sacrifice of ease of use. But life is not a contest to see how easy we can make a site to navigate, eh?

**Burpee** · 19 August 2009, 03:12 AM

That's a pretty cool idea and graphic. For some reason nothing is active for me on your site. I get no active cursor when I mouse over and even if I click anyway nothing happens. I've clicked all over the page with no results.
I'm using IE6.0.2900

Though I really like the 3D text, I found some of it hard to read. Wonder if a bit more shadow would help in that regard?

**gracehjs** · 19 August 2009, 04:24 PM

It took me a while to find that the links were on the tiny arrows, I expected the words to take me to the pages. Also, the only way back was tha "back" button.

**ss-kalm** · 19 August 2009, 04:35 PM

Nice effect Ray.

Grace, the arrow by the "Ray Truant labs" goes back to the homepage.

**Rtruant** · 19 August 2009, 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by Burpee

I've clicked all over the page with no results.
I'm using IE6.0.2900

I actually beta tested with about 20 computers and people, no one complained about readability. The idea is to get an innovative look in three dimensions, which is related to the technology of the lab.

As for the links in IE -they don't work on clicking for the whole site, you have right-click and "open link" -this is a IE problem and persists in 7.0.5.
The IE browser sees the button, but does not act on mouseup. I could try and hunt down the issue, but modifying a site to chase IE bugs is a never ending battle.

Not even simple text hyperlinks work. I think this issue is a corrupt IE. This was addressed here.

Frankly, you'll get more from the web using any other browser.

**Rtruant** · 20 August 2009, 02:15 PM

Just checked 12 computers with IE -the links work on 8 of them. All latest version of IE. Xp or Vista doesn't make a difference. I suspect this is a malware issue.
Links work on a Blackberry Browser, Safari and the Sony PS3 browser.

**iamtheblues** · 20 August 2009, 04:18 PM

Cool looking site. Everything works fine on Opera 9.63. The home page reminds me of the opening credits on a movie I once saw.
I've a feeling it was Hitchcock's North By Northwest, but I could be wrong. Innovative design elsewhere, too.
Saludos,
Bob.

**Dirtwad** · 10 September 2009, 03:19 AM

Cool site.

I tried to click on the words and nothing happened..then I saw someone another comment that said "did not see the little arrows" I did not see them either at first.