Website designs

[Zeph]

I'm about to build a website and I've been looking around for some nifty designs to give my brain a good jump start. I've just started looking a few hours ago and I haven't had much luck finding a good design. I've found a few sites with little bits and pieces I like, but I still dont care much about them.

This site will be used to show a welcome page giving a short overview about me and my work, a page serving as a resume, pages showing my work in categories such as raster/vector, 3d, animation, etc., and a contact page. The only requirements I have for it is that it use smart design and the viewer can quickly find anything they're looking for.

If you know of a site that does this or part of this, link it here. If any of you knows a place where recently created portfolio websites are created, I'd love you. Anyways, here's two sites I've come across and found things I like/dislike.

http://www.shiftingcreations.com
I dont like the background and color scheme, but I'd end up changing that anyways. Content can be organized neatly and found easily.

http://www.etsusiggraph.org/
Nice design. That little section on the right can be used to further categorize content. I find it a bit narrow though.

[Snowy]

http://www.templatemonster.com/

http://www.webdesignfromscratch.com/web-2.0-design-style-guide.cfm

[CrAsHOvErRide]

I'm making one myself right now...little Flash intro (teaching Flash to myself right now) and then I'm gonna try to copy some Vista elements...shouldn't be too hard. I'll keep mine very simple though.

I'm also going to use a blog software called WordPress since it's a bitch to code one yourself.

For now...http://allenthinks.com/patrickssj6/

15 mins of work.

[Chewy Gumball]

You might like some of these. They aren't portfolio designs per say, but definitely some very nice looking designs
http://www.mezzoblue.com/zengarden/alldesigns/

Theres also this http://www.game-artist.net/forums/spotlight-articles/415-your-portfolio-repels-jobs.html
Some things to keep in mind.

And finaly http://kuler.adobe.com/ for colour schemes.

[Phopojijo]

I'm making one myself right now...little Flash intro (teaching Flash to myself right now) and then I'm gonna try to copy some Vista elements...shouldn't be too hard. I'll keep mine very simple though.

I'm also going to use a blog software called WordPress since it's a bitch to code one yourself.

For now...http://allenthinks.com/patrickssj6/

15 mins of work.Flash Intros are dangerous medicine.

If it takes longer than 1-4 seconds to load -- people will likely just frig off and leave.

Also, always give an option to skip an intro screen.

As for copying Vista elements -- obviously be careful with it -- but actually that could be a very good thing. It'll be much easier for someone to understand your website if you kind-of piggy-back on stuff they already know.

Personally I'm trying to implement Joomla into my website... it's a sister of Wordpress.

[Syuusuke]

I love you, Patrick, for using the Opening track from Linkin Park's Reanimation album.

[CrAsHOvErRide]

I love it too :P

This is a basic preview...I don't have much experience with Photoshop and I am even less creative but this is what I whipped up and it looks decent. Some nice Flash / Transparency Banner...if you wonder why the page is that large, the spacers are in there already.
http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/1716/main6gc3.jpg

[Snowy]

Honestly, no site should ever be 100% flash. Unless it's a portfolio site, that's generally the only exception.

[Chewy Gumball]

No, portfolio sites are not the exception. Flash is something that might enhance something, but your site should not rely on it in anyway.

[CrAsHOvErRide]

I agree...there is also a high chance that the viewer doesn't have the supporting Flash version, making your site, useless. ^^