this is my first go at doing a layout fully in css. can you guys help me and see if there are any mishaps going on with my coding through the different browsers and systems. i'm running IE on a pc and everything seems to be in order. but i also know that IE isn't as picky as say fire fox. thanks for the help.

http://www.idiomlife.com

Also... all you flash haters... ay complaints on this one?

thanks for the help everyone.

don't see any obvious problems css wise

however the contrast of the whole site is poor, grey text on black is hard enough to read, and with the almost black text on black [04.27.2005 So strike me deep and true, and in Your strength I will live and die both unto you. -Thrice] it's impossible to read.

Your main links are at 90 degrees so require head turning and as they are flash have no tool tips which would help a lot. [same goes for the TDN etc. links].
Most of the content and links suffer from userbility/readability issues - many which are down to the use of Flash [yes, I don't like Flash but only because of how badly people use it]. And the use of Flash is going to be a serious problem when used in a shopping cart - you will lose orders [people love using the back botton to navigate, something Flash doesn't like].

I'm surprised you went with such a dark colour schem [more suitable to rock/heavy metal] than an outdoor sports [brighter colours]

? don't see any obvious problems css wise
sweet!

? however the contrast of the whole site is poor, grey text on black is hard enough to read, and with the almost black text on black... it's impossible to read.
i did that section of the news like that on purpose. not the main focus of that section.

? flash have no tool tips which would help a lot. [same goes for the TDN etc. links].
tool tips? can you give me an example?

? Most of the content and links suffer from userbility/readability issues -
what type of userbility/readability issues do you feel there are? aside from not being able to use the back button... which in my opinion is not needed, websites are non-linear, users should be able to get to anywhere from anywhere. but i know users don't always think that way, but it's something i'm willing to sacrifice.

? many which are down to the use of Flash [yes, I don't like Flash but only because of how badly people use it].
in your opinion do you feel i've used it badly?

? And the use of Flash is going to be a serious problem when used in a shopping cart - you will lose orders
i don't think this is true if done right. check out this sites cart system. i'm sure it works as well as any other cart system, if not better.
http://www.amadeodecada.com

? I'm surprised you went with such a dark colour schem [more suitable to rock/heavy metal] than an outdoor sports [brighter colours]
the action sports industries culture is rooted out of the punk/hardcore/rebellion scene. this is part of the reason i went with the dark scheme.

thanks for all your feedback. i appreciate it.

? i did that section of the news like that on purpose. not the main focus of that section.
maybe not, but if it's worth putting on the site it should be readable

? tool tips? can you give me an example?
point your arrow/mouse at one of the picture on http://www.richardasquith.co.uk/ you will see a yellow box appear [I think something can be simulated in Flash - ask Aaron.]. It's achieved via the alt/title tags in HTML
? back buttons, which in my opinion is not needed, websites are non-linear, users should be able to get to anywhere from anywhere.

Getting to anywhere from anywhere is possible with or without Flash and you should be able to get back to the previous page without having to remember its location. Plus if pages are within pages [sub levels of navigation] people have to do a lot of clicking to return to where they were - it's said you loose something like 10% of your customers per click extra they have to go though.

? i don't think this is true if done right. check out this sites cart system. i'm sure it works as well as any other cart system, if not better. http://www.amadeodecada.com
very slow to load or use [I'm on broadband too], there is no mention of sizes [what is Large etc.], can't see enlargements, back prints etc, can't enlarge text and have to wait for each section to load [I spent more time watching the loading screen] http://scene360.com/tshop/a_tshop.html is a better example, done without Flash, and the best on-line shopping site has to be Play.com.
Plus book marking something for later isn't recommended with Flash.

I think the key is the more products/product lines you have the less likely it is Flash will work for you - Flash with a few t-shirts you can do [assuming everyone has the plug-in], but if your doing a shop [t-shirts, shorts, snow boards, dvd's etc.] then Flash should be avoided.

before i keep debating the flash issue i want to make sure you understand my target market. it's 18s to twenty-somethings involved in a culture that is more about looks, design, personal expression than having to click one extra time. yes lack of functionality will turn them away also, but i don't feel i have that problem with my site... yet... haha.

? maybe not, but if it's worth putting on the site it should be readable
unless it's put on the site as a design aspect. you still saw it and then investigated to figure out what it said, i'd say it's working exactly how i wanted it to.

? you will see a yellow box appear [I think something can be simulated in Flash - ask Aaron.]. It's achieved via the alt/title tags in HTML
oh yeah, i know all about alt tags. i thought you may have been talking about something else. i don't think any button should need an alt tag unless it's purely graphical, like my three bottom links(TDN link etc.). i know how to do the same effect in flash i just don't want to.

? Getting to anywhere from anywhere is possible with or without Flash and you should be able to get back to the previous page without having to remember its location. Plus if pages are within pages [sub levels of navigation] people have to do a lot of clicking to return to where they were - it's said you loose something like 10% of your customers per click extra they have to go though.
i agree this is one area that flash fails in. i just try and make up for it as best i can through the archeticture of the site. that's why i have spent tons hours completely on the information archeticture of the sight. at any given time you are no more than two clicks from any page.

in regard to the Amadeo cart:
? very slow to load or use [I'm on broadband too]
it loads as fast as any given html page. the page transitions are slow, but that is how the mood of that site is set. those animations are set at the speed purposefully.

? there is no mention of sizes [what is Large etc.], can't see enlargements, back prints etc
mention of sizes? the shirt size? it's on the left with all the other details. it says "select your size" and then has check boxes for S M L XL. The reason it doesn't show back prints is because there aren't any. and there is a zoom function on the right side that allows you to zoom over the entire photo.

? can't enlarge text and have to wait for each section to load [I spent more time watching the loading screen]
what do you want to enlarge the text for? as a designer i'm glad this can't be done because i want the user to see it how i intended them to see it. on an html page you have to watch it load also. at least with flash you can pass the time watching a nifty little animation opposed to images randomly loading on to your screen.

? http://scene360.com/tshop/a_tshop.html is a better example, done without Flash
this cart is horrible! i'll keep it short to the main points, but i could tear this one apart. the biggest thing with this one is it sends you to a third party site! you add one thing to the cart and you're sent to some other site(that doesn't even match cosmetically) showing what's in your cart. i usually buy more than one thing, now i have to either click back a few times to get to the main store front or... wait... look... a "continue shopping at scene 360" button! i'll definitely use that... no wait... it just sent me to the home page for scene 360. how often do you go to the market, bring your cart to the back dairy section, and a gallon of milk, then walk all the way back to the front of the store before going back to the dairy section and adding eggs in to your cart? this site was not a good example.

? and the best on-line shopping site has to be Play.com.
this site does work well. i still believe the Amadeo site can keep up with this one and i also prefer the Amadeo site cosmetically over the Play site

? Plus book marking something for later isn't recommended with Flash.
bookmark? what do you mean? like bookmark your shopping cart page to check out later? no need to book mark your shopping cart page. add an item or two to the Amadeo cart and when you return your order is still in the bag. click on the bag and you're checking out.

? I think the key is the more products/product lines you have the less likely it is Flash will work for you - Flash with a few t-shirts you can do [assuming everyone has the plug-in], but if your doing a shop [t-shirts, shorts, snow boards, dvd's etc.] then Flash should be avoided.
i think it can be done, and done very well. and i'm gonna do it just to prove it to you. hahaha.

plus i would like to see an html site that can incorporate video as smoothly and sleek as flash can.

no one else is posting, have to consider this a private conversation - much better than the dvd/cd case fiasco

? my target market. it's 18s to twenty-somethings involved in a culture that is more about looks, design, personal expression
that would be me then, a 26 y/o mountain biker - I'll tell you what, you set up the site and I'll order a FREE sample [LOL].

? unless it's put on the site as a design aspect. you still saw it and then investigated to figure out what it said, i'd say it's working exactly how i wanted it to.
I only delved because you asked for comments

? i don't think any button should need an alt tag unless it's purely graphical, like my three bottom links(TDN link etc.).
text I'm assuming rather than image based, in which case title are very helpful

? it loads as fast as any given html page. the page transitions are slow, but that is how the mood of that site is set. those animations are set at the speed purposefully.
this combined with the reload from start on each visit [no skipping] is a lot like waiting in a queue

? it says "select your size" and then has check boxes for S M L XL.
I was refering to what Small is in inches. US/UK
sizes differ, as do sports goods from none sports goods [either because sports people aren't as fat or because they like stuff baggy]

? there is a zoom function on the right side that allows you to zoom over the entire photo.
so there is, missed that completely - does work well, but if you miss it...

? what do you want to enlarge the text for? as a designer i'm glad this can't be done because i want the user to see it how i intended them to see it.
small text is hard for me to read and I have good eye sight, fixed text sizes aren't a problem for me - if fixed at a readable size, most people are naturally warry of small print too.
plus Grandma may want to buy her grandson a cool t-shirt - the person who wears the clothing might not have bought it, this is were being able to bookmark a specific item allows people to email the link to someone else, my mother always wants to know what to buy me at Christmas [your not having money for Christmas she says every year]

? this cart is horrible!
don't let Adriana hear you - I think it's done more to avoid setup expenses [merchant banking etc], which keeps costs down, cheap as chips - it also allows far more payment options, and thus more customers [Switch cards are very popular in the UK, but no one in the US will take them]

? a "continue shopping at scene 360" button! i'll definitely use that... no wait... it
just sent me to the home page for scene 360. how often do you go to the market, bring your cart to the back dairy section, and a gallon of milk, then walk all the way back to the front of the store before going back to the dairy section and adding eggs in to your cart?
never, the milk man delivers both [LOL]

? still believe the Amadeo site can keep up with this one and i also prefer the Amadeo site cosmetically over the Play site
but would the Amadeo site work with Plays extensive content? the download times would be terrible

? bookmark? what do you mean? like bookmark your shopping cart page to check out later?
most sites do store cart info, dependant on cookies [they are not in the dairy section] but e-mailing etc the items you like to others require a unique URL to that product/s, a Flash site would just be the homepage

? i think it can be done, and done very well. and i'm gonna do it just to? prove it to you. hahaha.

good - I was thinking of start a E-commerce do's and don't post for the blog, you might have some good stuff to contribute

? plus i would like to see an html site that can incorporate video as smoothly and sleek as flash can.
technically speaking they do - video works better in Flash, but Flash has to be put into HTML - so HTML is the only way. Remember there is no such thing as a Flash site, only a Flash movie inserted into a HTML page [a lot of Flash's problems are solved by putting movies into different pages - book marking, back button, search engine problems etc, but no one does it.]

Well, I'll but in on this conversation! lol...well, not much to say since I suck at web designing. Great designer, but not good at the whole web thing yet and I'll admit it. So, for me to criticize something that I could in no way do better at would be quite hypocritical, but as a designer stand point of view, I would say the only thing I noticed that may need touched up is the readibility of the links on the right within the boxes or shapes or whatever they are. Maybe consider not doing as much of an effect on the text so that it can be easier to read, or possibly enlarging the text. I don't know, that's all I can think of. The main thing I hate about websites is when they load very slowly or have horrible colors or have type on a color that just is ridiculous, but in this case, I really don't see much bad going on. All the best...take it easy.

? no one else is posting, have to consider this a private conversation - much better than the dvd/cd case fiasco
haha. very true. i've enjoyed the private debate!

? that would be me then, a 26 y/o mountain biker
uhh... i don't think mountain bikers exactly fit in with the true action sports... haha, just kidding, i used to be a sponsored bmx stunt rider so i had to give you some crap. i was watching a red bull MB challenge in HD the other day and some of the guys were absolutely crazy!

? I'll tell you what, you set up the site and I'll order a FREE sample [LOL].
i'm always down with hookin people up if they help spread the word, and since i'm sure you'd give me testing help also. the store won't be running till august'ish but hopefully some of my clothes will be hitting press in a month or so. i'll let you know when things are running.

? I was refering to what Small is in inches. US/UK sizes differ, as do sports goods from none sports goods [either because sports people aren't as fat or because they like stuff baggy]
oh. well that's not because the site was done in flah. i'm not sure if they are really targeting the UK. and i can't really recall many sites that have that info. it's something good for me to consider though if i want to look at selling much in the UK.

? the person who wears the clothing might not have bought it, this is were being able to bookmark a specific item allows people to email the link to someone else, my mother always wants to know what to buy me at Christmas [your not having money for Christmas she says every year]
good point. but you can still make it as easy as possible to navigate the site. it wouldn't be too hard to send them the main site link and the tell them the name of the shirt and that it's under "mens". not quite as easy but also not that hard.

? ? this cart is horrible!
? don't let Adriana hear you - I think it's done more to avoid setup expenses [merchant banking etc], which keeps costs down, cheap as chips - it also allows far more payment options, and thus more customers [Switch cards are very popular in the UK, but no one in the US will take them]
what's a switch card? a UK brand credit card? and it's at no offense to adriana. i understand why people use those carts, i just don't think it was a good example of a really well done html cart.

? never, the milk man delivers both [LOL]
haha.

? good - I was thinking of starting an E-commerce do's and don't post for the blog, you might have some good stuff to contribute
i'm down. let me know if you post it.

? technically speaking they do - video works better in Flash, but Flash has to be put into HTML - so HTML is the only way. Remember there is no such thing as a Flash site, only a Flash movie inserted into a HTML page
well that's a given.

? a lot of Flash's problems are solved by putting movies into different pages - book marking, back button, search engine problems etc, but no one does it.
most people don't do it because it would mess up the flow of page transition animations. but a lot of people don't even havfe transitions. they should definitely consider a seperate page for each. i'm working on two hybrid(flash html mix) sites right now.

? but as a designer stand point of view, I would say the only thing I noticed that may need touched up is the readibility of the links on the right within the boxes or shapes or whatever they are. Maybe consider not doing as much of an effect on the text so that it can be easier to read, or possibly enlarging the text. I don't know, that's all I can think of.
thanks for the input. i'll be looking in to ways to make it more readable.

whoa! richard i see you just recently changed your site. i like it more than the previous. when did you launch it? within the past few days right?