I've just finished updating my website! New home page, new fonts (I actually bought the main display font), new work - you know ... updated!
I do love that display font. I think it really speaks to my concept of "urban primitive." It's one of those 'dirty' fonts with chaotic splotches and lines within the very crisp lettering. You'll notice I've got variations of the home page image running as headers on my other sites - I'm quite fond of the doctored version on this blog and Etsy and Facebook. I'd really like to change the whole look of the website, but that can't happen until I re-shoot my entire catalog. And since I just shipped the samples back out west, it won't be happening anytime soon. Ah well, one of these days..........
So of course I'm looking for feedback and, even more importantly, if there are any glitches or inconsistencies ... links don't work, font colors are not consistent, images with text that should be centered and are off a pixel or 2. If you've ever built a website from scratch, you'll know just how cross-eyed you can get. Then there's the added challenge of remembering to stretch my right arm and shoulder so's it doesn't freeze up, which it has done and which hurts like the dickens.
As an incentive ... check it out, leave a comment and I'll throw your name in the hat to win this Urban Primitive Steel Portal Pendant.
This one's the polished steel with bronze. It has my 'l i g a" blessing written on my hand cut and dyed silk, adjusts from 34" down to 18" with sliding knots on my hand-plied silk cord - a KVK bronze tag at one knot and a Rory Raku bead at the other.
So check out the new and improved site and let me know what you think. I'll draw names this coming Friday the 16th.
Thanks in advance!
l i g a - kvk
HI Kathy
ReplyDeleteI can tell you I am coveting every piece of jewelry on the site, does that count?!
No seriously, I looked the site over from top to bottom, clicked links, examined the layout... I cannot find a single flaw. The photos are outstanding, nice and crisp. I guess the only thing I would miss if I were a new visitor is the pricing. I know you are clear in saying to contact you, but sometimes people will automatically think - it must be Pricey, and be deterred. It's shame because I think your prices are spot on.
I never realized you had such a large repertoire of designs! My favorite is the Urban Primitive.
Kathy, hi. Everything seems to be working navigation-wise on your new website. When I have a chance I will go back and test in depth. The work looks wonderful; no surprises there. My wish list just keeps growing. OX C
ReplyDeleteHi Kathy,
ReplyDeleteYour photography is beautiful, and I'm loving the urban primitive piece! Great work. I'm glad to be a follower of your blog and work.
when i click on the links they take me to the website homepage, but i can't get farther than that. maybe you're working on it now, so it's down...?
ReplyDeletei agree with lorelei about the unlisted price thing. i'm much more likely to buy something if i know the price without inquiring. although i think i understand the logic for not listing the prices...
xoxo
Wow! thanks so much y'all! Definitely seeing the need to have all navigation on the left.
ReplyDeleteI put the pricing in the PDF link, "price list & color chart" rather than list them individually and it opens in a new window. It takes forever if I need to change all the individual prices, so I think I'm going to stick with the PDF. I'm hoping the link is more visible now that I've moved it to the left.
I'm working on the screen size thing. I've got a 21" monitor and then there's everything else that's out there - phones to iPads to laptops. Gots to do some research about optimal sizing for multiple applications.
Keep the feedback coming! Really excellent!
I absolutely love your jewelry, it is amazing. One suggestion I can give you is turning down the brightness of your photo in the header, it makes it harder to see your name and the spectacular font you chose.
ReplyDeleteChecked out the whole site. Really looking good and functions fine. I don't see the price PDF, must be overlooking it somewhere. The white is a little bright for my eyes but maybe I could tone that down on my end. Great job!
ReplyDeleteLove your pieces and the way you photograph them.
okay, now i can navigate around and it's gorgeous!
ReplyDeletei think that maybe the price list and color chart need to be down with the rest of the links - i just went back for the 3rd time to check something else and finally saw it (so just deleted most of my message and am starting again : ). a page that has shipping and contact info - 'how to buy' stuff in general would be helpful. my sense is that the whole purchasing process needs to be made clearer. some (many?) people are very shy about writing to ask questions... the way it is now it seems like more of a showcase for your work and not so much a place to purchase it.
xoxo
it's me again, ha ha...
ReplyDeletei agree with mary about turning the brightness/contrast level down in the header photo... i love the font that you chose but the brightness of the photo grabs my eye first; there's a lot of reflection off of the metal against a white background, especially near the top of the photo, and it feels super bright to me. i want to take my eyes down to the kvk logo (underneath the links) so they can rest - they're not lingering on the words 'kathy van kleeck' like they should be : ).
xx
I'm a massive fan of your work, Kathy, and having now dismally tried my hand with that rascally steel clay, am completely in awe of your ability to tame it!!! I too felt instantly in love with PMC, but am really struggling with the copper and steel.
ReplyDeleteYour new website is a triumph!! Stunning photographs (although I think it would be impossible to take a bad picture of your work to be honest!), and the crisp, cleanness of the white makes everything stand out beautifully. Very stylish and classy, and easy to move around from page to page.
Perfection.
wonderful! Thanks everyone ... feedback noted and changes have been made. see what you think!
ReplyDeletehttp://kathyvankleeck.com/
All your work looks lovely. For me, on a laptop, I felt the front page a bit washed out, though it might be the brown flat table you're photographing on. Something in the contrast doesn't punch bright to me; maybe a look you're going after. ?
ReplyDeleteThe price list is so LARGE after the more elegant size of the text from Nuts and Bolts page. It shouts. Leaps in my face. The large leap in font size makes the price seem Big, ha ha. :) Subconsciously.
Your Nuts and Bolts page info Repeats almost exact as your other page where you talk about your statement. Maybe not a big deal to some. Also, your statement ... it has more than a dozen "and" in the first sentences. You can mix that up. Some ands, some words without. Some of it could be tightened too, if u want help i could shoot u an example in email, but no help today! ha ha its too nice out. easy fix.
Its a big beautiful web page, eye candy land~!
blessings.
hey, i just clicked on your images to the etsy shop from this blog. Those images seem to pop with light, and the size seems to bring the jewelry to my being closer, so its more real, sized to my hand almost for the "Taking" "touching" ... the color palate seems warmer, cleaner too.
ReplyDeletexo
Busted! M - you nailed the two things I didn't update - photos and text pages. I had planned to re-shoot the samples and had been avoiding the task, then ended up having to send them to the new rep before I ever got around to it. Likewise with the text pages - resistance plain and simple. Now that I've been busted, I'll have to get on the rewrites. Thanks ... really! :-)
ReplyDelete