nice. i like it.

cool graphics.

I like variety of the work

yeah but that giant intro is a little annoying and self-aggrandizing as i see it.

not to be totally negative, but it was a bit in your face

thanks for the feedback so far - the website is an early version so far, so everything is appreciated. regarding the intro - i wanted to have it without images and too much text, hence the way it looks right now. i might play with the font size though.

yeah, do something small and minimal. it'll look better.

also, what was the process/programs for rendering? the library in prague was interesting.

it is pretty basic actually - just sketchup (sometimes) and then photoshop. the library was actually just skewing elevation drawings into perspective and adjusting them in photoshop.

your work is beautiful. the typography and layout is a bit clunky. every thing looks ultra-medium (except the title page) - 1"x1" squares, 14 pt. type, not terribly exciting sans serif font. it's clear, but a little dead - surprising to me given you clearly have a very sensitive eye for graphics. a possible way to improve the layout would be the use of rollovers rather than labels on projects. hope this isn't too harsh. i really do like your work.

great great images! nice work!

(oh ya, the website is cool, too... simple to use, etc)

i think the work is fine, but there is really no need to fish for compliments

If I was you I would instantly enter this into the 3dh competition ;

http://www.peterbednar.eu/TOD/Images/_DRAFT-Visioning-Rail-Transit-in-Northwest-Arkansas-24.jpg

stevegambini: im not asking about the work, im asking about the website.

jafidler: for typography - if i would want to use a different font will it be embedded in the site, or will it work only if the viewer's computer has the font installed as well?

ok, sorry. i think the webisite s fine.

since you ask, here are some thoughts of mine from a strictly marketing perspective:

**black background may not differentiate you enough. think about using additional colors on each page? black is easy, it's safe, and a common arch color. i don't think it works well with the images of your work. nice for the home page b/c it's eyecatching, but switching it up on secondary pages could be an experiement to play with.

**on work page - i think the title of each project is too close to the thumbnail images. add some space. space is your friend in web design - it's easier for the person to read on a screen. more user friendly. some of the project titles are hard to read initally because of the way they run into the image. the goal is not to make people think how to use your site - should be implicit. i had to do a double take sometimes. it discourages people from looking further.

**on work page, the images do not align with the nav bar. your resume and home page aligns with nav - make your images do the same

**i think you should add a downloadable resume, PDF format. if this is meant to get you a job, then that's something potential employers would like to have.

**you may also think about adding a narrative about yourself, in addition to list form. OR...just have the narrative, and people want to delve deeper they can download your resume with list of quals. I would imagine that if this site is to be viewed by potential clients to hire you for freelance, the narrative is more appealing, and frankly, more professional.

**i'm not sure you should include the header pics of you on the info page. the images are not the same size as the work thumbnails, and for some reason, that bothers me. consistency is key - so perhaps add those images but make them square. I think that the images also conflict with the stark-ness of the home page.

**also, on the info page, the images are too close to the nav bar. keep the space between nav bar and content similar between all pages.

I hope this food for thought helps. Just a little more tweaking to go and i think you are set. Congratulations on getting something up though - that is a huge accomplisment in and of itself! :)

i'm not a seasoned web designer, so i'm not entirely sure how limited you are in font choices. the websites i've made have been in flash, and i've had no problem opening the sites on a variety of computers using fairly common fonts (avant garde, typewriter, etc.).

it's not that the font is that bad (what is it? arial?); it's more that it doesn't seem like it is being used very deliberately. it looks like your dreamweaver settings were set to defaults.

fwiw - as far as i know, your fonts should already be outlined in your native illustrator/photoshop document. that negates worrying about who's computer has what fonts, because once outlined, fonts cease to be fonts and become simple p-lines.

i kind of like the boldness of your homepage, but the type is way too clunky for my taste...if you're going to make it huge, make it lighter!

i agree with siggy on the consistency factor...but in general i like the flat look of the black and white bkgrnd/text. also, he'she's right about making sure your text headers for each project line up better.

that's probably harder than it sounds, but it will clean things up immeasurably imho.

great start though...

i appreciate the boldness of the graphics, it meshes well with the work ... i agree the opening graphics are a bit big, but dont make it too much smaller - i'd just tweak it a little. Great job!

^Agreed. I like the boldness of the main page.

pbednar ,
nice website, with lots of beautiful images! I have to ask, how do you create the "money shots" perspective like in Hydroscape, The New National Library or Brewery Park? I look at them and my mind runs wild with beauty of the sites you create. It obviously makes a emotional connection with the viewer. Do you use Photoshop or do you use some kind of 3D terrain modeling program? Anyway, great job!!

siggy. jafidler, mighty, arjun, and everyone else, thank you for your comments and inputs, very helpful tips, i will definitely experiment with them.

streamline: all of it is just photoshop. check out http://www.luxigon.com/ for the best in perspectives.

i went to this site.. i cant figure out what it is.. is it some sort of photoshop plugin? or.. i dont know.. i dont mean to sound like an idiot.. but im confused

btw pbednar.. your renderings are amazing.. and your site is nice too.. i know your not specifically looking for crit on your work but the renerings are beautiful and your work seems well thought out and very interesting.. looks good

dont do a black background.... i had one for 6 years and finally changed my scheme

www.237am.com you can view the portfolio which is new..the online store is still old but will be like the new setup soon......

keep it clean and the work will make the graphic of the site....... artists/designers dont need all that bullshit flash garbage anyways..

simple and clean


b

minimalist doesnt necessarily mean plain. try some subtle gradient and colour effects. I would keep the website out of flash though.

I would say your strength is the imagery. Maybe up the thumbnail sizes, and add some imagery to the front page (while keeping the huge type - maybe add the imagery as mask inside the work text).

I think the navigation elements need to be seperate from content somehow, even if it i just a subtle little horizontal rule.

I made this website a little while back. Im still not finished with the aesthetic, but its kind of a similar context to your page:

http://www.robkilvington.com/nature/index.htm

also check out these:

http://www.virb.com/tyson
http://www.freeswell.com/
http://www.weknowrap.com/
http://www.davidmascha.com/main.html

all are quite simple, but hardly boring. note the gradients vs solid fills and blacks vs dark grays.

also do you have a larger version images of the hydroscapes project? in particular i would be interested in reading the filter pixel / recharge pixel section diagrams. and one more quick question...would ocean-shore be considered a riparian zone - or is it only river sides?

also specifying type in helvetica is abit of a dodgy manouveur. not everyone is a graphic designer or using a mac...hopefully its not to different in arial

ulterior: nice websites. the gradients work pretty well.

regarding the hydroscapes project, I have worked on it while working for my former employer who is copyright owner of the work - so unfortunately I can not publish large resolution images from the work, especially because the reports are for sale. sorry:) you can try contacting them - their website is uacd.uark.edu

as for riparian zone, while ocean fronts might often work on similar principles, riparian refers specifically to river and stream ecologies.

i was also thinking the same with helvetica- so just ot be safe i stayed with arial, but it will definitely be tweaked.

shaner: i really dont know either how it's made. i think its a combination of radiosity effects from a rendering program and very heavy photoshoping. some of the radiosity effects can be faked in photoshop though, which is what i usually try to do. obviously long way to go. thanks for the comments.

CZLIB was great.

it looks like it was made by someone who went us UA

Great, --- some of the early works realy facinate me, and you seem to hold on to themes , beside Bang what a great site all in all.