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Calm Banana has 8 Reviews

Below are the reviews left by other members on Calm Banana. Jump to review form?

1. 

   muddystream gave it on 3rd Dec 2008 and said:

   What drew me to you site was the name at first. I mean - it's a great name really. Can't fault it there ;)

   You have not blogged in a while. I've found that it is best to blog often to keep your hits up but I guess it doesn't apply to all sites.

   I think you have great content. Your content is the sort of stuff that everybody is always looking for but can rarely find so you've basically got everything that everyone needs all in one so that's great! I really love the lists idea. I will probably use some myself!

   I especially liked the How to Survive a Mosh Pit page. I think that's something everyone should know and know I feel well prepared for my next gig!

   Your site is truly unique and I will 200% definitely tell other people about it - it's amazing!

   Your layout looks quite basic and simple which I don't normally like but for some reason it seems to work. I normallylikelots of colours and graphics but the pink just compliments the name and your style. SO really I have nothing bad to say. It is by far the best sight I have seen in such a long time.

   I checked out your photos at Flickr too. They're amazing - how on earth did you get that close and the quality is really good! I couldn't resist but comment on your status: "I THINK EVERY WEDNESDAY SHOULD BE THE DAY WE TALK LOUDLY OVER IM TO EACH OTHER." Love it! It would be cool to chat on IM some time too lol.

   I can see your personality coming through in your site which I think what makes our site so likeable. It is so bubble and exciting! Sorry, I am getting carried away!

   You seem like such a genuine person too which always helps! Keep up the good work Rachaely!

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2. 

   meggan gave it on 11th Nov 2008 and said:

   Okay, so... suggestions on how to improve:

   The main font you're using for your site looks bizarre on my monitor. I checked your styles and I see you're using Cambria, which isn't a typical web-safe font and so I get some kind of default weirdness. Georgia is a nice-looking web-safe font, so if you'd like serifs, I'd use that instead.

   Your color scheme is harmonious and has a nice amount of contrast. The pink is nice and bright but not neon/blinding, so it gets a thumbs-up from me. The hover state on your "Need help?" link doesn't seem to match that pink though, which looks weird. It almost seems red. If you're aiming to use a limited palette (gray, white, pink) keep with it! I think the current pink would match better than the reddish hue.

   I rather like your large titles, so no complaints there. The hovers are nice and subtle but still give the indication of a link.

   Your Qbee button seems out of place - perhaps it needs its own sidebar header? "Extras" or "Quilting Bee" ? Right now, it looks awkward centered when nothing else is, but I think if it had its own header, the centering wouldn't seem so out of place, especially since it's the last item in the sidebar.

   Your flickr photo styles are fine (I like the hover state) but I'd put the same amount of padding left-right as there appears to be underneath them. At first, I was going to tell you to ditch the gap in between the rows, but now that I know it's a hover state, I think you need to add a gap in between the columns to make it match. Consistency!

   Really liking the "15 lovely people have commented," as it's a refreshing change from "15 whores" or other less flattering labels. Makes your readers feel loved. :D

   Duuuuude 5 foot 7 is not short. *cries* I am 4'11" and if that is short, you do not get to be short. You are average. Perhaps even tall. :)

   If you use smilies on your site, it might be worth finding a pack that matches your site layout, or maybe even make your own! Those yellow ones WP ships with are awful. The ones I use are from kawaiiness.com, which appears to be missing now. Lame. Well, lots of people offer smiley packs so you should be able to locate one that works for you. I use Alex King's clickable smilies plugin on my site to get the job done, but I'm on the lookout for a plugin that will let me define my smilies easily and within WordPress so I don't have to save a copy of my functions.php file and update the WP core every time I upgrade. Hate that. ANYWAY. Either turning off the emoticon images so they're plain text or finding a compatible set would look very nice.

   I think your search button could use some love. Make it gray! Or white! Or something less default! I love playing with forms so it makes me sad when other people neglect theirs.

   You seem to have a good handle on padding, so no complaints there. White space is good and I like that you're embracing it.

   Overall, it's kind of hard to review a site and offer suggestions without mentioning the wonky things, but I hope this helps out. Your site is solid and even if you think it needs a total e-overhaul, I think it's holding its own as-is. Nice work!

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3. 

   Sewwy gave it on 10th Nov 2008 and said:

   As you've suggested that you know your current site is kind of in the toilet, so to speak, I'll try and create a review specifically emphasising on what you could work on and introduce, rather than what you've already got.

   Overall, I think a layout that is centred, rather than to the left of the page, would be more successful for the next design. The left-aligned design provides a lot of space left over on the right hand of my screen, making it seem quite cluttered. Everything seems quite large, too, if that makes sense. The colour scheme works well, however.

   Your About page is a little plain, and could use with a little more about you. I do like the testimonials page, however.

   I think the section at the bottom of the layout containing your flickr RSS and twitter is a bit out of the way and unseen. I found that I didn't really scroll down that far simply because the page content finished before i got there. Perhaps moving it to the sidebar might be more successful.

   Your blog entries were quite interesting to read, you have a good writing style.

   Unfortunately I can't be much more help!

   I have no qualms with your Extras page: I think it is well thought out, providing lots of tidbits for the viewer. It's unique and useful, making for a good content page.

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4. 

   Lilian gave it on 9th Nov 2008 and said:

   Everything about this layout is perfect for what it is - a personal blog - so I have no real criticisms. Bear with me as a I nitpick a couple of superfluous issues.

   As aforementioned there are a few issues with padding in the footer. Looks like you've solved it since but it still needs a little more between each Flickr photo and the Twitter entries.

   Differentiate your sidebar from your content by decreasing the text or giving it a lighter colour. Nothing that would take away from the general aesthetic, but would make your website easier to scan.

   Making the layout fluid was a good choice - it fits my Mac screen nicely and will do in other resolutions. All the same, It drives me mad that it isn't centered. It would work since the headers are the same colour as the background, so why not?

   I agree with the previous review in that you could be a little more creative with your typography. However don't mix serif and sans-serif if the body text will remain serif. Instead try using alternative header fonts. What about Hoefler Text, Platino or Times?

   To summarise, you've improved in leaps and bounds since I first stumbled upon your website. Your efforts have certainly paid off because your website looks fantastic. Well done.

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5. 

   ko0ty gave it on 9th Nov 2008 and said:

   Design: I'm a huge fan of blogs with no header image. I went through a couple themes like that too because sometimes a really high quality blog doesn't need flashy images to impress the readers. Pinks and grays are one of my favorite color combinations so I definitely have to give you points for that! I like the font used, but maybe if you were to use a serif font, you could contrast that with a sans-serif font either in your post titles or vice versa? Just to spice things up a bit.

   Posts: I don't think the wide letter spacing between each letter in your post titles is working ... maybe it's the serif font but I think it usually looks good with sans-serifs and not the other way around. You should tighten it up a bit, in my opinion.

   The date is a little dark to read and needs a little more contrast.. it's not important, but if you were to have it there, might as well make it stand out a little more because I almost didn't even see it.

   The images in your posts can use some borders or something around it just to raise the aesthetic aspect.

   I noticed that when you mouse-over the comments, you get a pink background but when you mouse-over the "previous" and "next" links, it gets underlined. I think the pink background is nice and effective and goes well with the rest of your layout (eg. the pink header and footer) so maybe keep it all consistent.

   Footer: The Flickr images could use some borders and you can also keep the padding around it consistent because there is a gap between them when you go to the next time whereas they stick together when they are beside each other.

   Copyright: Just a suggestion, but maybe you can make the background of this part a darker shade of gray to differentiate it from the gray on the right. it will make it stand out more and will pull all the content on the left together (since there is a lot of negative space on the right).

   The links in your Twitter feed could also use some definition because I can't tell which one are links and which ones are text until I hover over them.

   Sidebar: Just a picky designer critique, but your Quilting Bee should be left aligned with the rest of your content.

   Misc: I like how you have links to different sections of your website at the very top (navigation · content · sidebar · footer). It's a small detail but shows that you care about usability.

   Good job!

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6. 

   Tiffany gave it on 8th Nov 2008 and said:

   This is one of my favorite layouts of yours. :)

   I really like it because of the 2 color color scheme, the overall use of Georgia, and the lack of images. I don't think the layout would look better centered, but the left aligned layout makes me have to shift my head a bit. With the really simple layout, there should be some balance, something really shiny and neat about your layout.

   The flickr photos look kinda lonely without some bordering or padding. I like that you put the search in your footer, but its plain looking. I also think your comment section look more like the contact section.

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7. 

   Aisling gave it on 8th Nov 2008 and said:

   Well well, Rachaely my dear, we meet again. If I recall correctly, I reviewed your site on ys.nu, near its downfall. :P That was before we really knew each other! I wonder if I can find it, so I can compare!

   Okay, so my big thing last time was that you were using a pre-made theme, that didn't reflect the amazing Rachaely we all know and love. I believe my exact words were: "I want something exciting and crazy and... Rachael-y! I want a design that I'll look at and go "Yay! Rachael! I scare her! I wanna go talk to her on Snark NOW!" "

   And, well, you've certainly done it. You've developed a style that is all your own, and for that, I congratulate you. You can certainly tell a Rachael-made site.

   So, obviously, in your blurb, you said you're trying to revamp. So, I don't know what I can say really, not knowing what you're working on design-wise. Simplistic designs are really what you're known for, so I suppose you could either decide to really run with that, or go the complete opposite and wow everyone with your graphic skills (which do exist, I've visited OSP. Often.). Personally, I think it's a tricky decision to make, because your style is so connected to your online personality, but at the same time, nobody wants to be stuck in the same thing. Hmmm... I am so unhelpful.

   Your current layout is lovely in any case, and I am still not sick of it! You could use a bit of padding between your Flickr photos and Twitter updates in your footer. They seem to be a bit smushed. Meanwhile, search box has like a whole big space in which to float around in!

   Your about page is simple, nice and informative. You come off as friendly and... calm. Your subnavigation could use a bit more attention. I often forget that it is there at all, all hidden away under all the other information, and blending in with everything else. As far as other content regarding yourself, well... there isn't very much. I would like to know more about you. And your Top 5 page... does this change often? Or are you just constantly liking the same things year after year? Bands you've seen live is... really just a list. Not entirely interesting. What did you think about the bands you saw? Would you see them again? Can you link us to photos that you took of them? You have an interest in music photography, and you have a website, and you have a list of bands you've seen. Can you not see the big opportunity for original content that you are missing out on?! :P I would absolutely LOVE to see you go more in-depth with this. Music is such a big part of you, I want to know what you liked, what you didn't, and I want to see music shows from YOUR point of view! Not just a list!

   Okay, so Extras. Is this an everything-into-the-barrel type section? You mainly have articles, which are very well written although you haven't written any in a while, which is sad. The goodies are good, but only the forms seem relatively useful. It says you've been planning on extending this section. But you haven't. Are you still planning?

   Links. What can I say? There are links. I find it very difficult to find your personal blogs link list. I mean, I have to actually READ to find it. It should be included on the page as well, perhaps after Techie Blogs. When I click Links, I expect to see links! No need to hide them away for... I don't know, the sake of organization? You obviously like the people you're linking, and they probably want to be linked to, don't make people have to work for it! Haha.

   Your contact form is a contact form. Your message at the top of it is possibly the cutest bit of your site. :P

   I really think you've come a long way, especially with design and finding where you fit in the web world. I think you could use some more content work, but that shouldn't be too difficult, because there are so many blatantly obvious parts of your personality that deserve to be translated into your site. :)

   Good luck with your overhaul!

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8. 

   Yos gave it on 8th Nov 2008 and said:

   First Impression: I've always loved your design since the first time I saw it, it's imageless, unique, and wonderful. It even drove me into making imageless layouts (but I quit soon afterwards since I don't think I have talent in that area). Your color scheme is wonderful, the color stayed together and it doesn't look awkward at all. Mind you that my review may be a bit biased since my brain is driven into the love of your layout when I first saw it (which is when I first joined theqbee).

   Header: Simplistic, straight to the point, and pink. The color is not Blah which is great.

   Navigation bar: Same as the header. ^

   Sidebar: I like the whole feel of your sidebar, it's welcoming and easy to navigate.

   okay, lets just cut to the chase since, I like everything but the footer, here are some suggestions on how you can improve your footer *I think*

   Footer: At first glance, I really like your footer, but when I read deeper into it, there are some flaws that I think could be better.
   1. Twitter: It's nice that you have twitter and stuff, but honestly, It's quite hard to read. It needs padding between each twitter entry.
   2. Search: I think you need to spiffy it up a bit, since right now, the "submit" button kind of ruin the whole look. rounded corners perhaps?

   Well, I guess that's all I have to say, sorry if my review is quite useless :( but I hope it helped a bit!

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