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DBS>Interactive just launched their new website. If you don't know who DBS is, check out this blurb we took from their about us page:
DBS>Interactive is a professional website design and software development company, headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. We specialize in award winning web design, custom website programming, software development, online marketing, and interactive multimedia.
You can check out the website here.
Really strong work guys! Well organized, easy to read, my eyes go immediately to highlights...not bad, not badtatall. Portfolio looks strong too.
It's a bit corporate for my taste but I understand the target audience you're going after (not me...i'm broke!).
Well done!
Excellent Site! Crisp design, and I love the illusion the flash creates. Typography makes for a fun though admittedly corporate appeal as Deanna pointed out. Their Oxford Gardens site is awesome too! Gold Stars all around.
I don't know if I'd go so far as to say "really strong work."
Its not bad. I mean, not terrible. I think my main issue is that like much of the web design that I've seen posted on this site, its not original. It seems too much like a stale web template. It tells me nothing about what DBS is all about. If you were to replace the DBS logo with "Web Builder Guys" it wouldn't matter.
That kind of goes for most of the work in the portfolio as well. The design doesn't make the client unique enough. No one is going to comment on how "cool" that drop-down navigation was. Or how slick the main picture window with side navigation layout was to look at. It just lacks a certain strength in overall, unique design.
I see someone call out the Oxford Gardens website as "awesome." Really? Awesome? I wonder if this person might be somehow affiliated with DBS....?
Loki
Woah, woah. I just found this on the site:
"The re-designed Oxford Garden website could become benchmark for the industry!"
Someone from DBS or from Oxford Garden please explain how that website will be a benchmark for the industry. I would argue that THIS WEBSITE is a benchmark for the furniture industry.
This goes back to what Jason Clark said in the Belle of Louisville website discussion. "Be careful when praising your own work." Or something like that.
I don't know... I thought the work was good, original and effective. Considering the organizations, and the challenges of designing for businesses that size, I think DBS has a solid portfolio and that the new site packs a punch. Their branding is strong and simple.
I like the site a lot.
Tree
I think the site is clean and nice, but super generic. I would not assume that this shop does design. It looks like a bunch of programmers. That is fine and dandy, if programming is what you need. The sites in the portfolio lack any real appeal. Standard mom and pop shop designs, that really kind of remind me of the trend back around the Y2K scare.
This site really looks like every other standard web design company out there. What separates them? Nothing really.
If I were to come here, I would probably have someone else do the design, and have these guys make it work. Probably not that either actually.
You know I have to agree with Loki about "tooting your own horn" but not sure I would characterize the IKEA site as a benchmark either. Issues with it:
- Very slow load time (and I have 10Mbps connection)
- No accessibility
- Kinda Cool? maybe....Effective ? NO (I am not gonna buy an IKEA wine key or saucer set now)
This whole idea of being creative for creative sake just misses the boat IMO. Web 2.0 is about bringing functionality to form in ways that are accessible to all. I know I have come across hundreds (maybe thousands) of cutesy little Flash microsites that are completely unremarkable and unmemorable a day later (that IKEA site is destined to become one of those to me). What is memorable and interesting to me on the web are sites that use good CSS and web standards to clearly present a wealth of information in a pleasing way. The new U of L site is a good example of this.
I can see your point about the IKEA site, jimmyb. But you have to admit that for the "furniture industry" that the technology used is pretty amazing.
As far as your U of L site as an example, I totally disagree. Some of the strategy that is taking place on the site is memorable, but the design and feel of the site itself seems cheap. And btw, NOBODY remembers a site for their use of CSS and web standards, that comment is just silly.
But DBS has so many claims on their website that relates to "putting their customers first" and "design an amazing online experience.." blah blah. I just don't think the portfolio, or the website itself, supports those claims.
theg8rking has a point. If they focused on what they do well and tell the truth about it, they may find a more focused niche. Lose the broad, overused and under-supported marketing statements.
This is where we get into subjectivity. Maybe I am a total geek but I do think that clever CSS styles are very memorable. Take the Media Temple site that the site we are on is powered by. Super, super clean and clever use of CSS styles that presents both design AND navigation in elegant simplicity. People may not know that it is the CSS styles within a site that are memorable, but that does not make them any less so (and accessibility comes inherently with correct use of extensible markup and clean CSS). As far as the Louisville site.....what looks cheap about it? Or how about this......I challenge you to show me some sites that present 45 main points of navigation above the fold on the index page in a way that is as easy to read typographically and as intuitive to understand architecturally.
Take a screenshot of the Media Temple site and put it next to the U of L site you referenced. Big difference in the quality of work.
But this sounds like another discussion to me. Doesn't have much to with the DBS site.
1. sandman says:
May 15, 2008 1:45 PM
Did I miss something? When did Microsoft release SQL Server 2003?
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