Figmint (Old)

Figmint (Old)

***-- (Rated by 7 people, viewed by 224 people)

In a few words, figmint is a delicious site stocked with all sorts of goodies for the public; layouts, brushes, tutorials, graphics, and many more irresistible delights. Every piece of content was happily made for your use. :D

Added by Frisby in Graphics

Figmint (Old) has 7 Reviews

Below are the reviews left by other members on Figmint (Old). Jump to review form?

  1. [img: avatar]
    brittneyc gave it ***** on 9th Aug 2009 and said:

    I'm Brittney, and I'm gonna review you, if that's okay. :)

    First Impression: The first thing I saw was this brilliantly done header, I love the font and how its the shiny bright color. I love how you have the arrow and the explanation of the banner. I think that's my favorite thing so far.

    Site Name: I loooveee your site name! It's very original and creative and it rolls off the tongue, but most importantly, its memorable.

    Layout: It's very functional, you use php, and it loads fast. Those are the things that make a great layout, and you have them. I love the single rounded corner! The colors you picked are very beautiful and they go great together, and I love the little white flowery pattern you have around the edges of the layout, that's my new favorite thing.
    You have the layout on the left then you have this gray color on the right that isn't the same color gray you used on the left, and I don't really like that. It actually bothers me a lot. But it does match the layout it though.
    I don't really get why you have to scroll in the shoutbox section, I find that slightly annoying, and I'm sure it deters people from leaving you a message.
    The mini news little section on the right is a stroke of genius. Wayyy better than embedding your tweets, like most people.
    I also love how you can change skins.. There's a lot of things I love about this site hah. :)

    Content: You have a lot of content, and I love that. You also have quality content.

    Single Sections:
    1. Graphics (overall): I love the variety you have. And I haven't seen very many sites that have graphics for NeoPets, once again very original. :)
    -The 404 error signs are really good, and I love how you can click to get a preview.
    -I like the hiatus signs, but I wish you had more that wasn't neopet themed.
    -The enter signs for splash pages, are great! I also like your use of "pwn" in the description for this section.
    -The closed signs are great but there's not very many of them. And the ones that you do have are NeoPet themed. Which makes me sad.
    2. Banners (overall): I love these! And you had plenty of them. They are all so perfect, I don't really need to go into details here.
    3. More Graphics (overall): I love this sections!
    4. Resources (overall): These were great! I might even take advantage of some of these myself.
    -I love how you can download the textures in a ZIP pack, with most sites they are just images that you have to download yourself, which keeps some people from even using them.
    -I love the wallpaper and lineart section. You make great lineart!
    5. Layouts (overall): You make great layout and have a lot of talent.
    -I really like how you have this section organized.
    6. Tutorials (overall): I like this section a lot too, you have a lot of different tutorials and they are all informative, and easy to follow.
    7. More(overall): This sections holds all sorts of great things that you'd never knew you'd like to see/read if you didn't look. :)

    In conclusion:
    This site is undeniably amazing. I bookmarked it immediately.

    Using Firefox on Mac | Report This?

    Frisby's Response:

    Hey Brittney. Thanks a zillion for reviewing me--No one has since I revamped and so my previous reviews don't reflect the site very well anymore.

    So anyways, I'm glad you like the site so much. :) I can explain the background color thing too. Depending on the browser you are using, the colors are slightly off. When I view it, the grey of the image is the same as the background color. I actually just had an idea on how to fix this too...

    Thanks again for the input! I'll be sure to make some more of the stuff you said I lacked. ^^

    (And high five! Another Mac user!! :*)

  2. rockcandy gave it ***-- on 20th Dec 2008 and said:

    First impressions/Layout:
    Your layout is simple, but good. I like the colors of it.
    Your sidebar is creative; I like the idea of it, but it just doesn't seem "right" for some reason. Maybe you should consider using the same idea with the tabs, but put it at the top of the layout, under your header, like on top of your content/blog area.

    Also, you have too many buttons piling up at the bottom. Consider using button rotation, or a marquee so they will scroll.

    Blog:
    Try to make more meaningful, long blog entries. Give something for the visitors to comment on. And please make the comment link more visible, try putting it before or after the blog entry. It frustrates me when I have to spend 5 minutes just looking for a simple comment link.

    Content:
    Thumbnails would help. It's easier to see a preview of the layout before clicking on the links. Not everyone has fast interenet, and it'll make them stressed if they have to keep on clicking on links just to see what the layout looks like.

    Some of your graphics are very basic looking. Consider using more brushes/image effects?

    Tutorials:
    When writing a long tutorial, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE use formatting. I can't stress enough. Formatting (bold, italicize, etc) is important especially when you're using a small font. It helps guide the visitor/reader where they are and what they have to do, and it's easy to get lost in large paragraphs.

    Overall, your site is okay.
    Just try to improve a bit more. Spice some of your grahpics up more. It's a bit plain right now.
    Make it eyecatching, so when i fpeople use your graphics, other people will see it and want to use them as well.

    Using Firefox on Windows | Report This?

    Frisby's Response:

    I agree with there being too many buttons. I'll try a marquee and see if that helps.

    The blog part isn't necessarily meant to be a blog, just updates, but I will improve the location on the comment link and maybe I'll write more--I'm working on a better system.

    Also, I'm working on a seriously pwnsome thumbnail system which is partially working on the banners and 404 sign page. Right now its really messing up the layout though. I /will/ do something though.
    And I'll try to make the graphics better.

    I'll fix the tutorial formatting too, asap.

    So thanks for the rating. I'll try to fix all the problems if I can. :3

  3. jakeboyles gave it ****- on 17th Dec 2008 and said:

    Hi, First off I am not sure on the color scheme its a little bright for my tastes, maybe just lighten it up a tad, that would bring the contrast down a bit. The top right post it note is kind of out of place and does not fit into the rest of the site, I would just get rid of it all together. I like the logo on the top of the site, its really good looking and fits in good with the rest of the colors, I would defiantly keep that. I am not sure on the navigation on the side, its a little bit hard to see and use but its not that bad, it doesnt necessarily need to go. Anyway good job and good luck!

    Using Firefox on Windows | Report This?

    Frisby's Response:

    Thanks!

    Since I've gotten both positive and negative feedback about the layout I'll probably keep it as a skin, but also make an improved version for all the dislikenaters. Thanks for the good rating. :D I need one every once in a while to keep me at it.

  4. [img: avatar]
    rainbowpool gave it ***-- on 17th Dec 2008 and said:

    I am using IE (interenet Explorer) And I do not have a MAC computer/laptop. I am using a HP laptop...so lets get on with the review shall we?

    Also one more thing...I tend to be kinda harsh so I am sorry!

    First impression:

    Interesting layout :/
    Its not my favorite and it could use some improvement..

    I don't like how you used 'Sticky Notes' for boxes on the sites....Though it is really unique Your affies are hanging right off the page!!!

    If this was my first time seeing this site...I probably wouldn't even notice half of those numbers for your affies! So you need to position it better! Or just don't have affies!

    Next...wow...the cbox...it doesn't match the colors of your layout...it really stands out. Also since the 'Stick Note' is twisted a weird way...the cbox looks really odd being in a different angle (lol if that makes since)

    Website Tips
    Consider deleting some cutenews posts? Their are ALOT on your page...and personally...alot of people don't care about reading your previous ones. So why not do a archive?

    Anyways lets go to the graphics! My favorite subject
    *Crosses fingers*

    --Clicks Layouts--

    Woah! I was on the regular skin and when I clicked layouts it took me to a completly different skin! You need to fix that! Hmmm...now I am not sure if you are updating your site but It won't even let me go back to that old skin..

    User lookies

    Wow...I guess you can say they are ok...but kinda boring. It seems like I see these type on tons of sites...why not get a more unique one?

    The only userlookie I like is the Snowickle one...the other two above it I would trash. They are boring and could use textures or something to make them more unique and cool.

    I am obsesed the twilight and yet the twilight one didn't catch my eye :/

    But the finger painting one is kinda cute! :D

    Petpages

    Your petpages are alright...but I don't like how on the Greenberries one that you alligned it to the right :/

    WOAH! Your Faerie Pteri one is really good! I was just considering leaving this page and going to review a different page! You really need to keep your better ones at the top...so people will continue looking...because when I saw the first to I thought all of the others would be the same and that their was no point it looking that the others.

    Glowing kougra is realy good too! But kinda bright *shields eyes*

    Yet again I love the faerie uni. But the text is kinda hard to read. You should change the color from white to black.

    Awww the neo-sunset is cute...its just I don't like the font you used. And it would look better if the background was black

    Lol I didn't think I was going to review all of the petpages....so this review may be a tad long just to warn you...

    Wow the birthday Zafara is better than I thought it was going to be. But the text box is a tad small.

    And the christmas one is really good! You should have that at the top because christmas is near!

    But I think you need to trash the ones at the top of that page and keep the NR ones you have...because...they are much better!

    Website layouts

    Ok I am excited to see these! So I hope they are really cool!

    The first one is...interesting...I wouldn't use it on my site though...it isn't alligned good..and it just looks kinda bad. You should
    work on it a little bit more

    Wow...the lava website layout doesn't look like a website layout at all! It looks more like a petpage or something! You need to add more to it
    or something...

    Maybe even consider adding NR website layouts...because that is what seems like what people want!

    Subeta Site Layouts
    What in the world is that???

    I still can't tell what it is when i go to that page...You need an explaination

    Horseland Profile Layouts
    Yet again...what is this??? And why do you need it on your site??

    Graphics

    404 Signs

    The first to seem really plain and pointless...and more unique-ness to them!

    Hmmm...the rest really aren't that high quailty either :/ Try adding textures or something like better and cooler borders
    umm...better font? Something to make it look like people will really like it!

    Hiatus signs:

    Hmmm...these are really good! I acually would use them if i need to! But like alot of people say...sites normally make their own
    but others wise i really like them and they look extremely good! So that is a plus!

    Enter signs:

    Interesting...but boring :/ Is that really all you can do to them? Or can you add a bit more??

    Banners

    Neopet and Misc Banners

    The ones of the neopets and that are sketched are defienetly really good! Some of them I think could use a graphic sweep but
    otherwise these are ok...

    OHHHH I LOVE THE TWILIGHT ONES! PLEASE ADD MORE!

    Your christmas ones are good! But considering adding some 'Happy Holiday' ones for the people that dont' celebrate christmas

    Misc Graphics:

    Blogs:

    Cute! I love the scribble ones! I think this is the best section on your graphics part so far!
    Love the edward one!!!! I can't tell...did you do the thing with his eye (the gold) Or was it already like that?

    Tiled Backgrounds

    Interesting...but for the ones that are at the very top that are really really small boxes consider putting a 'Preview' or something...because
    I would have no clue what it would look like unless I went to my shop and added it just to see it..

    Neopets ones are cute...so are the 'Berrie' ones! Lol! But the cybunny one is really busy.
    And of course! I love the rainbow ones!

    Glitters:

    Very cute! The turkey one is kinda freaking me out LOL! But they are cute! Consider adding neopet ones...that is what it
    seems like what people are using!

    Icons:

    Cute...but kinda boring...but i guess I would use them if i had to!

    Resources:

    Brushes:

    Very cute!!! It think i will Download a few of them acually!

    Textures:

    OH I wish i new you had textures! Let me take a look at them!

    These are really good! And on my newer graphics of my site I will consider using them! OF course...credit included!

    Neo Siggies:

    Interesting..but kinda boring...add more! Yet again!

    Tutorials:

    These look easy enough to follow! But consider adding more pictures...I am one out of alot of people who like to see it
    rather than just read the steps....so I know that i am doing it right.

    Overall:

    I think you have a really cool site! It does need some improvements but i like it!

    Congrats!

    Using MSIE on Windows | Report This?

    Frisby's Response:

    You too, thanks for the rating. Yet again, its useful.

    About how the layout changed---I have no idea what was happening there. I don't know any logical reason why that would happen...Maybe you visited the select skin page? I don't know. If you can repeat that bug, please tell me and I'll check it out.

    Also, I'll consider all you've said about the different sections and see what I can do to improve.

    And yes, I changed Edward's eye color. I am an eye-obsessed person and his eyes weren't butterscotch at all in the original picture. o:

    So thanks! :3

  5. [img: avatar]
    Kay gave it ***-- on 16th Dec 2008 and said:

    I'm using Google Chrome on Windows XP; screen resolution 1024 x 768.

    I skimmed the reviews before me; both Vitalis and Theresa said to increase the font size, and although increasing the font size would be easier on the eyes for other people, you've utilized the line height and its not horrible looking. I would suggest another font though, probably Lucida Sans Unicode before Treb MS. Now lets talk about this design...

    First off, the design is really low. You have to scroll to get to the content -- and thats never good. It seems as if the sticky note in the top right corner is preventing you from putting the layout any higher. The sticky note displays information that you could have put somewhere else (such as the left sticky note).

    Over all, the concept of the design is creative, but the product doesn't live up to its full potential. Let me tell you why: this blue is super BRIGHT. I feel like I'm looking directly into the sun. I'm not usually one to suggest dulling colors, but here, it seems necessary! I see you're using skins, but I'll only talk about this design.

    Lets talk about these sticky notes. You've used most of the space on them, and you've left little room for copy. Not a huge problem, as you've kept the text size small. Although, I feel the sticky notes were a cool idea, you could have saved them for another layout. The top right sticky note seems out of place and (again) displays information that you could have put somewhere else -- such as the left sticky note. The left sticky note features a shoutbox that doesn't match the colors of the layout. Lmfao...okay. And last, but not least, the bottom sticky note: just...wtf. Because you have no "partners", this sticky note serves no purpose other than to look sexy all by its lonesome, yellow, stick note self.

    Now lets talk about your "news".

    Welcome to figmint, a pwnsome website for everybody (we currently have neopets, subeta, horseland, and general website content)! Check out our graphics, layouts, and tutorials...Or just sit here and watch me ramble and say what news is new. Eh...Anyway, we're not the biggest, but we've got quality and hopefully what you want. ;3 Enjoy!"

    First of all, capitalize Figmint. You've also listed your content twice: "we have neopets..." and "check out our graphics...". This can all be merged into one sentence; perferablly, after you welcome visitors to your website.

    Secondly, it sounds as if you're contradicting yourself on whether your website is "pwnsome" or not. If you feel your website pwns then goddammit it should pwn! I recommend you get rid of the sentence about rambling, and edit the last sentence a bit?

    Welcome to Figmint, a pwnsome website for everybody. Check out our Neopet, Subeta, and Horseland graphics, layouts, and tutorials! We're not the biggest, but we've got the highest quality! Enjoy!

    In your news updates, you have an icon and a mood, which are both pointless. Other than that, I have nothing more to say about this section. Do you use a blogging tool at all? After clicking on your comment link, I see that you don't. A blogging tool would better help you organize your updates and gives you the opportunity to get feed back on specific topics from your visitors. If you're just starting out, I recommend FanUpdate; for its pretty easy for beginners.

    Before I even begin to tackle the rest of your content, I'm going to run your coding through a validation service. 23 errors I see! Most of these errors are easy to fix. You haven't declared a doctype, which tells the browser which type of HTML the page is in. You should always start with one. I suggest you stick with HTML Transitional. Click here to learn how to declare one. You also haven't declared a character unicoding. Click here to learn how to do that. Remember to close your tags properly, btw.

    Taking a look at your source shows me that you're using CSS right in the document. You can link the stylesheet to another page, instead of doing that using this code: .

    Your CSS has only 1 error. Congrats! On line 15, you put size instead of font-size. =P TO THE CONTENT!

    Regarding the layouts section, have you obtained permission from the original photographers of those photos to use them in your layouts. If not, I suggest you take a look at this article -- on copyright violation. Also, you might want to double check to make sure these layouts are completly valid before you pass them off to other people. Maybe even check them at browsershots.org to make sure they look okay in popular browsers (Opera, IE, FF, Safari, Chrome, etc.).

    Your graphics section is nothing new. But same thing about copyright violation.

    Your tutorial section is pretty original up until you start talking about CSS basics. I personally wouldn't use that page, but you've taken the time to explain a few basic stylesheet vocabulary, so atleast you tried to make it original. I don't know if I'd trust you to explain to me the basics of PHP includes, but thats just me! Maybe you should have read up a bit more on PHP, to better educate yourself, before you publish this tutorial? Just a suggestion.

    Photoshop tutorials are basic. Though not very descriptive or original, you've gotten your point across.

    The page about website matienece gives a few common sense points, but again, its unoriginal. I feel the need to point out that certain webhosts don't allow you to mask their subdomain. Maybe put a warning label somewhere in the paragraph? Also, its is best to suggest that people choose a co-owner to help run their website? I don't think so. And please, don't take your own advice: using bright cool colors such as TEAL or CYAN isn't always a good idea.

    I think the Misc. section should be broken down into two parts: one for the website and one for Misc. Link back, requests, and applications can all go under website. Lmao @ UBERQUIZ IQ TEST. The only original thing I see on this page is the toolbar, which I wouldn't download, but its a cool idea that I haven't seen before. Kudos. Visited the staff application page. LmFao @ What is you called?.

    In conclusion, I see originality here and there, but I don't see it all over. I would love to see originality through out your website, for if not, I won't be returing.

    Please keep in mind some of my suggestions about revisions, validation, and copyright infringement.

    Using Safari on Windows | Report This?

    Frisby's Response:

    Well, Kay, first off, I'll say I thankful for your input, its very useful.

    Second of all, I wrote a very, very long response to your rating, and I was very, very pround of it. Then, I clicked respond, and voila, I was logged out and the response was lost forever. So, to sum it up in one sentence, I'll say that I am going to take most of your advice and changes will begin this saturday at the start of winter break.

    Also, I'll be working very hard on the originality part of it, since I would like to see you around again.

    Thanks!
    Frisby

  6. Vitalis gave it ***-- on 15th Dec 2008 and said:

    Increase. The. Font. Size. I can not stress this enough. Admittedly, this layout is pretty decent; however it does have a lot of potential to be even greater. Although the sticky notes were a creative touch, the layout as a whole would probably look a lot better without them. Relocate the items tapped onto the notes, or perhaps even increase the size of the sticky notes.

    As far as content goes, everything seems pretty well organized. But I really can't emphasis this enough: Please, please, please increase your font size!

    Using Safari on Windows | Report This?

    Frisby's Response:

    Okay, Vitalis. I think the reason I've left the font so small is because it doesn't look small to me. I'm using a mac, and with font smoothing its much easier to read. But I'll give it a shot and see if it looks better. Thanks. :D

    UPDATED 15 Dec 08:
    I'll also play with the sticky note location and see if I can improve how it looks.

  7. [img: avatar]
    Theresa gave it **--- on 15th Dec 2008 and said:

    Before I start picking apart your site, I would like to say that I think that the name of your site is cute and creative.

    Aesthetically (2/5)
    I love the colors of this site, the blue(ish) color is a really pretty color and the contrast between it and the gray background is very nice.
    I find the color of your header acceptable but the font itself seems a bit off, it doesn't go with the smooth look of the rest of the layout.
    I like your post-it notes, but once again, they seem a little off. They don't really go with the layout and the content inside of them is perfectly straight while thy are twisted.
    Your content area is way too narrow and your font is way too small. Being on a larger screen resolution, I am having trouble reading it and because of this it's easy for me to simply skip over the content. If I were just an average visitor, that's most likely what I would do.
    I do like your navigation tab idea, but the text alternates, which I don't really like in itself. It also, in my opinion, takes up to much vertical space.
    Overall, I find that your layout is pushed down way too far. I'm on a large resolution and your header appears 1/3 of the way down the screen, someone on a smaller resolution would see it as halfway down the page. Your header should be placed closer toward the top of the page, not in the middle.

    Contentially (2/5)
    Layouts: You should most likely put the preview for these layouts on the main layout page. For someone to "click here" to see anything of the layout could prove timely and taxing. Most people don't want to go through all of that, they want to get an idea of what they'll be previewing before they go loading another page.
    I don't know much about Neopets or any of the other layouts that you have up, but I still checked them out. I wasn't extremely fond of them. I find them very simplistic and lacking any show of talent considering you've only grabbed images from other sites and edited them, putting them in a layout form.
    As for your website layouts, they're awfully simple. I can't complain about that but I don't personally find them attractive at all. I am having a lot of issues viewing these (even with my speedy connection) because the images are hosted at image shack, which tends to be super slow most of the time, so they're not loading very quickly and some of your images are appearing broken. If you're going to distribute layouts, you should check and double check to make sure that there are no visible flaws. Nobody is going to use a layout with images that don't work. A good fix would be to simply allow people to download the images and the code in a .zip file (or another archive file of some sort) so they can host them on their OWN sites instead of relying on another site to stay up and running smoothly for their content to load.

    Graphics: I am going to sum this up, I could review each and every graphic, but I am sure you don't care for me to get into that much detail. Firstly, some of your images expand outside of your content area which makes the site look sloppy and I can't see your menu on some of these pages. In general I find that these graphics you're distributing are only mediocre and nothing special.
    Also remember, if you didn't create something yourself from scratch or buy the rights to the items that your distributing, you do not have the right to offer the for download on your site.

    Tutorials: I know nothing about Neopets or guild layouts, as I have already mentioned, so I skipped the first 2 tutorials. As for the coding tutorials you should put your codes in code tags opposed to text areas. Text areas are for forms, not for sharing codes. I find the majority of your tutorials are extremely simple and don't offer much for anyone who already knows the basics. Maybe you should consider offering more advanced tutorials. With this said, I do see that you've put much effort into SOME of these tutorials but they are still not great tutorials giving people "proper" ideas on how to create certain things (like your "website maintenance" tutorial).

    More: This page is cluttered with misc stuff. Putting everything in the "more" section into sections that actually fit would benefit your users. I didn't click on some of these because they didn't apply. I will say the pop-ups on the "Uberquiz" were absolutely annoying. While in some way necessary, I didn't even CLICK on anything and it was popping up and telling me about how I'm not smart because I clicked on things, upon hovering over the inputs they popped up. The blank page is useless. If people want to save something, they'll do it on their own computer, not some blank page from a random site. I wouldn't download your toolbar because there's no need for it. If I want to see updates from your site I would either visit often or subscribe to an RSS feed if provided.

    Overall, I gave you two stars because your site is hard to read and there seems to be a lot of extra, useless content here. You should consider replacing some of your "useless" or "weak" (when I say "weak", I am referring to graphics and tutorials that are extremely simple and or mediocre) content with more advanced and in detail content.

    I also can not stress how much content would have skipped over only because your text is SO SMALL. I really had a lot of trouble reading it and if I were ANY OTHER VISITOR I would have simply closed out your site.

    Using Firefox on Windows | Report This?

    Frisby's Response:

    I will increase the font size--As I said in the above response our difference in computers is probably the reason it doesn't strike me as too small. /I/ can read it fine. But yeah, most visitors probably think its too tiny, so I'll fix that...

    I can't really change the image in the layout now, but I will keep those comments you have on it in find in the future. The reason the header isn't so close to the top is that the rest of the layout is tighter and it it all was bunched up in the corner it'd strike me as awfully claustrophobic. However, I'll try to balance things in future layouts.

    The layouts--I agree that its pretty bothersome to have to visit another page to preview the layout. However creating a thumbnail for every layout seems painstakingly annoying, so until I find some sort of alternative, I don't see what I can do...Do you have any ideas?

    Graphics--"if you didn't create something yourself from scratch or buy the rights to the items that your distributing..." I believe that the majority of the images I use I have permission to use. I also take my own photography and make my own brushes--Was their anything in particular you were referring to with that?

    And I'll add some better tutorials. I just hate writing nonfiction. Bleh.

    And I will organize the more page. Uberquiz was just an experiment of mine with javascript which I'll remove since it is pretty annoying.

    Also, the blank page is not from a random site (-is not sure where that came from-) and I find it endlessly useful for saving urls and codes..Maybe some people would find it more useful than you.

    You say my content is mediocre--What do you advise I do to improve it?

    Thanks for the input--I'll see if I can improve figmint. :3

    UPDATED 15 Dec 08:
    I found the file for the layout, so I'll try getting rid of the alternation between black and white tabs and the spacing of stuff.


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