[Greg]

Every tool has its limitations; you are the one choosing the tool. You can see the URL is still jumping to https://aliceshapiro.com/en-eur/ if we

write aliceshapiro.com. At this point, you can ask ChatGPT to guide you, as I don’t have specific answers for Fourthwall technical issues.

Please forget about my allusion to a teenager’s website. It was only because of the small amount of artwork and the fact that you had just started building it. And I think the more artworks and years you add, the better it is.

Please correct your biggest typos if there is a next message. I guess you wrote on your mobile, but it was difficult to read. I took the time to correct them.

One more thing: On your homepage header, it is written “Art in Panels, Canvas Prints”; it is black on dark blue and very difficult to read.

Thanks for your patience, courage Alice 😉

[Greg]

The About page is more problematic on the desktop version. Horizontal images are way too wide and take too much space. A two-column layout would be better, I think.

There is also a bug with the footer in the middle of your statement.

The text size is fine. Bold is better than colored text for accentuation, as colors are usually used for links.

As for the newsletter registration placement, it really depends on whether you want to be aggressive (Pop-up), straightforward (Homepage), or discreet (contact page). But I don’t think it should be on the About page.

The URL redirect is working. I am just saying it isn’t good for your website’s visibility in search engines. And the EN-EUR in the URL is absolutely useless if you have only one language. But yes, maybe it is Fourthwall constraints…

The Work page. I would categorize your work by series (named by years, or Series title). It feels like this site represents a teenage artist, whereas you should have years of work across different styles. (Again, this can be because you just started this new website, and more content is yet to come.

[Greg]

Before making any comments, I need to say: yes, I know your website is new, so it can’t be perfect at the beginning. You need more time on it, and that’s why it feels incomplete.

Secondly, I try to be as objective as possible, but you know this is impossible, so don’t eat everything I serve; make your own judgment.

Your homepage intro: Not everyone is interested in reading a statement. I would gather your bio, a photo of you, the statement, and CV on the same page, called About or Bio. Potential collectors or anyone who wants to read more about you could then easily find and dig your info. Of course, I would use a clear layout and arrange with some image: Here is an example I sometimes use as a reference: https://en.saype-artiste.com/bio

I would replace CV with Exhibitions, as, in my view, a CV is more for getting a job.

The statement: I would split it into three paragraphs to make it more readable. The text is good otherwise, personal, while most people today use more generic generated texts.

Again, on the Homepage: A shorter text, keeping your style, simply presenting yourself and what you do in two or three lines. Like: “Hi, I am Alice…”

Then you need to lead your audience to something that matters to you. It could be presenting a newsletter subscription, your next event, or your last (or best) series of work.

Your price range, as it is, isn’t high, but even so, no one will buy on the first visit. So you need retention, make your audience come back. That’s why you need to show a newsletter subscription. If it’s your priority, it can be a pop-up or announced directly on the homepage’s 1st screen.

Your URL https://aliceshapiro.com/ redirects to https://aliceshapiro.com/en-eur/, which suggests you plan to support other languages. I don’t think it is necessary, and a redirect is messing with bots’ ability to find your site on search engines. Today, you don’t really need translation versions on your website, as browsers will do it automatically and quite well with AI if you allow it. You don’t need the unnecessary https://aliceshapiro.com“/en-eur”/pages/bio on every page.

Still on the homepage, second screen, the image of your artwork is full-width and vertical; that makes it impossible to see it fully at a glance on the desktop version. I would use a horizontal image or reduce the width. On mobile, it shows better as the screen is vertical.

That’s all for now. Some pages are not yet finished, so I think you have enough to work on 🙂 I hope it will be helpful.

Best,

Greg

[Greg]

Hi Ixta and David,

I’ve taken some time to review your website, and here are my thoughts:

Brand Name:

The name “Extra Designs” doesn’t seem to align well with who you are and what you do. It feels generic and impersonal, which contrasts with the deeply personal stories you share. Considering the unique challenges you both face—Dissociative Identity Disorder and chronic pain—your brand name should reflect that personal connection. You can keep this name for design work and make two websites, and think about another name (we can brainstorm that step together).

A quick note: I believe the correct term is “Dissociative” instead of “Disassociate” for Identity Disorder but I am no expert.

Consistency Across Platforms:

It’s important to maintain consistent storytelling across your website and social media platforms. Clearly define whether the brand represents both of you or just you. Additionally, consider focusing on one specific art style or medium first. Once established and recognized for that, you can expand to other areas. Since there are two of you, you can also emphasize your collaboration and clearly specify who is responsible on technical aspects of your collab.

There is one good exercise to do for this purpose. Take an image of your art, without any background or other element. And use https://lens.google/ to see what images it will suggest. Try to see how you can differentiate your visual expression from what the others do. If you also see that some art can inspire you, try to learn from them. Here is the key: See your competition and try to get Bigger (Quantitatively), Better (Qualitatively) and different.

Mental Health and Well-being Theme:

You took the opportunity of your weaknesses, which makes you both stronger and truer, and integrate mental health and physical well-being into your art. Again, make it clear to position your work as a duo on social media and the website. What you currently call “custom art” is actually commissioned art. Design work typically refers to functional items like posters, shoes, or websites.

Presentation and Messaging:

In your presentation, try to weave together your personal stories, the message you want to convey, and your art style. This combination forms your pitch, which should be consistent across your website and social media. Why do you paint skulls? Why use paracord? How do you work together? What do you aim to achieve with your art?

A good exercise is to craft a concise Instagram bio (150 characters max) that encapsulates your pitch. Use this same pitch on your homepage, and then expand on it in your biography or about page.

Photography

Try to improve the photos you make. A good way to do that is to follow an artist you are fond of on Instagram and try to copy is photography style. But most important is to keep you photos well framed, and sharp, with a good white balance (Whites are white, blacks are black).

Best regards, don’t hesitate to write to me if you have any questions. And welcome to the community talk this last Friday of the month 🙂

Greg