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Satsu Design

Current rating: 4.5 (241 votes)

Votes are closed for All Stars entries

  • Added: 10 February 2008
  • Designer: Bob Jones
  • Submitter: --

Review:

Satsu is back, with a redesign and wider layout than it's previous incarnation. For this version Bob Jones, has dusted off the pages of his scrapbook design annual, complete with pen and ink notes, background doodles, and colored pencil highlights. Mocked up to an impressive degree of realism and placed on a worn looking paper canvas, with various peeling labels and a main navigation that appears to be "stickied in" from the top of a printed page.

Validating in the "XHTML 1.0 Strict" arena (we like that), this round appears to be going clearly Bob's way. Exhibiting a certain amount of charisma and aesthetical charm, Satsu wins a double-thumbs-up from this designer. The new digs are spot-on with today's design trends.

Reviewed by Tyler Gossman

Designing with Web StandardsDesigning with Web Standards
Standards aren't about leaving users behind or adhering to inflexible rules. Standards are about building sophisticated, beautiful sites that will work as well tomorrow as they do today.
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There are 28 guest comments so far.

commentat 19:10 on 11 February 2008, Chris Robinson wrote:

I see the previous comment on how this site is nothing special has been removed. Well I couldn't agree with that previous comment more. Tyler I'm seeing too much of a pattern in the past three sites you've reviewed they've all been very similar in style.

I'm thinking the watercolor/background doodles/peeling labels/paper look is getting as tired as the "web 2.0" look or maybe its just the fact that those are the only sites Stylegala seems to be interested in these days.

commentat 21:53 on 12 February 2008, ty wrote:

thanks for your comments Chris, the previous comment mentioned plagiarism, was why it was removed.

If you want to bash me and my picks that's fine too.

Maybe my review was a bit quick and didn't go into enough technical merits for this site. But I am not stylegala, so why do you have to wave the red stylegala flag? My picks are just that my picks. There's a sad amount of sites going into the gallery for over a year now. I try to put one in the books per month at least.

I'm not sure why.

commentat 22:37 on 12 February 2008, peanutG wrote:

Why you got to be hatin' chris bu-oy! You're own site is so -o-o- poppin fresh, it's the sh-zizzle fo so!

commentat 01:40 on 13 February 2008, Chris Robinson wrote:

My intentions were not to bash but to bring up the fact the last three sites have been a little too similar. I've seen some great sites on CSS Remix recently, maybe there hasn't been enough submissions to Stylegala as of late. Sorry to raise the red flag but although you're not "Stylegala" you're still representing them as a reviewer, thats why I made the connection.

commentat 15:22 on 13 February 2008, ty wrote:

Maybe it's time for you to write some reviews of your own?

commentat 23:39 on 13 February 2008, Chris Robinson wrote:

@ ty:

I'd be more than happy to contribute, if the opportunity arises.

commentat 03:05 on 14 February 2008, David Blanchet wrote:

If you cant keep the comments pointed at the site at hand then don't comment its rude and immature to 'go after' the poster because of your personal feelings about whats being showcased.

Just say you don't like the site or say that this style has been showcased lately, but calling the poster by name and injecting your own ill informed opinions is very distasteful.

You can always submit a full review of a site you think is worthy to info@stylegala.com or the forums, that option has *always* been available to you.

commentat 20:37 on 14 February 2008, Ty wrote:

Wow... after further reflection it amazes me that a simple thumbs up review, draws personal attacks. They are after all my thumbs, apologies for losing my cool, that's all I got.

commentat 10:42 on 15 February 2008, nublue wrote:

Personally, I quite like the site (and the review). It is a bit similar in style to recent entries on many of the other showcase sites, but as with all design styles, they go through trends- this being the current 1!

I think the site is a bit rough round the edges, as you can see the outline of some images such as the sticker on the 'about' page.

But overall, it's a nice design imho

commentat 07:00 on 16 February 2008, Natalie Jost wrote:

This cracked me up, not so much for the lack of tact in Chris' comment, but because I was just thinking to myself today how my site would probably never end up in a gallery of any kind simply BECAUSE it's not "spot-on with today's design trends".

I'm not criticizing this site or the review, both are awesome. It's just a benign observation on my part, that good design isn't always what's trendy. Seems that darn "wider layout" has me beat again! :)

Kudos to Satsu, though, a very creative product and well executed!

commentat 15:45 on 18 February 2008, ty wrote:

Maybe it is time for a narrow layout inclusion.

Thanks for pointing that out. Wide clean layouts are probably going to go wider... with the average screen resolution going 1024 to heck 1950px as the standard for a wide Lcd monitor.

commentat 19:59 on 18 February 2008, Angela wrote:

"maybe there hasn't been enough submissions to Stylegala as of late"

Possibly this is because of the lack of and (poor) quality of sites being showcased on Stylegala. Everything looks the same nowadys on SG

As for plagiarism - never saw the comment but...it's like satsu spent ages deconstructing webdesignerwall.com and created a poorer imitation.(The circled rollovers for example - as clear a case of plagiarism I've ever seen )

Satsu site is nothing special at all and clearly reflected in the votes.

Is this going to get deleted too?

commentat 00:40 on 19 February 2008, David Blanchet wrote:

"Possibly this is because of the lack of and (poor) quality of sites being showcased on Stylegala. Everything looks the same nowadys on SG"

Put up or shut up, name some sites out there better that you feel should be showcased instead. Email Simon and volunteer a review, participate in the forums, post better news to the news submission, post better sites to the reviewing submission.

Either try to make stylegala a better place by your participation or keep your derogatory comments to yourself, and no posting these types of comments isn't making the site better...

commentat 04:57 on 19 February 2008, Brad Haynes wrote:

Wow! Feisty crowd!

I would also agree that there are striking similarities to the great webdesignerwall.com, but not so much as to claim plagiarism. And yes, you guys at SG have far too few posts. Does that comment stem from the fact that you won't post any of my submissions? Maybe a little, but not entirely ;) I even did a grungy site! It was so spot-on with today's design trends!!

But I feel this design is, in fact, quite nice. And they back it up with a great portfolio, especially in Commonwealth Youth Games and in Dreams of Africa. Great work guys, really. The design is well organized and not overdone.

A few things that bug me: the circle around "Blog" bugs, it needs a little more sloppiness. The white in the footer feels incomplete. Wouldn't that looks better reversed? And why introduce a new font in there? The consistency of the site is thrown off a little for me there. Just some thoughts. Good stuff overall!

commentat 18:18 on 19 February 2008, Ty wrote:

I'm proposing FUD as the reason for much of the negative criticism around here on a continual basis:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear,_uncertainty_and_doubt

Now show SG some love, or risk being vaporized by my ray gun :)

commentat 00:52 on 20 February 2008, Georg Matzat wrote:

I like the paper canvas style even if this is not the first one I have seen. Some like Coke. Some like Pepsi - so what.

commentat 04:03 on 20 February 2008, Margret wrote:

one of the best looking designs i have seen in quite sometime.

commentat 14:28 on 24 February 2008, steven wrote:

this is really good design.

commentat 14:34 on 24 February 2008, marry wrote:

i think that everything looks the same nowadys on SG.

commentat 14:37 on 24 February 2008, jhon wrote:

i think like that I feel this design is, in fact, quite nice. And they back it up with a great portfolio.

commentat 15:01 on 24 February 2008, erika wrote:

I like the paper canvas style and also as with all design styles, they go through trends- this being the current 1!

commentat 16:49 on 24 February 2008, estate agency turkey wrote:

I find the colours not so attractive. It could be more attention emerging. Style of chracters in red colour could be DIN. Looks better.

commentat 18:47 on 27 February 2008, David Yeiser wrote:

I bet their Photoshop file doesn't even validate. Ultimate fail.

commentat 23:48 on 27 February 2008, dDude wrote:

Did someone say "jump the shark", cause that would be cool.

commentat 12:29 on 01 March 2008, rosezar wrote:

this is well really, but there are somethings. For instance, the white in the footer feels incomplete and introduce is wrong placed. bye.

commentat 20:33 on 06 March 2008, Tom wrote:

Fabulous color schemes in this design, very well done!!

commentat 19:46 on 10 March 2008, Matt wrote:

Just because the sketched out look of Satsu uses sketched/handwritten elements doesn't mean it's a copy of Web Designer Wall or guilty of plagiarism. Loads of designers are using those kinds of elements, and I think Satsu has done a fine job.

I only have a few issues with the site- 1) using SO MANY handwritten elements means there's a lot of images replacing text which introduces a usability concern for anyone who needs to increase text sizing in their user agent; 2) I think the navigation could benefit from more apparent breadcrumbs.

Otherwise, I think it's very well done!

commentat 18:47 on 11 March 2008, youtube wrote:

Its perfect desing.

Congratulations...


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