Updated site layout ready?

[Fnordia]

Just experimenting a bit with the gradient.. Don't really think it's the way to go since it eliminates the possibility of banners like the original one by roflcopter.

I think something similar as a background for the overlaying text on the welcome images could work though. (Instead of having it in the actual image). It would at least avoid the problem of it looking like this on linux:



But I guess that will be a problem for another day, for now it is bedtime!

[Hoi]

But I guess that will be a problem for another day, for now it is bedtime!

yawn, indeed its 2:25 here

[Argh]

...

...that's so much longer than in Firefox or IE under Windows, there's no way I can fudge it and not have it look awful- I thought it was just a few pixels Drat. At any rate, I would be willing to make a template with the logo, for people to use as a guide. Ideally, we'd just all use the same PSD and not use a PNG at all, imo- that's going to be a big deal in terms of bandwidth if nothing else.

[aegis]

the text could be in the image or in an overlay image

[Warlord Zsinj]

RE: http://www.wolfegames.com/TA_Section/typical_screen.jpg

Agreed with roflcopter, I think this looks really bad (not because of the images). In both of the images provided in that link, the mod titles are vying for attention with the more important title text, which is the 'spring engine' title, and the 'welcome' title.

There definitely has to be standards for images.

In my opinion, there should be no big text on any images - especially the banner image up the top (where there shouldn't be any text at all).

On the big images, in my opinion, you should only be allowed a simple 12 point text stating the name of the mod, located in the bottom right hand corner of an image.

Opening up the site design to a bunch of people who are trying to promote their personal mod is a good way to get work done, but it's also a good way to have the website look like the streets of tokyo, with lots of bright images all vying for attention. The result is ugly, and the overall layout of the website is ruined, and to the user it either looks unprofessional, or the images are just filtered out as 'noise' the same way you filter out ads on a website.

Keep the focus on the content of the images, that's the Spring engine - that's what we're selling here.

I'm not even sure if we should be allowing people to adjust the images in photoshop, as argh seems to have done to some images, which look very hot - that sort of seems like false advertising.

[smoth]

bullshots should not be posted.

[Argh]

the text could be in the image or in an overlay image

That's a thought. I like that. Image + hotspot, it'd look the same and act the same everywhere. I'll go ahead and implement that into my template if Fnordia wants to go that way, it'd be a lot easier to just have it all be in the JPG and save bandwidth... we could use a GIF there, though, it'd probably run 3-4KB.

[AF]

If you use the background images like that to show up a background behind the text then I guarantee you 100 web designers with firebug like tools will die of shock when they see how its been done. Its a horrible way of doing it, and it should really be a CSS styled div container with a background image.

The banner also needs borders at the edges, it still has clearcut no divider unprofessional look syndrome and one some banner images it shows badly.

This id the front page, and its the job to sell spring as an engine, a platform. If you want to sell PURE or BA or whatever content then thats what the PURE front page or the BA frontpage or the whatever content front page is for on the PURE website or the BA website or etc, you get my point I hope.

But I really think that we should deploy this RIGHT NOW and continue work in svn and on the duplicate at nyspring.clan-sy.com

[Argh]

This id the front page, and its the job to sell spring as an engine, a platform. If you want to sell PURE or BA or whatever content then thats what the PURE front page or the BA frontpage or the whatever content front page is for on the PURE website or the BA website or etc, you get my point I hope.

I get the point that you have no idea what the hell you're talking about, yes. The marketing is staying, people. Get used to it.

[AF]

I'm sorry but that's not your decision to make. Even if it were to stay I would still say your P.U.R.E branding is too large and it hurts you more than it helps you right now.

And even then its somewhat illogical. Nobody understands what P.U.R.E is? Is this the name of a game made by Argh? Is it a marketing buzzword they've put in like 'Pure carnage' or 'Pure strategy'? What does it stand for? What unit builds these units? Are they arm or core? Are they even in that mod?

I would at the very least put 'from PURE' and make sure that the font size is reduced to a third of what it currently is.

I do not like that you've dismissed me as not getting the point. I don't like that your putting your foot down and attempting to impose your will onto a website that is not under your jurisdiction in a community that is generally opposed to what your trying to impose. Whether it's a good idea or not it is too much and I would think backing down in the name of public relations alone would be a wise move for now.

I would also point out that it would make greater sense to take the banner in your example and the main picture and swap them around. It would be more aesthetically pleasing as the purple colours clash with the colour scheme whereas the explosion compliments it, and the image shows off the 'scale' element of spring.

[smoth]

I do not think it should be deployed yet. Fnordia is still working on it.

I eventually will do some gundam ones as well. I just do not have the time right now. However I do feel that argh's shots are a bit tacky with that huge pure text. I do wonder if there is a less conspicuous way of showing that it is PURE. maybe a little text box in the right corner of that welcome image saying (PURE) rather then a rendered on image? that way the pure text could link to a pure website(non existent but it will be forthcoming right argh?). Af, I thought you wanted us advertising our projects?

[AF]

Not by turning the front page into times square, but by drawing users into your own websites.

The spring site is all about showing off spring and leading users to either downloads contributing or websites of games that use the engine, etc etc. It shouldn't have to stretch itself by doing the job that content websites were supposed to do in the first place. It makes the spring site less effective, and its also far less effective for those projects attempting to use the spring site instead of making their own site.

The role of the frontpage is already too unfocused and that has a notable impact on the end user whose attention is split in so many directions they don't know where to look.

Their eye needs to be lead around the page and doing too much will have the same impact our wall of text currently has. They'll start filtering things out mentally in order to get a better grasp of what the page is all about and where to go next.

Its like launching a major advertising campaign by putting uber expensive adverts on the soles of peoples shoes. People wont lift their shoes and waive the bottom in the air for people to see, its a waste of time and resources.

[smoth]

I can see that point. Using the spring welcome screen like an advertising page is a bit much.

[Warlord Zsinj]

This is how I think the main pictures should be sourced. Very simple, anyone interested will find out what the mod name is, but absolutely no fighting for position with the important information on the frontpage.

There absolutely should be no titles in the top banner whatsoever, and they should be kept very simple, like the ones roflcopter has already done. I think doing photoshop edits on the topline banners is reasonable, as they are more 'tasters' rather then preview shots. I don't think there should be any photoshop edits on the big screenshot pic. (Note: I now realise argh's edit was on a top-banner, and therefore would be acceptable)

frontpage.jpg

(201.26 KiB) Downloaded 46 times

[smoth]

Pure has a very... unique style to it I am sure people will know what it is.

[Warlord Zsinj]

Not necessarily, this is a first contact for many people. It does have a very distinctive design, but that doesn't mean someone who first arrives will know what it is. However, I strongly feel there should be no big mod logos on the frontpage. A simple 12 point text, preferably white (unless the background is too bright) text, with a simple font. In the image I have used swiss721CNBT, but the same font as the site (arial or whatever) would be fine. It conveys the information without compromising the design.

I even lowered the opacity a little so that it reads secondary in the visual hierarchy to the main white text "welcome to etc etc"

[smoth]

what about the little text box I was suggesting?

[Warlord Zsinj]

I don't know if I'm quite understanding what you mean, could you do a quick mockup?

[smoth]

nope, no time.

[Warlord Zsinj]

Then I prefer my version better