Chrisanders.com - Prize: $150

[Chris Anders]

Hi all, (Admin code added by Palmer - N524003X)

I've been browsing your work and I am impressed! I really like the flow of ideas and the ability to put the concept for a template in front of more than one designer. I'm excited to see your ideas. That being said:

My site is ChrisAnders.com

Prize $150

The contest will end Saturday, February 1st.

This will be a web-site to share information on my hobbies with other enthusiasts, as well as my friends and family.


Here are some of the interests I'd like to reflect:

-Aviation: WW2 military, especially the B-17 bomber or P-47 Thunderbolt

-Cockpit construction/flight simulation - I've built my own cockpit for use with flight simulations, both WW2 and current civil aviation (esp Eastern Airlines - I know they're out of business, but I fly planes in their colors and collect memorabilia from them). I have no idea how you'd work cockpit construction into the header, but I think it would be enough to convey civil aviation & flight simulation.

-Racing simulation, mostly NASCAR

-Military simulation - tanks, infantry, etc, especially WW2.

-Radio control, specifically the Microsizers/Bit Char-g type miniature cars.


With all these hobbies, let me say I do have a family... a GREAT family :D ! They just don't want to be featured in the site...


I would like the default resolution to be 1024x768.

There will be no banner ads or ads of any kind, so you have the complete space to work in.
There will be no signup for newsletters or anything.



Header:

The header could take up 1/5 (or possibly a little more) of the screen at the top. I would like a large header.

I'd like ChrisAnders.com included somewhere in the header, but it should not dominate it. Just big enough to easily identify the site to my visitors. I'm more interested in using that space for images related to the site theme. The C and the A should be capitalized as in ChrisAnders.com. No "www" is necessary.

The header should not include links in it, I'd like those to go down the left side. Again, I am looking for a big, image-rich header.

http://www.simhq.com/index.shtml - I like the background of their header, but with a couple of changes: it's too dark to see well and I'd like a lighter sepia tone to give the impression of an aged photograph. I wouldn't want my whole header that way, but if a portion of it includes a ww2 aircraft, it might work in that part.

I realize having interests in modern civil aviation, racing, and radio control as well as older aviation and military simulation could make it challenging to create a header that isn't incongruent, but I have a thought: If you started with the older images on the left in a sepia or B&W and shifted to more color as you went to the newer images on the right, would that work?

I like the "retro" look of the typewriter font used at http://www.il2center.com/technika/
I also like the subdued color scheme there, but I am not enamored of the layout.

The links I plan on having on the left side are:

Cockpit Contruction

Flight Simulation

Racing Simulation

Radio Control

Combat Simulation

Miscellany

Links

E-mail me

Guestbook



Just a thought, maybe a theme using the look of a vintage military radio for the buttons and links. This is not a requirement. I'd love to get your ideas! I have no design ability at all, but I do work with creative folks (not web developers, unfortunately <g>) and never cease to be amazed by their ideas. So please, feel free to experiment. I'm sure I'll be pleasantly suprised!

I know I've thrown a lot of info at you, but I'd rather give you too much info than be vague.

Below are some links that might be of use. The list is there only as an aid, again feel free to take your own direction.

I'm excited to see your ideas!


Thanks,

Chris




Resources:

WW2 Aviation-
http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/research/bo...mbers/b2-20.htm (http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/research/bombers/b2-20.htm)
http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/research/p47.htm


Civil Aviation/Eastern airlines-
http://images.google.com/images?q=eastern+...=&ie=ISO-8859-1 (http://images.google.com/images?q=eastern+l1011&hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1)
http://images.google.com/images?q=eastern+...=&ie=ISO-8859-1 (http://images.google.com/images?q=eastern+airlines+&hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1)
http://www.rob.clubkawasaki.com/jas10.jpg


Racing Simulation-
http://www.sierra.com/games/nascar2002/med...creenshots.html (http://www.sierra.com/games/nascar2002/mediascreenshots.html)
I like the shot from inside the car at the bottom right


WW2 Tank and Infantry Gaming/Simulation-
http://images.google.com/images?as_q=sherm...ch=&safe=images (http://images.google.com/images?as_q=sherman+tank&svnum=10&hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&imgsz=&as_filetype=&imgc=gray&as_sitesearch=&safe=images)

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/reference/Norma...dy/Pictures.htm (http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/reference/Normandy/Pictures.htm)
The shots from inside the landing craft at Normandy are striking

http://www.gamesdomain.com/gdreview/zones/...tmission09.html (http://www.gamesdomain.com/gdreview/zones/reviews/pc/mar02/combatmission09.html)
Screenshots from my favorite WW2 tactical game, Combat Mission.



Radio Control/Micro R/C-
http://www.towerhobbies.com/products/hobbi...zers/index.html (http://www.towerhobbies.com/products/hobbico/microsizers/index.html)
I own the yellow mitsubishi found second from the top on the left side

[Zoe]

Boy - I wish my clients would give me this much info on their projects - it would save HEAPS of time.

Good work! :D

[Palmer]

I was going to say something like that too Zoe :P Very thorough. That will be very helpful for the designers to get exactly what you want. Welcome to Design Outpost Chris, thanks for posting your contest.

Palmer
ps-Just a note to potential contest holders, we don't require this much detail when posting your contest :D

[Chris Anders]

Hi Palmer and Zoe,

You caught me!

I am a network administrator by trade, and we tend to be overly-thorough.

Again, don't let me box you in. My interests are esoteric, so I thought some resources might help.



Chris

[Palmer]

Honestly Chris, the more we have to go by, the better. Nice work, I have a few clients that could learn a few things from you :P The entries should start coming in in the next few days. One of them will be from me :)

Palmer

[TwistedNewMedia]

Expect my entry within a week:)

[Chris Anders]

Thanks guys,

I can't wait!

Chris

[Ruairi]

Hello Chris,
here is my submission:
View Template (http://www.wwwzone.net/demo/do/chrisanders.jpg)

Let me know what you think.

-Ruairi

[Palmer]

Chris, sorry for the delay. Had some minor problems switching over to the new server which unfortunately took me away from doing much design work. Just wanted to let you know I am 75% completed on your template mock-up and I should post it tonight before midnight est.

It's really turning out nice if I do say so myself :P

Stay tuned...
Palmer

[Chris Anders]

Hi guys,

Palmer, I appreciate the concern over the delay, but it's no big deal at all. I knew we had plenty of time to get this contest off the ground.

Ruairi, thanks for the entry!

Let me tell you all the things I like about this template:

I like the fact that you wrapped the header around the right side (is that called a sidebar?). I hadn't considered doing that, but it gave you enough space to express all my interests without it feeling too cluttered.

The transition of the colors from left to right feels natural. I especially like the way you worked in the B17!! The integration of the B17, the page design into the crosshair, it flows into the ChrisAnders.com well, and the shading is superb! The different shading on ChrisAnders.com is a nice effect... the only suggestion there is the "s" in "Chris" and the "e" in "Anders" are a little hard to make out. Can we bring those up a little? Not much, I don't want to kill the look you're going for.

The crosshair buttons tie in nicely to the main theme. The links on the left are uncluttered and legible... that's a good thing.

I'd never really thought of having a tag-line for my site, but "where the great and the small meet" is growing on me. The second line is good too, but could be pared down to just "in the shadow of the great stand the small". Also, I REALLY like the way you changed the size of the text in that blurb. If you moved the word "stand" off the cross-line, it might be easier to read, though.

Very good use of the fogging on the top photos. Did you mean for the fade of the fogging (if fogging is the term) to be that abrubt on the right column?

Well Ruairi, it's clear you put a lot of good thought and time into your entry - you've set the bar high. And you've scored points with your concept and tag-line. Thank you.

I'm excited to see the other offerings in the works :D .

Later,

Chris

[Palmer]

Ok, the moment I've been making you wait for :D. Let me know what you think about my entry.

Hope you like it :)
Palmer

<img src='http://www.yourwebbuddy.com/templates/ca/1.png[/img]

[Mike]

I just thought I'd add this: The B-17 is my favourite plane of all time :D I have a model that I build 5 years ago, I just love it :)

[Chris Anders]

Thanks for the entry, Palmer!

You know I had to wait up to see what you had in the works :) .

There are several things I'm happy to see here.

First, the ChrisAnders.com logo, especaially the black "a" is great! It's elegant and not overbearing. The font for the "ChrisAnders.com" is consistent with the header image's modern look.

I really like the way the objects in the links on the right "break out" of their blue frames, and the dot-pointers give me the sense I am about to turn the page when I click it. I also think the blurbs that expand on what the links mean are helpful, they kind of supplement (and group at the same time) the brief links on the left side. Neat idea and keeps the look dynamic!

Back to the header for a moment, I like the fisheye effect you give the cockpit view... it seems to draw you inside, and the view out the windscreen, well, it's very cool overall.

I'll have to see how it grows on me... I like the look, but I need to see if the feel is what I'm looking for. I must admit Ruairi's organic colors and feel set a mood I really like, and I need to give your template time to sink in on its own merits.

A couple of thoughts in the meantime:

The links on the left just aren't grabbing me, and they look bunched up to me. Could we spread them out and try something new there? Is there a way to take the grey-to-black background and use that for a faint collage of images (not in color) related to the site? I'm kind of thinking of the vintage photograph look again. OR, I saw this effect:

http://www.3dactionplanet.com/flashpoint/index.shtml

The effect used over the images at the top... I don't know what to call it other than "TV scan lines", I like it because it lends a sort of gritty technology look. Maybe that would work better given the modern context of your template, imposed over faint images in the background of the menu. Just a thought... can something like that work without hurting overall look you were going for? I know we can't mix organic/vintage looking stuff with modern/clean looking design very easily, so let me know what you think might work.

Just a reminder, I would like a standard resolution of 1024x768... or actually, should I say, the size that will fit in the width of an IE browser
window when set to that resolution. It looks like you may have done it in 800 width. Am I making sense? I'm new to this part of the game :unsure: .

In fact, Ruairi, I may have caused you to make your entry just a smidge too wide, since your submission is wider than the window. I suppose it won't be too hard to pull it back a few pixels :) .

As long as we're on the subject, I guess I don't really need to specify height, do I? As long as the main links and buttons are visible when the page loads, I could make it as long as I want to fit the content. Am I on target?

Finally, the white background is a little bright for my tastes. Would it be hard to change the white to a slightly darker color without recoloring the rest of the page and see how that looks?

Thanks again Palmer!

I'll check in again tomorrow, once I've had a chance to absorb it and consider it further.

Later,

Chris

[Chris Anders]

Mike,

I have to agree, the B-17 brought more guys home than should've ever been able to limp home in their crippled birds. An amazing piece of engineering! And a beautiful plane.

And, my first handle on the BBS's back in 1983: Flying Fortress

Boy, that was a while ago... of course, I was just a lad.

Have you had a chance to get inside one?

Chris

[Palmer]

Thanks for the input Chris. All of the changes are no problem to make. Regarding the screen size, I only made it that wide for my sanity while I was working on it. I hate to scroll right. The finished product will be to the specs you want and coded by hand for quick page loads.

I really appreciate how you let us know what you like about the design. You can appreciate how long it takes to put these together. It's kind of a bummer when you only get negative feedback on an entry. Thank you very much for putting in the positive as well. Much appreciated.

I'll probably have an update within 24 hours.

Good night :)
Palmer

[TwistedNewMedia]

Hey,

I finished the banner for the top of the template Im making, is this what you are looking for or should I be trying a different approach?

[Chris Anders]

Hi ubergerlgeek!

Very good work.

That header is the pretty much exactly the idea I had in my head when I submitted the contest!

That's spooky...

Are you sure you're not psychic?

Your skillful manipulation of the images makes the real world and the virtual world kind of "meld" and blend... for example, you have to look carefully at the screenshots from the NASCAR simulation and the WWII game to tell they're not real. In fact, if I didn't already know they weren't, I might not know! I think it's awesome!

You're definitely on the right track.

I can't wait to see more!

Thanks!

[Mike]

Wow, sweet image effects Tamara! Do you use PS?

[TwistedNewMedia]

Actually Ive been using Ulead, I use photoshop but for some reason I can work Ulead a lot better..

[Mike]

I think I'll give a try at this too, the B-17 is too cool to pass up ;)

[Mike]

Ok, let me know what you think :)

<img src='http://www.naramation.com/mike/ca/header1.jpg[/img]

[TwistedNewMedia]

Very cool Mike

[Chris Anders]

Mike, thanks for throwing your hat in the ring.

That's a great shot of the B-17 in formation with the P-38! I really like that, especially seeing the countryside underneath.

This is definitely the size border I'm looking for. The photo with the finger is also perfect for conveying the scale of micro R/C... anyone in the hobby will know they're in the right place and anyone else might be intruiged.

I also like the overlapping transition between shots and the coloration on the WW2 photos is spot-on.

What is the effect you used across the entire banner, Mike? Is it a watercolor or mottling? It's a little too heavy for my taste on the newer shots. Is there a way to lighten it and make the newr shots more vibrant?

Also, will you be extending the imagery down the right side of the template? If so, I'd like to include some civil aviation (think Eastern Airlines :) ) and a shot from Flight Sim 2002.

Finally, the font for ChrisAnders is a style I like for the feel of the banner. Is it possible to remove the white halo or tone it down some. I think the font would be dead-on then.

What do you think?



I'm very impressed with the thought and effort going into these entries. I think you have a great concept going on here (DesignOutpost that is), period. How long have you been around? Since late '02? I think word will get around quickly about you all.


Chris

[Palmer]

Yes Chris the official site launch was December 12th, the first contest was started December 15th. Thanks for the vote of confidence, we think it's a good idea too :D

Palmer

[Mike]

Thanks for the tips Chris :) I'll try to get an updated entry in this weekend. I'm feeling under-the-waether right now, so I think I'm just going to get some sleep :)

[synax]

Chris, Here is a header that I am working on, if you like it I will move to the site layout.

When working on a site I like to take it in layers and not get ahead of myself. Please
post comments.

Thank you for your consideration

[TwistedNewMedia]

How's this?
Comments & suggestions welcomed:)


Example #1 (http://www.boomspeed.com/katiebabie/calayout.jpg)

thanks

[Mike]

Ok, I did a quick layout before I go to bed :)

Here are the two versions. I haven't done the nav or right side yet, that won't be tillthe weekend.

And no, I am not a designer, so that is whey it isn't a great template :P

1: http://www.naramation.com/mike/ca/without-bg.html
2: http://www.naramation.com/mike/ca/with-bg.html

[Ruairi]

Hi Chris,
Indeed it was a pleasure for me to make your template with so many details given...and easy.
Thanks for your words of appreciation. They are welcomed. I have made the changes you requiered and a few more. Tell me of what you think of the changes. Thanks, Ruairi

http://www.wwwzone.net/demo/do/chrisanders2.jpg

[Chris Anders]

Man oh man, what a flurry of activity in the last 24 hours!

Thanks all for the quick action.

Let me address each development in the order they were posted:

Synax, thanks for your entry. The cockpit shot in your header is great, conveying the themes of several interests at once (aviation, simulation, cockpit construction). I'd like to make the "ChrisAnders.com" about half its size. The CA is cool, but I'll have to dwell on it. The motto is a good starting place... I know it's tough without knowing me... heck, i'm me and it's tough :P . Honestly, I never considered a motto/tag-line until Ruairi's entry, but I think one is essential if I can capture the feeling I want. Let me work on that. Also, I don't want too much emphasis on the R/C; I'd rather see something from Eastern in there and a smaller image of a micro-R/C car.
Finally, can we bring a little more light and color into the overall header.. the sepia (?) effect is cool, just maybe reduce it some. I know I've thrown a lot back at you, but you are headed down the right general path. Thanks!

Ubergerlgeek, I still love the header! I was wondering what it would look like with no lines as well as with double the lines in the effect. Would it be hard to throw up an example or two? The background colors on the page are subdued, which I like, but they're almost too dark. Could we look at a khaki/olive color scheme? Regarding the nav buttons on the left, they look like they are curved and are reflecting something - am I right? They're intruiging! With a little tweaking, they might be the ticket - I think with the slightly lighter background they would stand out better. As I look more at page layouts in 800 width vs. 1024, I think I really want a column on the right side. It need not be navigational, just to help frame the content and spice up the imagery. Any ideas there?

Mike, I hope you're feeling better. The header is better with the lessened effect, and I think the font is just great now! I would still like to bring the color images into a little more life; is there a way to saturate (is that the right term) the colors and/or brighten them? Let me tell you, I really like the curved edges on the right! I wouldn't want to curve the whole page, left and right, so that's perfect. I can't wait to see the right side and the nav. Keep in mind, I think buttons are more appealing than pure text links. An interesting button with text to the side would be fine too. Get better soon. Everyone at my office has a sniffle or a hack at this time...

Ruairi, good work on the right side changes! I like the alternating alignment of the images, and the fade is better now. The addition of the title to those images is interesting... I need to think about it some... but I think that is probably the way to go. The addition of the watermark(?) B-17 on the bottom left helps tie the page together, especially once viewers start scrolling down thru the content. The other changes to text look good.

Shwew...

Thanks again everybody :) .

I'd better not go 24 hours without posting comments again :lol: !

Let me know if you have any questions.

Chris

[Mike]

Thanks :)

I'll try to get the nav done in the next few days :)

Didi you have a preference between background/no background? I prefer the no background, myself.

[Chris Anders]

Mike,

Well, I liked the one with the background, but I'm wondering if we can widen the template so we have a thin border aroung it with no white and no wide background. I just don't think I want two unused strips that wide on either side. I think an outer border the same as the one on your no background template would be fine.

Does that make sense?

Chris

[Mike]

Makes sence, I'll see what I can whip up. :)

[Dan]

Chris -

[Chris Anders]

Wow Dan!!! That header is fantastic! :)

I love the way you overlaid some of the images, and you got the scan-line effect down pat.

Let me tell you, I really like the gold border and lettering against the darker color. There's something very familiar and natural about that.

Out of the gates with a very impressive header, I can't wait to see the rest fleshed out!

Thanks Dan!

[Mike]

You use FireWorks, right Dan? You've gotta show me how to do those masking effects you have ;) Maybe I'll teach you PHP in return :P

[Dan]

Sounds good, :) I'm trying to reinstall php/apache to my computer now and its quite annoying to say the least. :angry:

[TwistedNewMedia]

K i did post somehting new, but I think I need to take a new direction, Ill have another update by the end of the day

[TwistedNewMedia]

Ok what about this?

[Chris Anders]

Thanks for the revision Ubergerlgeek!

I like the beige background for the content and you've lightened the grey, which helps.

The sidebar with the images is a good step too, I definitely like the extra images. Would love to see some civil aviation in there somewhere... subliminal - eastern - subliminal

I have just a couple suggestions :) :

If you have time, can we look at tweaking the scan-lines like I mentioned.

Is there a web-safe color that's close to an olive-drab green? Could we try that instead of the grey backgrounds? It's still just a bit too dark for my taste. If we lighten the grey too much, I think it won't work... I guess we'd end up with white :D


We're entering the home stretch and it's a tight race! Lots of great ideas, the hardest thing to do will be to pick just one :(

Chris

[Palmer]

Thanks for the patience Chris. I made the changes you requested...

-Spread out the links on the left
-Made a montage of your favorite interests
-Made them look vintage
-Added the scanlines
-Changed the background color to a light blue

Also, you mentioned in your reply to me how you liked the A in the logo. I wanted to mention to you that it's a C and an A :) In addition, I thought you should know, the image I used is from a flight simulator for a jumbo jet. I stretched it out a bit. My 5 year old said it looked like he was inside a car which mage me think it could resemble a racing sim as well. :)

Here is the original picture...
http://www.yourwebbuddy.com/templates/ca/sim.jpg

So here is my update, hope you like it...

<img src='http://www.yourwebbuddy.com/templates/ca/2.png[/img]

[Chris Anders]

Hi Palmer,

Thanks for the updates... they were well worth the wait!

The links with the vintage/scan-line montage add exactly what I was looking for there.

I also think the light blue works very well.

The "C" logo? Hehe, one of our designers at work pointed out the C & A nature of it to me... just a little dense sometimes, forgive me :lol: .

You have a 5-year-old too? It's refreshing to have a novel take on the nature of our world, isn't it?

Finally, I'm amazed at the magic you can work with an image. Looking at the original, it's a heck of a transition, yet it works quite well.

In short, I like it very much and it is on the top shelf of final consideration.

Thanks again,

Chris

[Palmer]

Great, glad it turned out the way you wanted. If it's chosen I'd be happy to make a few tweaks here or there as well. Yes I have 2 boys, a 5 year old and 21 month old. My wife works full time and I play Mr. Mom and try to fit in web design during any free moment I get. :) We also have a baby on the way due in August. I bet your 5 year old loves your hobbies, especially the mini RC cars :)

Talk soon,
Palmer

[Chris Anders]

24 hours to go. Last call for revisions.

Thanks to all for their entries thus far.

It sounds trite, but it is hard to choose just one.

Look for the winner tomorrow night (USA Eastern time).


Till tomorrow,

Chris

[TwistedNewMedia]

ok I changed the color around

[synax]

Chris, first I want to thank you for all the feedback you have given all of us. It makes the job a whole lot easier when a client can determine what the like/dislike. I am sure we all appreciate it very much.

I lightened up the header as requested and made the logo smaller. I removed the tagline because I am not sure what you want and copy is not my strong suite.

I hope you enjoy the layout I constructed as I enjoyed spending numerous hours this morning on it.

I want to also thank you for your consideration in this contest.
Jon Drew
Synax Design

[Chris Anders]

Jon,

Let me say it's been a pleasure on this end as well. You guys have a great thing going here, and I'm certain your success will exceed your own expectations!

The revisions are great! The header looks just right now, and the scan-line effect is right on.

Your nav background does the trick! It's not distracting from the links, but does convey the content.

Regarding the tagline, I still haven't been able to come up with one either :lol: . I think the revised logo is exactly the right size and placement.

Thanks again for your time, and thanks for making my decision that much harder! :D

It's 8:30 here, and I'll be posting the results before the night is over.

Stay tuned...

Chris

p.s. Our prayers go out to the astronauts and their families and friends on this tragic day.

[Chris Anders]

Good evening all,

Again, without sounding trite, it was very difficult to choose a single winner for this contest. The time and talent put into the entries in my contest were considerable and very appreciated.

It is my great pleasure to announce the winner of the ChrisAnders.com contest.

The winner is...


Palmer!


Congratulations Palmer, and thanks for your time and the creativity you dedicated to the design.

Thanks as well to everyone else who took the time and put forth the effort to enter the contest. I was blown away by your talented entries.

You have a great thing going here. I have referred several business and personal contacts to DesignOutpost.com. Your talent and the structure of your business are an unbeatable combination. I know I'll be reading about your successes in the news in the near future! :)

Thanks again, and everyone take care.

Sincerely,

Chris

[Palmer]

Congratulations Palmer!!!! Hey wait a minute... that's me! :o Yeah for me, my first win at DesignOutpost :)

Thank you very much Chris, it was almost easy to come up with what you wanted from your descriptive critiques, very well run contest. You had a big part in getting exactly what you wanted.

Also thanks for speading the word about us, myself and the Design Team greatly appreciate that. There's nothing better for a business than happy clients. Very glad you found us.

I'll contact you via email to work out the details.

Also very nice work from the other contestants, you were tough competition.

Palmer

[synax]

Palmer, Congradulations.

Once again, Chris I want to thank you for all of your comments throughout the design process. It sure made things a lot easier.

Regards,
Jon Drew
Synax Design

[Dan]

Good work Palmer, B)

[Palmer]

Thanks guys :)

[Ruairi]

Congratulations Palmer! :)
And, Chris, thank you for your very pertinent comments. I wish all my clients would be like you... :)

Ruairi

[Mike]

Good work Palmer :)

Sorry I never updated my entry Chris, school took too much time this last week :)

[Chris Anders]

Hi Mike,

No problem. I wish I could have entered your revision for final consideration, but honestly, I had my hands full choosing from what I had :D .

Keep up the good work, you've definitely got the spark!

And Ruairi, thanks again. Passing over your design was not easy. Kudos!

Chris