Simple Template ... Prize $125

[micmol]

Dear All (Admin code added by Palmer - N1442006)

We require a template for a new project.

Contest: Australian Wines Forum (www.australian-wines-forum.com) ... please note site is not live yet.

Prize: $125 US Dollars

Deadline: Sunday, April 28th, 5pm A.E.S.T - Will remain open until that time...may extend if necessary. Please note that is Australian Eastern Standard Time.

Note: Require HTML version of template.

Site and Design Style Desired: The site needs to appear clean and professional yet warm and inviting. Our target audience is not into whiz-bang high/busy graphic type look and feel. We do not want it to look like a tech site similar to all the web hosting and consulting type companies...nothing too abstract but a little character. We prefer white content areas.

The site really has two parts: A general wine information section/s and a chat forum. The template will appear more like an inviting doorway to both.

Regardless of the homepage layout, we would like to see a secondary page which DOES contain a left hand side column/menu. This secondary page will be used for sub menu items.

Page Width Desires: We are flexible here.

Banner provision: Top and bottom 468x60 pixels.

Special Features: Please in-corporate into design

1. Header – Text Statement
2. Copyright Panel – As base of page

See http://www.talkingfootball.net for example of copyright panel

Site Logo: Simple image – may be text version of our name with maybe a slight highlight colour used. Please use plain text like Arial – Verdana etc see http://www.mcwilliams.com.au

Site Tagline: "Australian Wine Lovers Guide To Australian Wines"

Target Market / Audience Considerations: Our main audience will be adults ages 18 – 100 ish who are interested in Australian Wine. Our site shall be both informational and yet responsive. We intend to split our information into 2 sections.

Section 1 – General information (very general) covering all aspects of the Australian Wine Industry … with sub-categories. I.e. Buying Wine, Hardware, Wine Information

Section 2 – Region Specific Information – Categorized by States/Territories of Australia which are

1. New South Wales
2. Victoria
3. South Australia
4. West Australia
5. Northern Territory
6. Queensland
7. Tasmania
8. ACT

Links and Navigation: We would anticipate 3 types of navigation … please don’t get confused here. It not over complicated. See my example at base of information as a guide.

1. LHS or RHS of page – designers taste … Categorized with sub menu - covering SECTION 1 above … must be text driven.. Preferably controlled by a CSS
2. Top Section of page – Can be very simple image .. Covering SECTION 2 above.
3. Base of page – Text covering … Contact Us … Site Map.

A very good example of what I’m talking about is http://www.asiandiscs.com except maybe use basic images for states of Australia

Fonts: I plan to use Veranda for body text and also for navigation elements if design allows it.

Site Colours: Earthy Tones

See http://www.colorschemer.com/online.html

Start with Hex #996633 or #996633 or very close to these colours

Other General Considerations: Our site deals with the Australian wine industry. Therefore things like wine glass, grapes, wine bottles etc. may be considered when trying to generate an idea...however they are by no means required. We want the site to have visual appeal but we don't want the graphics to distract from our message and product.

Sites Design We Like :

1/ http://www.mcwilliams.com.au
2/ http://www.lifestylechannel.com.au
3/ http://www.fortworth.com

If you have any questions please just give me a shout. Thank you and I look forward to seeing some great templates.

Sorry but I don’t think I can be any clearer than this. ;)

Regards

Michael

[Palmer]

Perfect ;) I'll try to have an entry in a few days. Thanks Michael.

[john]

I think ive covered everything. :)

Comments appreciated.
Made for 1024x768 resolution but i could make one to fit both if you would like (by cutting down the size of the right hand side).

Template #1 (http://www.the-laptop-and-notebook-store.com/australianwines.gif)

[QSDA]

Hope you like this...comments are appreciated.
http://portfolio.iu.edu/otseren/01qsda.jpg

[micmol]

Thank - you

Here are my comments so far.

However, before I go any further. I have found two designs in your gallery I really like the feel of. I hope demex does not mind me quoting them ... hopefully it helps us all. They are exactly the feel I'm trying to aim for. Especially in the "page composition" aspect.

Importantly this will hopefully be a commercial website ... subtle use of banner advertising is very important.

1/ http://www.demexdesign.com/worldintra/

2/ http://www.demexdesign.com/shopnav/

QSDA
- Your header image is right on the button ... I like ... exactly what I had in mind.
- Logo ... I like ... if you could just make it stand out a little more .. say remove half the bunch of grapes and add highlight color to bring the text out.
- Page composition - please see my comments above ... I need to make the site commercial so need to in-corporate add banners. I really like the page composition of both designs above. I feel your image would suit the "shopnav" design.
- States nav bar can you please place under header image. However please leave text there that can be used as a "page title".
- Colour scheme .. could I see a few alternatives please .. if thats not too much trouble.

I'm very much looking forward to see you changes. :)

John
- Thank-you for being first .. its always harder .. with no previous comments.
- Your logo ... I quite like .. again please try to make it stand out a little more.
- Page composition - please see my comments above.
- I'm trying to aim for a design with some sort of image telling a "thousand words" so to speak.

Hope my comments are instructive enough .. but if you have any further questions please ask.

Kindest Regards

Michael

[Zoe]

Hi Michael,

Well I think I am going to have to make some time to enter this one now... lol :D

I will see how I go for time.

[micmol]

Yes ... please do Demex.

I love you style ... especially in regards to page composition.

Will look forward to your entry.

Regards

Michael

B)

[Huhhso]

hello here is my entry, I used a dropdown
menu for the different regions...
Thanks!
http://www.waila.com/freelance/winetemplate2.jpg :D

[micmol]

Dear All

Huhhso

Thanks for your entry here are my thoughts

Top Image - Quite like the feel ... Could we see the term "Australian Wines Forum" in a font like Arial or Verdana.

Nav Bar - Sorry but could we see states set out more in a "tab" style under image

Other Nav - 1/ ie "Buying Wine", "hardware" etc could we see vertical instead of horizontal.
- 2/ ie "Contact Us" etc can we see at base of page

Color Scheme - I like

Looking forward to your reply.


QSDA

Thought I would just mention was very impressed with your entry for Aftermarket Extremes Dated - Mar 27 2003, 01:21 AM That is the page composition I'm looking to achieve. However more in "earthy tones" color scheme.

Kind Regards

Michael

[platinum]

Hi Michael -

I've attached my entry, any feedback you can give would be great :)

The space at the top right is for your banner ad ;)

<img src='http://clients.platinumwebsitedesign.com/awf.jpg[/img]

[micmol]

Dear Platinum

Firstly, thanks for the entry.

My Comments

General - I quite like.

Possible Changes

1/ Insert <h1>Australian Wines Forum</h1> at very top of page in complimenting colour and font.

2/ Image used - Could we see a few alternatives please. ( I really like QSDA wine bottle and glasses. ) Plus could you make the Image larger.

3/ Logo - could you make larger and outline with a standout colour.

4/ Move the states nav bar to left hand side. Then insert text "Wine Regions of Australia"

Looking forward to your reply.

Michael

PS Dear All

We are going to extend this comp for a few days ... just to take the pressure off over this long-weekend in Australia.

[Palmer]

Michael, we've signed on 3 new designers specifically for their skills in web design. I think the extension of the deadline will help you get a few more entries to consider. I'll also try to enter if I have some time over the weekend.

Have fun, and wear the sunscreen B)

[Zoe]

Hi Michael,

I have put this design together. There are very few images used in this design to allow for speed. The site works in NS4+, IE, Opera.

Let me know what you think. :)

Australian Wine Forum (http://www.demexdesign.com/awf)

[Palmer]

Originally posted by Demex@Apr 25 2003, 11:17 AM
Hi Michael,

I have put this design together. There are very few images used in this design to allow for speed. The site works in NS4+, IE, Opera.

Let me know what you think. :)

Australian Wine Forum (http://www.demexdesign.com/awf)
:notworthy:

[micmol]

Dear Zoe

Thanks for your entry ... here are my clients thoughts.

General they like ... Color scheme is excellent ... page composition is getting closer.

Possible Changes

1/ Centre design to middle of page .. they really liked the design of your worldintra site.

2/ Move states nav bar to below add placement. However leave space for a heading tag <h1>Australian Wines Forum</h1> Hope controlled by the CSS.

3/ Could they see a few alternative images.

Looking forward to your reply.

Kind Regards

Michael

[micmol]

Dear All

We have elected a panel of judges to judge all your entries.

Please indicate if you intend to enter ASAP.

When we give the entries to the judges we will then only work with those designers who have already entered.

The Comp for new entries will be extended for a few days.

Kind regards

Michael

[Zoe]

Here are some changes...

Not sure what I think about the wine glass, I prefer the previous one. I have spent ages looking for something else to place in that spot but I couldn't really find anything better than the first image.

Australian Wine Forum - Design 2 (http://www.demexdesign.com/awf/site2/)

[Mike]

Awesome design, Zoe :) But the first images looked great, I don't think they should be changed. :)

[Zoe]

Originally posted by naramation@Apr 26 2003, 02:50 AM
Awesome design, Zoe :) &nbsp;But the first images looked great, I don't think they should be changed. :)
Yes but...

3/ Could they see a few alternative images.

[micmol]

Dear Zoe

Thanks for the changes ... could we request a few small alterations.

1/ Insert heading at top of each page ... in heading brackets <h1>Title </h1>

2/ Is there any way we can see the images rotate ... I actually have a java-script image rotations script. It would finish the template off perfectly.

3/ Also when we loaded the template in Netscape we had problems with images at top of page.

Looking forward to your reply.

Michael

PS We will be closing this comp on 1st May for final entries.

[micmol]

Dear All

A huge thank-you to all who have entered this comp ... thanks.

Sadly there can only be one winner ... Our judges where "very surprised" at the high standards of all the entries. ( Sorry but they are "internet newbies" I told them we would get some good entries)

The Winner is ...... DEMEX :D (Subject to a few small changes - please can we discuss in private)

Zoe can you please contact me via email ... micmol [at] bigpond.com (mod edit for spam prevention)

Thanks Again

Many Kind Regards

Michael

[Zoe]

Thanks Michael! :clap:

[Palmer]

Congrats Zoe, that was a very nice entry.

Thanks Michael! :tup:

[hotnuts21]

Awesome work Zoe, well done!

Can i post in here ok :huh: