Template Contest $225 - CoastAngler.com [Archive]

japhi

04-29-2003, 10:21 PM

Hello All, (Admin code added by Palmer - 4713430)

I'm in dire need of a new design for my website, http://www.coastangler.com .

Specs:

We require a template for an existing project.

Contest: CoastAngler.com - B.C. Salmon and Steelhead Fishing

Prize: $225 US Dollars (that's a hell of a lot of Canadian cash!!)

Deadline: Tuesday, May 13th, 7pm Pacific - Will remain open until that time...may extend if necessary. Please

Note: Require HTML version of template.

Site and Design Style Desired: Please visit the site and get a feel of what we offer. We are a niche content fishing website based out of the Pacific Northwest. The majority of our visitors are fisherman, not web junkies. The site must be clean, load fast, and be easy to navigate. The site is a portal and the goal is to drive visitors to (a) our content and (B) our advertisers. The winner will most likely demonstrate a creative way to integrate text/banner advertising into/around the content areas.

We require a homepage layout and an article page that will be very similar to the homepage.

Page Width Desires: We are flexible here, expanding tables would be nice.

Banner provision: Top and bottom 468x60 pixels only if it doesn't disrupt the design. We do require tables/boxes that surround the content to display text ads for two things we promote - (1) Featured Guide (2) Featured Product.

Special Features: Please in-corporate into design

1. Text Links - no DHTML or Javascript menus required, it only confuses my audience
2. Similar colour scheme to the design we have now with possibly a third colour added.\
3.Search
4. Newsletter Subscribe Box

Site Logo: We do not have a logo per se, nor do we neccesarily require one. Please use your creative licence.

Site Tagline: "B.C. Salmon and Steelhead Fishing"

Site Navigation:

Please see current site. I would like a header with the basic nav you see as well as a side nav that can be staggered if you wish. Be creative but remember my viewers are simple folk :)

Other General Considerations: For images please see our gallery here: http://www.coastangler.com/gallery . Avoid the visitors gallery as I don't have permission to use those photo's.

In summary, please take the current design and make it more appealing. Most of the elements on the site will remain, it is up to you to make them more appealing. Be creative, have fun.

I will check in every night around 7 pm Pacific time and give feedback.

Thanks,

Matt

motiveX

04-29-2003, 10:23 PM

I will have something....

:cowboy: don't want that Canadian dinero to goto waste...

:flex:

japhi

04-29-2003, 11:01 PM

Good stuff, looking forward to your design.

I checked out you portfolio, theres some really quality designs.

Mike

04-29-2003, 11:25 PM

Cool, another BCer here :)

beetle

04-30-2003, 09:08 AM

Hey there japhi

Couple questions --

1) Are you really attached to the red/maroon color scheme? Before I got past 5 words of your post I pictured something completely different for a fishing site.

2) Are good search engine results a priority? Or do you just want to get the content to your users?

3) Are you only considering regular banner ads (468x60)? The Internet Advertising Bureau specifies 8 standard banner sizes. Let me know if you would consider any other sizes (particularly, the vertical ones)

468 x 60 - (Full Banner)
234 x 60 - (Half Banner)
88 x 31 IMU - (Micro Bar)
120 x 90 IMU - (Button 1)
120 x 60 IMU - (Button 2)
120 x 240 IMU - (Vertical Banner)
125 x 125 IMU - (Square Button)
160 x 600 IMU - (Wide Skyscraper)
120 x 600 IMU - (Skyscraper)

I think that's about it!

japhi

04-30-2003, 10:36 AM

Hey Beetle,

Great questions.

I am not attached to the maroon/grey colour scheme, please be as creative as you like keeping in mind my target audience.

The same goes for the banner advertising. Now that you mention it I'm not a big fan of the 468x60. The vertical banners would work much better for my site seing that the content stretches a lot of the pages out.

Search engines are a priority, hence the text links required. Currently we receive 1000 uniques per day from Google/Yahoo and I'm not keen on losing any of that traffic.

Thanks,

Matt

motiveX

04-30-2003, 10:44 AM

Originally posted by beetle@Apr 30 2003, 10:08 AM

1) Are you really attached to the red/maroon color scheme? Before I got past 5 words of your post I pictured something completely different for a fishing site.

Same thought ran through my head....now I am just looking for some badass pictures to use

THAT could take a while.

Perhaps I should fly up to Canuck land and catch one myself, or at least have fun tryin'

:blink: :unsure: :help:

Palmer

04-30-2003, 12:07 PM

Originally posted by xteriormotive@Apr 30 2003, 01:44 PM
Same thought ran through my head....now I am just looking for some badass pictures to use
Hey! You got past the :sean: filter! :lol:

japhi

04-30-2003, 02:17 PM

Originally posted by xteriormotive@Apr 30 2003, 11:44 AM
Originally posted by beetle@Apr 30 2003, 10:08 AM

1) Are you really attached to the red/maroon color scheme?  Before I got past 5 words of your post I pictured something completely different for a fishing site.

Same thought ran through my head....now I am just looking for some badass pictures to use

THAT could take a while.

Perhaps I should fly up to Canuck land and catch one myself, or at least have fun tryin'

:blink: :unsure: :help:
When searching for pictures please remember that they must be of Salmon or Steelhead.

Try here: http://www.coastangler.com/gallery/

Like I said in my intro post, avoid the visitors gallery - those pictures are submitted by guests and I have no rights to them.

Here is a pic I like a lot that I am authorized to use:

http://www.coastangler.com/albums/steelhea...ad_pics/aab.jpg (http://www.coastangler.com/albums/steelhead_pics/aab.jpg)

It is low quality though...

beetle

05-01-2003, 09:18 AM

Before I waste my time looking, would you consider purchasing photography for this project? Or do you want to stick with what you can provide?

Don't feel pressured either way, I'd just like to know.

japhi

05-01-2003, 10:03 AM

Originally posted by beetle@May 1 2003, 10:18 AM
Before I waste my time looking, would you consider purchasing photography for this project? Or do you want to stick with what you can provide?

Don't feel pressured either way, I'd just like to know.
I have a couple hundred pictures in my gallery that are relevant to my sites content...if you see a pic that will work I can most likely provide you with a higher quality version of that image. Send me a PM and I'll send you the pic.

Please remember that the site must load fast as most of my users are on dial up. Images must be small in size and used sparingly.

Thanks,

Matt

beetle

05-01-2003, 11:14 AM

No problem.

Do you have any other demographic information we can access? Such as browser usage and such? If you don't know, contact your hosting provider and ask for your site's log files for the last 6 months (or however many they have if less than that)

If you do know, information I'm curious about

- Browsers used (also called 'user agents')
- top search terms

japhi

05-01-2003, 10:59 PM

Browsers For April:

MS Internet Explorer No 369269 93.9 %

Netscape No 16142 4.1 %

Search Terms:

salmon 24.3 %
recipes 19 %
fishing 7.2 %
pictures 3.6 %
steelhead 1.9 %
kokanee 1.7 %
hunting 1.3 %
river 1.2 %
cartoons 1.1 %
bc 1 %
lake 1 %
reel 0.8 %
baked 0.7 % :D
chinook 0.7 %

and 1200 others.

beetle

05-02-2003, 08:07 AM

Cool! Thanks! :tup:

Not to be nitpicky, but do you have a further breakdown of what versions of Internet Explorer and Netscape are being used? Having this information will really help me make a template targeted towards your audience.

japhi

05-02-2003, 09:45 AM

Peter,

Nitpicky is good, ask as many questions as you need to.

90% use IE5 and 4-5% use NS4 (schools I imagine). The rest is split between IE6, NS5/6 and Opera/AOL/Webtv etc.

The template should render well in all browsers.

Mike

05-02-2003, 11:16 AM

Originally posted by japhi@May 2 2003, 09:45 AM
Peter,

Nitpicky is good, ask as many questions as you need to.

90% use IE5 and 4-5% use NS4 (schools I imagine). The rest is split between IE6, NS5/6 and Opera/AOL/Webtv etc.

The template should render well in all browsers.
Just curious, do you want the site to look well in those single percent browsers, like Opera, AOL, and WebTV?

japhi

05-02-2003, 02:43 PM

Originally posted by naramation@May 2 2003, 12:16 PM
Originally posted by japhi@May 2 2003, 09:45 AM
Peter,

Nitpicky is good, ask as many questions as you need to.

90% use IE5 and 4-5% use NS4 (schools I imagine). The rest is split between IE6, NS5/6 and Opera/AOL/Webtv etc.

The template should render well in all browsers.
Just curious, do you want the site to look well in those single percent browsers, like Opera, AOL, and WebTV?
Nah.

But theres no reason it shouldn't. I'm looking for a simple,clean template - no rollovers or dynamic menus. Nice clean lines and creative ways to integrate ad space.

I also expect the template to be sliced and coded properly and CSS should be used any time possible.

As it stands now my template falls apart in NS4, please make sure yours doesn't. ;)

Mike

05-02-2003, 02:55 PM

OK, thank you for clarifying :)

japhi

05-03-2003, 04:35 AM

Come on folks - send me something to critique.

I'm excited to see what the Design Team can come up with. :tup:

Zoe

05-04-2003, 04:38 AM

ok - looks like I am first up.

This is by no means finished as there are a few bits and pieces that need to be added to the design but I wanted to get an idea of what your thoughts are on the idea.

Now before you click this link, don't expect a site at all similar to what you currently have. :P I was feeling creative! The site still needs to be optimised and made to work with NS4 etc... :)

I also designed you a new logo which is also in printable format incase you want to make T-Shirts or something??

Ok - here is the link Coast Angler (http://www.demexdesign.com/coastangler/)

japhi

05-04-2003, 02:26 PM

Originally posted by Demex@May 4 2003, 05:38 AM
ok - looks like I am first up.

This is by no means finished as there are a few bits and pieces that need to be added to the design but I wanted to get an idea of what your thoughts are on the idea.

Now before you click this link, don't expect a site at all similar to what you currently have. :P I was feeling creative! The site still needs to be optimised and made to work with NS4 etc... :)

I also designed you a new logo which is also in printable format incase you want to make T-Shirts or something??

Ok - here is the link Coast Angler (http://www.demexdesign.com/coastangler/)
Zoe,

Thanks for adding the first entry.

A couple comments:

The header needs to be smaller to allow for all the content that exists on the pages. I don't want visitors to focus on the header, but intead on everything below it (cnn.com is a good example).

The animation is neat, but will only add loading time to the pages, not good for the 85% of my viewers that are on dial up. Also I would like any images used to convey what the site is about, B.C. Salmon Fishing. Images should be of people fishing for Salmon in B.C. . I have a couple hunderd located here : http://www.coastangler.com/gallery and I encourage anyone entering this contest to use them, or find stock images that resemble them.

The logo is really cool but doesn't resemble the fish that my viewers pursue. A creative use of text or a small image will suffice for now as a logo.

I like 3 columm, center aligned layouts so your headed in the right direction there .I would like to see anyone entering the contest to incorporate advertising space into the design.

The colours are not what I'm looking for. As well the space where the content goes needs to be white - black text on white backgroubd iseasiest to read. I will post a good example of colour schemes in my next post.

I also want to avoid a cartoon feel to the design, it needs to be clean and professional in order to attract quality advertisers.

Thanks for your entry Zoe, being the first is always hardest and takes guts.

Matt

japhi

05-04-2003, 03:08 PM

Since I never posted example sites, here are a few that everyone can use as inspiration:

http://www.fifa.com/en/index.html

http://www.blockbuster.com/

http://boxinginsider.com/article.html?SMCo...&SMContentSet=0 (http://boxinginsider.com/article.html?SMContentIndex=0&SMContentSet=0)

http://www.maximonline.com/index.html

If you don't like my present colour scheme I recomend Adam's tutorial here:

http://getthelook.adampolselli.com/crispclean.php

Matt

beetle

05-04-2003, 10:44 PM

I'll have something this week. I'd have done something by now but ended up being out of town this weekend. Now that my "information gathering" is done, I can get to the template itself.

beetle

05-06-2003, 08:06 AM

Okay, here it is

comp_01
http://www.peterbailey.net/clients/do/coastangler/comp_01.gif

It's still preliminary -- but I wanted to post what I had to get some initial impressions before going too far. This layout can be achieved with no tables and all CSS. The image weight should be very small -- less than 20k, possibly less than 15k.

I intend for the middle column to stretch -- but this sould be centered with a static-width layout as well. This layout is 800x600 friendly.

Let me know!

japhi

05-06-2003, 04:00 PM

Peter,

Excellent start, you are headed in the right direction. I love the fact that the design can be all done in CSS and that the file size will be small. I also like that you used the pictures from my picture gallery being that they are relevant to the site.

A couple thoughts and ideas:

1) Can you develop the header/footer a little more? I'm not a big fan of the font used in the header or the way the images work together. I like how the header on this site is done http://www.fifa.com/en/index.html with it being darker to seperate it from the content. I also like a collage of images and those faint lines that you can see set back against the header.

2) The layout is as I would like it...nav on the left, ad space on the right. I like the idea of the stretch middle column.

3) The site is a little boxy and plain. Can you make it a little more eye pleasing without sacrificing too much in the way of low file size? :) Maybe make the nav bars a little more interesting.

4)Not a big fan of the colours, if in doubt can you use the maroon/grey of my old design or stick to at most three colours.

Great start, looking forward to seeing some revisions.

beetle

05-06-2003, 04:43 PM

Okay, good. Here's what I'm thinking

1) Change the font in the header (I had several choices, so more are waiting) - although I really like the font now - feels like the text on the back of a boat
2) Overall darken the header (color+images) and ligthen the text
3) Spice up "the boxes". I'm thinking about a tiny background image in the lower right of each, or changing the header section. I may try both.
4) Reduce number of colors. I have it stuck in my head that a fishing site should have blue -- if you don't want the blue, let me know.

Do you pretty much want to stick with sans-serif types for the HTML text?

japhi

05-06-2003, 05:29 PM

Originally posted by beetle@May 6 2003, 05:43 PM
Okay, good. Here's what I'm thinking

1) Change the font in the header (I had several choices, so more are waiting) - although I really like the font now - feels like the text on the back of a boat
2) Overall darken the header (color+images) and ligthen the text
3) Spice up "the boxes". I'm thinking about a tiny background image in the lower right of each, or changing the header section. I may try both.
4) Reduce number of colors. I have it stuck in my head that a fishing site should have blue -- if you don't want the blue, let me know.

Do you pretty much want to stick with sans-serif types for the HTML text?
1) Definately change the font. To be honest I don't want it to feel like the back of the boat, I want the font to be clear and clean looking.

2)Yes

3)Definately change the header section, it is much too simple.

4) No light blue's ;) . Chrome/Silver/Grey or Steel Blues may work though. If you can incorporate a chrome feel into the design anywhre that would be sweet. Salmon are chrome/silvery with hints of blue.

http://www.coastangler.com/albums/steelhea...ad_pics/aag.jpg (http://www.coastangler.com/albums/steelhead_pics/aag.jpg)

River fishing for fall salmon on the pacific coast is typically done in the rain. No bright colours or happy colours are invloved and the site should reflect this.

5) Sans-serif all the way.

beetle

05-06-2003, 05:58 PM

You got it. Probably be a couple days. :)

cre8or

05-06-2003, 08:19 PM

Please accept this as my submission to your template contest.

CoastAngler.com - Template (http://www.kimberart.com/templates/coastangler.htm)

Please be gentle with me, this is my very first template design submission.
This page may take a lttle time to load, as the entire thing is a single image.
(The actual template of course, isn't).

-Kimber

motiveX

05-06-2003, 08:20 PM

Originally posted by cre8or@May 6 2003, 09:19 PM
Please accept this as my submission to your template contest.

CoastAngler.com - Template (http://www.kimberart.com/templates/coastangler.htm)

Please be gentle with me, this is my very first template design submission.
This page may take a lttle time to load, as the entire thing is a single image.
(The actual template of course, isn't).

-Kimber
Very cool, nice work Kimber!

:tup:

cre8or

05-06-2003, 08:41 PM

Originally posted by xteriormotive@May 6 2003, 11:20 PM

Very cool, nice work Kimber!

:tup:
Thank you VERY much.
That means alot.

(Now get some sleep!) ;)

japhi

05-06-2003, 09:18 PM

I agree, great work.

cre8or

05-06-2003, 09:22 PM

Originally posted by japhi@May 7 2003, 12:18 AM
I agree, great work.
Thank you, too, Japhi.
Is there any critiquing? Do you like it as-is? Or would you have it changed?

japhi

05-06-2003, 09:56 PM

Leave it as is for now, if I choose your design we can tweak a couple things. I would like a footer to match the header and it could probably use a border. All in all I like it though. :)

You said it was your first template, how comfortable are you coding it and will you be able to make it NS friendly?

cre8or

05-06-2003, 10:01 PM

That's kind of a funny question...
I designed it in Dreamweaver, and it's already coded. THEN I took a sreenshot and that's what you saw.
(I have built websites... it's just my first template design contest submission)
I can make the tweaks you asked for, and post a new screenshot if you like.
Probably tomorrow evening.
Unlike "some people", I gotta sleep. ;)

Really stupid question: NS = Netscape, right?

motiveX

05-06-2003, 10:09 PM

Originally posted by cre8or@May 6 2003, 11:01 PM

Unlike "some people", I gotta sleep. ;)

Really stupid question: NS = Netscape, right?
:o :help:

And yes, NS equals Netscrap.

beetle

05-07-2003, 12:42 AM

I think for the knowledge of all, I'll disassemble "NS"

Netscape 4.x is an old, OLD web browser. Not many use this, but some still do (more than use IE4). This browser should be given basic HTML, not much fancy DHTML and simple CSS - as it's support for all of those is lackluster

Netscape 5 and 6 (prior to 6.2) didn't last long and are okay (but are very rare). These browsers are a minimal concern. Hardly anybody had them when they were new, and even fewer still do. Most haven't even heard of 5.

Netscape 6.2+ and 7 are built around the Gecko engine, which is superb. Most who use Netscape today use one of these two. A very capable browser - it will handle pretty much anything you throw at it.

:tup:

cre8or

05-07-2003, 08:59 PM

Okay, here's a new version complete with header, footer and border.
This image is a little smaller than the last one, as I too am on dial-up
and transfer is s-l-o-w.

CoastAngler.com #2 (http://www.kimberart.com/templates/coastangler2.htm)

Thanks.
-Kimber

japhi

05-07-2003, 09:42 PM

Great work, love it.

Thanks for the revisions.

Matt

geofharries

05-07-2003, 10:34 PM

Japhi,

I'll be posting a template for you tomorrow.

geof

geofharries

05-08-2003, 03:09 PM

Matt,

Here is my entry to the contest. It has a few more graphics involved, but I assure you I know how to both: 1) optimize image file size, and 2) create fast loading pages, even for 56k modem users. The biggest file portion of this design is the header, but once it's loaded, then having it in the browser cache will speed things up considerably. Nearly every other element in this desgin will be miniscule in size, with most being small background images around 40-50 bytes a piece, which is next to nothing for a slower connection.

I took the liberty of re-working your logo a bit, and adding a lot of new colours to the design. Hope you like what you see: I was really trying to get the outdoorsy-mountain feeling goin' on. After all, the Vedder is less than 30 minutes from where I live, and so I had some real world inspiration :)

thanks,

geof

*image removed*

japhi

05-08-2003, 06:46 PM

Awesome entry Geoff.

A couple suggestions...

The image in the header top right doesn't seem to fit. The design is clean and slick and that image is bulky and awkward. Maybe remove it all together? Can you use this pic in there somewhere but really subtle like the rest of the header. It would be neat if you could make it 'hang' down like the pic being removed:

Pic - http://www.coastangler.com/albums/vedder_river/aah.jpg

Also the little fish between 'coast' and 'angler' can be removed.

I would also like a matching footer. It doesn't need to be nearly as big as the header but it should tie the page together and match the header.

Everything else looks great and I love the colours although there is maybe one or 2 two many. Don't worry about that now though, your design is very close.

geofharries

05-09-2003, 02:15 PM

Matt,

Here is the new template with the revisions you requested. I added that photo of the guy kneeling down in the header. Let me know if you'd like it more subtle or if this is sufficient.

thanks,

geof

http://www.kwota.com/designoutpost/coastangler-2.jpg

japhi

05-09-2003, 02:31 PM

Geoff,

Thanks for the revisions, the template looks awesome, especially "that guy neeling down" (it's me on the Vedder!).

No more changes neccesary, great work.

japhi

05-11-2003, 03:01 PM

Should I be expecting any more entries to this contest? Please advise if you are in the midst of putting forth a template.

Thanks,

Matt

Palmer

05-11-2003, 03:37 PM

I plan to enter before the Tuesday deadline. It will be tough to top Geof's though :D

beetle

05-11-2003, 07:47 PM

Ack, I was horribly tied up this weekend. I'll mostly likely get my revision in middle of the day tomorrow, or just under the wire on the following day :D

japhi

05-11-2003, 08:55 PM

Sounds good gentlemen, looking forward to your entries.

geofharries

05-11-2003, 11:11 PM

Matt,

I forgot to add in my latest post that this design is meant to be "liquid", so that it stretches across the browser window no matter how big someones' monitor is set at. The maroon/rust coloured background will appear as a margin on both the left and right hand sides of the layout.

geof

japhi

05-12-2003, 04:46 PM

Sounds good Geoff. I'm not fond of that maroon anymore though, I prefer the colours you've come up with.

Palmer

05-12-2003, 09:56 PM

And one more to ponder. I hand code all of my sites to make them load quicker. Let me know what you think about my entry. :)
<img src='http://www.yourwebbuddy.com/templates/coast/1.png[/img]

japhi

05-12-2003, 10:24 PM

Palmer,

Thanks for your entry. Great use of ad space, you actually read my intro paragraph. :tup:

The graphics are a little basic and the font is kinda hard to read. Not quite what I'm looking for, but a great design nonetheless. The retro look is neat and could really grow on me, but not for this site.

Matt

Palmer

05-12-2003, 10:29 PM

Okie dokie, just doing my part for the good of the site. Wanted to give you one more option. :D

beetle

05-13-2003, 09:16 AM

Hey Japhi -

Unfortunately, I just don't have the time to finish this template right now. I could work on it this weekend, but I'm just too busy this week.

Let me know.

-Peter

japhi

05-13-2003, 05:52 PM

I want to thank all of you for putting in an entry. I'm actually a little surprised that more people didn't enter, but in the end we found a great design. Special thanks to Zoe for putting in the first entry. I've followed a few of these contests and no one wants to be the first to go, most sit back and watch the first entry get critiqued.

As for cre8or, if that is your first template entry you'll be fine! Great work.

But the winner is...geoffharries. I think with a few tweaks your template suits our site best. Pay the man Palmer!!

Oh yea, thanks to Palmer as well. This site is great and you have a very talented team. I will definately be running future contests and I will be sure to point this site out to friends.

Great work Geoff and congrats on a great Tuesday (2 wins!)

Matt