[Project Complete] $300 Massive Guides - PSD Only - July 19

[kzap]

(Admin code added by Michael - 3P615525TW848720E)

Company name: Massive Guides
Company profile: A site dedicated to providing and selling the latest, top notch, high QUALITY game guides for MMORPGs (Everquest, Final Fantasy XI, World of Warcraft, Guild Wars etc)
Domain name: www.massiveguides.com
What is the scope of this project?: New Site Design
Who is the intended audience?: Gamers aged 16-40, Male&Female
Mood or tone?: Professional looking, stylish, not edgy, SIMPLE but beautiful :)
Color psychology?: Light colors, not bright, but nice hues, colors that make you smile :D
Any dynamic elements?: Drop down menus
Who are your main competitors?: http://www.gameguidesonline.com/
http://www.guidefox.com/
http://www.primaonline.com/
What resources can you provide?: Logo - attached, mock design
Websites you like:
SitePoint - http://www.sitepoint.com/
Deadline: 2 Weeks from now - July 19, 2005
Output: 1 PSD, I shall cut the design myself and do the html and javascript for drop down buttons etc

Ok this will be the template project for Massive Guides, the winning logo for the design project is attached. The things I would like to emphasize in this design are simplicity. The mock I have attached is somewhat an idea of the final result. 5 Buttons on top with drop down menus, logo in the left corner and the main content below in the center. Rounded edges would look best.

Massive Guides will be a site selling E-Book like guides in PDF format. So for the layout on the frontpage it will display images and information about the guides/documents which are for sale. Also to be included in the layout I'd like to see how a direct sell format would look with the ebook cover big image with some excerpts and a description under it and screenshots, and also a buy link.

I have no preference of colors except I want a light look, not a dark gamer look. Light and professional, for a good reputation :) Not exactly white and grey as before, perhaps light tones of blue, green, red, earth tones perhaps but not too brown or yellow.

[Anne]

Here's a start from me. I am not sure what you want to see on the front page but I gave it a go anyway. I am happy to make any revision you want if you like the design.

Anne

[kzap]

Hi Anne :)

Thank you for being the first to submit a design. Its nice and simple, but I find it a bit plain. The position of the logo and the border is nice, the buttons seem too plain, I would prefer some icons for them to make them more userfriendly, somelike IE icons or FireFox icons on their toolbars. The blue is ok but I'm not so sure about the red, also I wouldnt want gradients all around the site, the logo has enough :)

[kzap]

Any updates? Everyone seems busy :) I would prefer atleast 3 ideas on this one. :)

[Trifolic]

Here's my entry, Let me know what you think, if you want to see any changes. Please note the the icons used are stock icons and are not exclusive.

[kzap]

Hi Jason, thanks for submitting an entry. Here are my comments: Its nice, simple but feels too much like a regular shopping cart template that could fit onto any site. The icons are ok, but I prefer them to be whole buttons with outlines instead of how you have it. I do like the Buy Now, Details, Add to cart buttons. I think maybe a white background would do better instead of blue. :)

[Trifolic]

Hi Jason, thanks for submitting an entry. Here are my comments: Its nice, simple but feels too much like a regular shopping cart template that could fit onto any site. The icons are ok, but I prefer them to be whole buttons with outlines instead of how you have it. I do like the Buy Now, Details, Add to cart buttons. I think maybe a white background would do better instead of blue. :)

I will make the changes for you and have it posted later tonight for ya, if at all possible, could you find an example of how you would like the menu buttons so I have a better idea of the feel you are looking for?

Thanks

[Trifolic]

Made some changes to it, let me know what you think and if you want to see any particular changes.

[kzap]

not liking the grey bg or the green in the header, buttons either
Ill try to find some button examples

[LalitB]

Hi Kzap,

Here's my entry.

-Lalit

[kzap]

Hi Lalit, thanks for entering, its a nice concept, i dont like the green though the buttons are clean and simple.

Any chance anyone could make the logo feel massive on the design and maybe try something radical? :)

[Severner]

Hi,

hehe, my middle name is drasticly detailed : )))
I'll give it a shot. Still got couple of days.. i hope

hmm,
sev

[JeremeDavid]

Here is my entry.

Let me know what changes or revisions you would like to see.

EDIT: I self-revised a little.

[Anne]

revision

[kzap]

JeremeDavid - Thanks for entering, your entry is breath of fresh air but I feel it is lacking something, perhaps its the length of it, I would like most of the content to be within the top fold, the header image is a bit too much though good for promotion. The buttons are nice and simple but overall the layout feels cluttered and my eye doesnt know where to look for information.

Anne - thanks for submitting a revision :) The logo looks much better on this one :) Buttons are in a nice place but now it seems theres wasted space on the right of the logo up there. As for the buttons themselves nothing appealing. I would want the highlight of the design to be the logo and buttons :) For the latest news box, the color doesnt seem to fit, maybe I shouldnt have said earth tones :)

[JeremeDavid]

Hopefully your next breath will be even fresher. ;-)

I reduced the overall height of the design by over 400 pixels. I can cut even more if you would like.

I removed my central divider and opened up the sides of the design to reduce the cluttered feel you were having.

Lastly, I made the headings stand out more so that it's easier to move back and forth between them

Let me know if you need more height reduction or anything else.

[LalitB]

Here's my revision.

-Lalit

[kzap]

JeremeDavid - A bit nicer but still confusing, the looks feels like content was stuffed whever there was an empty space, also for a 2 column design, I think a main large column and then a smaller column with less width would be appropriate.

Lalit - lovely, I like the rhino at the bottom also. Areas of improvement: probably the button icons :)

[Anne]

Changes made

[LalitB]

Revision...

-Lalit

[JeremeDavid]

I will make modifications. I am convinced we can make the layout work for you. :-)

[JeremeDavid]

More modifications. Please let me know if I am getting closer to or farther from your vision.

If you could name specific elements that you dislike, that would be very helpful.

[kzap]

Anne - K I like the news box better on this one, the buttons not so nor the tabs.

Lalit - The colors look better and the rhino in the corner is nice.

JeremeDavid - its nice buts its just not getting anywhere near. I think its the whole rhino in the center since the rhino is facing a certain direction, also the whole layout really isnt working for me.

Ok I'll have to go over these more and decide on a winner or decide to extend. I'll post some news soon. Thanks everyone!

[JeremeDavid]

Fair enough. :-)

Thank you for your consideration.

[Anne]

Here's a new revision from me
Anne

[Anne]

or

[kzap]

Revision...

-Lalit

Hmm having a real hard time deciding, may I request another revision from Lalit :) An improvement on the buttons, something that will look good with drop down menus. Thank you :)

[LalitB]

Hi kzap,

I have added two versions. "entry.jpg" is the old version with drop-down menus. "entry2.jpg" is the new version, I have not added the drop-down menus to this.

Please, let me know, if there are any more revisions needed. :)

Regards,
Lalit

Hmm having a real hard time deciding, may I request another revision from Lalit :) An improvement on the buttons, something that will look good with drop down menus. Thank you :)

[kzap]

can we change the icons to something online game related? :)

[LalitB]

kzap,

Not really sure what you mean by gaming related icons. Could you please show us an example. Also, which design would you like to see the game related icons on ?

-Lalit

[kzap]

hmm or maybe the icons style, long horn has some nice icons
http://www.winsupersite.com/images/showcase/longhorn_4051_066.jpg
by game icons, i mean not so generic icons like a house etc.

on which design? on entry2.jpg :)

[LalitB]

Hi,

Here's another go at it.

[LalitB]

Hi kzap

Do you need any other revision from me ?

-Lalit

[kzap]

ok finally I pick Lalit.

This was a real tough decision and by tough I mean it took weeks and getting lots of other opinions.

Thanks so much to Anne for her entries, this really was a split decision but in the end I had to pick one.

Lalit, there are a few revisions I would like before its ready, hope you still have some time available :)

[Anne]

Congrats Lalit :D

[LalitB]

Hi,

Thanks for choosing my design kzap and thank you Anne. :)

What revisions do you need ?

-Lalit

[kzap]

Hi sorry about all the delays, just been quite busy lately.
Ok revisions:
- Rhino in upper left corner needs to be bigger or look bigger.

- Icons - still not liking the icons, or the colors up there, also a dropdown menu example, not red though, and not blue, too much blue, white perhaps?

[LalitB]

Hi,

I am having a hard time coming up with new icons. Could you elaborate to me what kind of icons you would like for each link ?

I tried the xp style icons concept on my first entry and the more gaming/retro type icons on the last entry, so I'm not quite sure what else would fit this type of site.

Also, which colors did you not like ? The orange and the lighter blue for the links ?

-Lalit

[kzap]

the orange im not liking and the red
for the icons - remove articles
for the MG, it should be a rhino the same i guess and the text should be 'MG Home'
for guides, an open book perhaps
then members, people icons or something
then support, put something like a question mark on the shiled.
then make all icons bigger

:)

[LalitB]

Hi,

Thanks for the feedback, really helped me alot. :)

Here're the revisions.

[LalitB]

Here's the drop-down menu.

-Lalit

[kzap]

ok great were all done :)

[LalitB]

Files have been sent.

[kzap]

Files Received! Thank you! :D