Template for consulting / web hosting company

ing · #1 11-06-2003, 06:23 PM

(Admin code added by Palmer - P107741B)

Hi all! This contest is worth $200.

Company name: iNextGen, Inc.

Company profile: We are a computer consulting company that also offers web hosting as part of our solutions. We offer cutting edge Microsoft Dot Net solutions as well as basic websites.

We are looking for the following from this contest:
• Logo (We will be putting on a business card in the future)
• Template for home page (We will use the logo and menuing for our sub-pages)

We envision the home page containing 2 main sections (probably side by side). One section would focus on our Consulting services and the other focuses on our Web hosting. Within the web hosting, we want an area for a few lines of description and the ability to show two of our web hosting plans. The consulting section would contain an area for a description as well as showcase our premier website www.netGolfLeague.com. Also, we specialize in Microsoft Dot Net consulting, both VB and C#.

We don’t want the site to look like a typical web hosting site, but something a little more professional. Many of our websites are not brochure sites but web applications that we develop and host.

We would like an area for Client login. This might fit nice on the home page or might need to be accessed by a link.

We would like the following navigation links from the home page and sub-page:
• Home
• Consulting Services
• Hosting
• Portfolio
• Support
• About Us

We would prefer not to use frames. We also assume 1024 x 768 as the default size, but would like not to be tied to a certain resolution.

Domain name: www.iNextGen.com

What is the scope of this project?: This is a new site for an existing company founded in 2000.

Who is the intended audience?: Consulting clients and web hosting customers.

Mood or tone?: We want our site to convey a cutting edge professional corporate image. We would like to be able to use our logo not only for business cards, but promotional items.

Color psychology?: Show us some variety

Deadline: 2 weeks.

Good luck,

Mike

Palmer · #2 11-06-2003, 08:40 PM

I think you should pare down the list of what you need. The problem I see right off the bat is you are asking for 3 completely different specialties...

Template-Web Designers
Logo-Logo Designers
Business Card-Print Designers

In addition, we typically have contests for those items individually. To ask for those 3 things in one batch would not only limit the number of designers who could offer everything you're asking for to about 2, maybe 3 of our team, it really is way lower than what should be offered.

2 page template - $200-$400
Logo - $75-$150
BusinessCard - $40-$60

Can we change the requirements to a 2 page template with a simple logo? I think the contest would have much better results for you.

ing · #3 11-07-2003, 03:49 AM

That makes sense, we were getting a little specific and aggressive with our list.

We are basically in need of a template that we can extend the look (menu, logo, etc) into our sub-pages.

We can scratch the Business card layout.

[I changed the original post to reflect this].

thanks for the guidance,

Mike

Palmer · #4 11-07-2003, 04:00 AM

Thanks Mike. This will work out much better. I'll tell the designers that you have modified your requirements. Go Buckeye's!

ing · #5 11-07-2003, 04:08 AM

I was re-reading my last post and it didn't mention that we still want a simple logo, just not a business card layout.

I think we should be on the same page now.

Mike

KelliShaver · #6 11-07-2003, 09:41 AM

Here's a start. If you like it, I can work up the sub-page template.

I picture some additional text in the header (company slogan, tagline, testimonal?) and perhaps some simple flash animations of either line art, or slow transitions to various business-type thumbnail images.... nothing too distracting, though.

user posted image

Palmer · #7 11-07-2003, 09:54 AM

Nice one Kelli

KelliShaver · #8 11-07-2003, 10:08 AM

Thanks!

Mark · #9 11-07-2003, 11:26 AM

Here's a more conservative approach....

Luc · #10 11-07-2003, 04:45 PM

Hi! Expect an entry from me.

hairyiguana · #11 11-07-2003, 09:47 PM

entry:

ing · #12 11-08-2003, 05:53 AM

Hi all, I'm meeting with my partners in the next day or two and will be responding with comments probably Sunday or Monday.

thanks for everyones effort!

Mike

ing · #13 11-10-2003, 08:54 AM

We all agree that you are off to a good start and are excited to see all of the entries unfold.

Some general things

We liked the direction hairyiguana took with the logo. Kind of an abstract thing to the left of our company name. But, can you change the iNEXTGEN.COM to iNextGen, Inc. Also, We don't want to have prices listed for the web hosting plans.

After seeing the netGolfLeague site screen shot on the homepage, we are not sure that it blends into the overall look. We would be open to removing it or to any other suggestions from the designers. Maybe this would be better as an 'Application Showcase' thing that we could periodically change. Also, maybe a place to list whitepapers or code snippet links would help round out the consulting services. The consulting services description would probably be less of a big long text description and more of a few lines of description and some bullet items of technologies and projects.

Here are a few specific comments.

KelliShaver: We like the clean look. We also liked your menu bar. Could you give another shot at the logo and maybe try some bolder colors? The Apple key on the keyboard in the heading picture is misleading because we do Microsoft development. The client login should be for the whole site. Right now, it looks like it is for consulting clients only.

MarkBeaudry: We liked your design but think the picture is to big and don't like the hand. Probably no picture at all. The hosting packages look great! We would just want the price removed. Could you give another shot at the logo also. We liked the two tabs for Consulting Services and Hosting. What did you have in mind for navigation? Would those be clickable tabs that would take the user to a Hosting page for example? Also, we like the Microsoft.Dot net logo.

hairyiQuana: We liked the way you did the menu and presented the hosting plans. Can you change member login to Client Login and remove the live support. Also, could you try something fresh on the color side.

We are excited to see the entry Luc is going to toss into the contest!

regards,

Mike

Luc · #14 11-10-2003, 04:24 PM

Mike,I'm sorry I haven't posted my entry yet. But will do that today.

hheine · #15 11-10-2003, 05:17 PM