[Project Complete] New Kid's Product Web Site - $400

[blistick]

(Admin code added by Palmer - NM9047619)

Hi Everyone,

I need to create a new Web site to promote and sell a new children's software program called "My Reward Board".

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PRODUCT BACKGROUND
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The program provides a fun way for parents to motivate their kids to complete weekly tasks (make bed, take out trash, help with dishes, etc.) and ongoing goals (read 5 books during the summer). Happy face characters are awarded when tasks are completed and bigger rewards are earned over time. It also keeps track of the child's allowance and encourages them to save their money.

The target user age range is 5-12, but of course parents will be the ones buying the program.

(The cool logo for the product was created by Shnickerdoodle Studios, in the logos forum!)

I have four unique happy face characters (happies ) that you could include in the site design if it makes sense.

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ABOUT THE SITE
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Because this is a new product there is no current site.

I've created a schematic mockup here:

http://www.trylonix.com/mrbtemp/mrb.htm

Please, please (I beg of you) DON'T take direction on style or layout from this mockup. I'm using it mostly to convey the elements that are needed. I want you to use your own sense of design to come up with a great way of handling the content and functionality.

The page that I'm showing is not the home page, but a page describing a feature of the product. Do your design for this page and I'll adapt it for the home page.

In terms of style, the ideas to keep in mind are:

- Kids
- Fun
- Clean (as in not too busy or confusing)
- Compelling (as in, compels the parent to buy the program)

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DEADLINE
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The deadline for this competition is 12/31/2004.

I encourage everyone to dive in and have fun with this one. They'll probably be a fair amount of add-on work for the winner.

Best,

Barton Listick
Trylonix Corp.

P.S. I'll follow-up with links to EPS versions of the characters soon.

[blistick]

Here's a link to the four happy face characters (eps format) that might be useful for the Web design:

http://www.trylonix.com/mrbtemp/rewardboard_happies.eps

It's not a requirement that these be used. Only if you think it helps your design.

Thanks,

Barton

[Lori]

Hi Barton,

Can you post a usable version of the logo (ai, psd, eps)...

Thanks!

[blistick]

Hi Lori,

Does this mean you're entering the competition? Hope so!

Here are links to the logo in eps format:

http://www.trylonix.com/mrbtemp/MyRewardbkgrd_eps.eps

http://www.trylonix.com/mrbtemp/MyRe...obkgrd_eps.eps

The first one has a blue background and the second does not. Also, one or both may include the url at the bottom, but we don't need that on the site.

Best,

Barton

[Anne]

Here's is an entry from me, bright and colorful

Looking forward to your feedback
Anne

[blistick]

Anne,

Thanks for getting things started with a great design. Let me ponder it a bit and give you my feedback tomorrow.

Best,

Barton

[blistick]

Anne,

Again, thanks for doing a great first pass. Please see my detailed feedback below.

Best,

Barton

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- Overall I like the color scheme you’ve used, but I don’t like the light pink color for any element on the page (top tab, left nav, back/next buttons)

- Regarding the “The #1 Fun way…” heading area:
* I like the text treatment (color/font)
* I’d like to see the word “Fun” underlined.
* I’m not sure about the mirror effect. I’d like to see the next version without it.
* The clouds are a nice touch.

- I’d like to see a version with some of the following phrases shown at the top, beneath the “The #1 fun way…” heading (which should be moved up a little):

Clean your room
Make your bed
Brush your teeth
Do your homework
Stop teasing your sister
Help with the dishes
Don’t talk back
Eat your vegetables
Feed the dog
Save your money

These phrases should be staggered and faded, almost like a watermark but still visible. You can pick which of the above phrases to use, but I want to include “Save your money”. (I’m hoping this will convey quickly to the viewer what the main purpose of the software is. It may read as too negative, but I’d like to try it.)

- Regarding the left nav:
* I like the way you used the happy faces for the nav headings, but I’m not sure that the form is right yet. Can I see some alternatives? Note also that I have Flash animations of these guys (giving thumbs up, clapping) that I’d like to use, so they can’t be pushed all the way to the left margin.
* Can we make the “Introduction” element yellow (with the yellow character), the “Improve” element as is, and the “Program features” element orange (with the orange character)

- Regarding the main “body” area:
* I’d like the top section, with the text and screenshot, to be about 50% taller, to accommodate more content
* Can we put the “Buy Now”, “Try It”, and “Enter Kids Corner” on a single row that’s about half the height of the current area. (The “Enter Kids Corner” doesn’t need to be nearly as big as it is, and perhaps the “Try It” can be next to the “Buy it” instead of beneath it.)

[Anne]

Here's the revision.

Removed the bottom part to the left because I think it looked a bit cluttered when having the news, the quote of day and the links in two rows.

I've also changed the layout/design to make it "softer".

Hope you like the changes I've made
Anne

[Lori]

Barton,

Yes - to answer your post of earlier - I am working on an entry for you

[blistick]

Anne,

I do like this softer look better. I'll ponder it more tomorrow morning and get back to you with any further feedback and tweaks.

Thanks!

-Barton

[blistick]

Lori,

Glad to hear it. I'm looking forward to seeing what you've come up with.

Best,

Barton

[blistick]

Anne,

I think your design is really coming along and I like the new "relaxed" feel.

See below for my detailed feedback.

Thanks for the effort!

Best,

Barton


- Can we make the logo a little bigger without throwing off the design?

- Please change the top heading text to this (note the changed capitalization):

The #1 FUN way to motivate your kids

- Please remove the clouds.

- I think the “subliminal” phrases in the heading area work well. But:

****** Varying the sizes a little bit is ok, but the “Save your money” is too big. None should be bigger than the size used for “Eat your vegetables”
****** Please change “Save your money” to “Save your allowance”
****** Can we fit at least two more phrases? How about “Brush your teeth” and “Don’t talk back”


- On the top tabs, it’s a bit hard to read the text on the red (home) and blue (Buy) tabs. Maybe the tab colors need to be changed/adjusted.

- Regarding the left navigation column:
****** I like the new shape for the headings. I think they could be improved a bit more with a “cutout” approach. I’ve uploaded a crude mockup.

http://www.trylonix.com/mrbtemp/Anne_Cutout.jpg

****** I’d like to remove the “Introduction” section and add a “Press Center” section. So the left nav structure will be:

Positive Results
--Behavior
--Work ethic
--Sense of responsibility
--Goal setting skills
--Money sense
--Self esteem
Program Features
--(Same as before)
Press Center
--News
--Press releases
--Media kit

(The dashes above are just so I can indent in this post. Don't include them on the page.)

****** I’d like to use the yellow character for “Positive Results”, orange character for “Program Features”, and blue character for “Press Center”.

- In the center column I’d like you to add a heading above the text. The heading should be “Can Do Calendar”.

- Regarding the right column:
****** This column is wider than the left column. Is this for visual effect? It would be useful to make this column narrower (the same size as the left column?) and the center column wider.
****** I’d like to remove the happy face characters from the “Buy Now” and “Try It” buttons, and do something else to make these buttons “pop”. (I think we’ve used the happy face characters enough elsewhere on the page.)

- The black text for the “About Us”, “Contact Us”, and copyright notice is very hard to read against the dark blue background at the bottom. Please make the text lighter.

[Anne]

Here are the requested changes

Anne

[blistick]

Hi Anne,

Thanks for making those changes. I think they look great.

My one concern is that the bigger logo in the top-left corner does seem to throw the design off balance. Maybe partly it's because the logo now extends above the top of the curvey background.

It's important that the logo be big enough to make an impression since this is the name and brand.

One thing we could try is to use a version of the logo without the happy faces. I've posted a version here:

http://www.trylonix.com/mrbtemp/MyRe...appies_eps.eps

BUT, I would much prefer if you can find a solution that lets us use the logo as is.

Thanks again, and Merry Christmas!

Best,

Barton

[Anne]

Instead of replacing the logo I changed the header a bit so that we can keep the happy faces

Anne

[pickadesign]

Hi,

I was working on this a couple days ago, now got some time to finish it off a bit. Let me know your thoughts.

Thanks

updating

[blistick]

Hey "Pickadesign",

Thanks for much for your entry! Today being Christmas, I won't be able to give you feedback until tomorow.

Best (and Merry Christmas),

Barton

[blistick]

Dear Pickadesign,

Here's some specific feedback on you design:

- There's a lot of empty blue space at the top
- On the left side, having the yellow happy face for all the bullets makes the screen too busy
- For the menu items at the top, it's a bit repetitive having the blue happy for each item
- Overall, I'd like to see the layout be less "rectangular"

Thanks again for your effort.

Best,

Barton

[blistick]

Anne,

I think the page looks very solid now. Thanks for finding a way to keep the entire logo.

I'll let you know if I think of anything else.

Best,

Barton

[pickadesign]

No problem, there was a second layout for this I was working on, I'll post that later today.

Thanks

Delano

[blistick]

Hi Delano,

Looking forward to it!

Best,

Barton

[pickadesign]

Posting my version in the next hour, almost completed. I just wanted to update you.

Thanks

Delano

[Ian]

I'm workin on an entry

[blistick]

Ian,

Sounds good!

Thanks,

Barton

[pickadesign]

New version. Let me know your thoughts:

[Ian]

heres my two

[Ian]

number 2

[Lori]

Barton,

Here is my design for you... oh, and let me know when this is available as I am a homeschooling mom and it sounds great!

Let me know your thoughts.

[blistick]

Lori,

Thanks for the entry. I've got to head out now, but should be able to get back to you with feedback later today.

My wife and I are homeschooling parents too! Small world. (Maybe it's being around the kids more that inspired me to create this software!)

Best,

Barton

[blistick]

Ian,

Thanks for your entries. I'll get back to you with feedback later today.

Best,

Barton