Poll: New SBS Site Theme

[Shaun]

We're gearing up to change the entire look of Survival By Storytelling's website and we want your help. Below are links to several themes we are considering. All of them can be customized in terms of color and text, and most can be fiddled with in other ways. We're trying to come up with a look that has a blog component, but is heavily geared towards highlighting the magazine, since that is what the site is for in the first place. Some of the themes are not free, but are relatively cheap.

The options are, right now, as follows (most of the links go to the demos, so you can actually see the theme at work):
1. Quiktab: http://themeforest.net/item/quiktab/full_screen_preview/19262 ($17)
2. Bluelight: http://themeforest.net/item/bluelight-wordpress-20-portfolio-and-blog/full_screen_preview/40433 ($27)
3. Just Lucid: http://demo.themelab.com/ (Free)
4. Architect 2.0: http://architect.ithemes.com/demo/ ($79.95, includes multi-use license)
5. iTheme Builder (not a theme, but it allows for infinite customization and use, meaning we can create other websites with it): http://ithemes.com/purchase/builder-theme/ ($127)

There is also an option for "Other." If you don't like any of these themes or have a suggestion for something else, feel free to let us know in the comments!

[Spacepirate]

The thing is, the more money you want to spend the better the site will look?

And since iTheme allows for infinite themes, then I would go for that (if I had the money).

At the other end of the spectrum is the free JustLucid which, to be frank, doesn't do that much to the original site. In fact, I prefer the original SBS site theme.

1, and 2 are meh-ish.

Although I like the Architect theme, there seems to be a pattern. I'm attracted to expensive things.

[Shaun]

We can edit all of the themes for color. Just remember that. So if you're "meh" about something because the color doesn't appeal to you, then we can always change that. And, yeah, there is a huge appeal to the iThemes Builder in the fact that we can fiddle in all sorts of ways.

[Spacepirate]

We can edit all of the themes for color. Just remember that. So if you're "meh" about something because the color doesn't appeal to you, then we can always change that. And, yeah, there is a huge appeal to the iThemes Builder in the fact that we can fiddle in all sorts of ways.

Not just the colour, but I would say Bluelight seems more professional looking. I'm attracted by the green envato theme on there.

http://themeforest.net/item/bluelight-wordpress-20-portfolio-and-blog/full_screen_preview/40433

The Quicktab (ironically the cheapest) just isn't appealing to me. Is that the demo then? Is that what the basic structure of the site look like on the homepage?

Do you have $130 for iTheme? :P

[Shaun]

Quiktab is the demo, yes. The envato theme is nice.

And we don't have $130 at the moment, but we can build up to it. We need a new site before finishing out the second issue, though.

[Spacepirate]

Quiktab is the demo, yes. The envato theme is nice.

And we don't have $130 at the moment, but we can build up to it. We need a new site before finishing out the second issue, though.

I was just gonna post that I don't mind the way the site looks now. It's a little cluttered but nevertheless...

You were saying, you could create multiple sites with iTheme? Are you planning to? :ninja:

/endspamsootherpeoplecancomment

[Shaun]

The problem with our current site is that it is not built to house a magazine. It's a blog, and that's basically all it is. We need something that highlights the magazine element more, and one we can fiddle with. Right now, we can't do anything with the theme we have, unless we pay money to edit the CSS, which I have no idea how to do.

And, I have no idea if we'd use the multi-use license...we could...I have no idea what we'd do it for...

[Spacepirate]

The problem with our current site is that it is not built to house a magazine. It's a blog, and that's basically all it is. We need something that highlights the magazine element more, and one we can fiddle with. Right now, we can't do anything with the theme we have, unless we pay money to edit the CSS, which I have no idea how to do.

And, I have no idea if we'd use the multi-use license...we could...I have no idea what we'd do it for...

Since no-one seems to be inputting things :glare:

I get what you mean about the site, but aesthetically it looks good. You're right in that it's too confusing and doesn't highlight the magazine more. I'm pretty sure you know all of this anyway, but I'm bored.

No offence, but it's kinda a mess. The blog format doesn't help the cluttering, in that the columns are really really thin. So you should get a blog that opens things out. There's also too much going on, both in the right hand column and in each page.

Cause you have interviews/questions and the like.

I'm thinking, cause if you wanted multilicense and make more sites, you could make a primary one focusing entirely on the magazine (which could include excerpts or somethng?) and then another little spin-off with all the questions/interviews and general more blog-type use. Hell, you could even use that to make that blog that people are submitting things for?

I dunno. I'm thinking.

[Devika_globejotter]

I'm thinking, cause if you wanted multilicense and make more sites, you could make a primary one focusing entirely on the magazine (which could include excerpts or somethng?) and then another little spin-off with all the questions/interviews and general more blog-type use. Hell, you could even use that to make that blog that people are submitting things for?

I dunno. I'm thinking.

That'll be like cluttering the web with so many websites. It's much better to have a one stop place for everything to do with the SBS. It'll be severly confusing otherwise.

Thats why iLike Bluelight. Yo can show whatever is there all at once and so the person who is viewing the site knows where to go if they're looking for something in particular.

[Jaraix]

The problem with our current site is that it is not built to house a magazine. It's a blog, and that's basically all it is. We need something that highlights the magazine element more, and one we can fiddle with.

I'm not very sure about this, but aren't Wordpress hosted blogs limited to a select bunch of themes? That aside, there are a number of free magazine-oriented Wordpress themes on the internet, which could be used with a self-hosted website. The problem is that hosting comes with its own technical issues, and the continual expense could shut the site down if there's not enough funds. Blogger also has some magazine-like templates, but I'm not sure how that works out.

Voted for Bluelight, though. It gets most of the job done without too much on the price, but looks a bit generic. Maybe it's just the header, which reminds me too much of Dictionary dot com (what's with the dot com issue?)

[Shaun]

You're new, so it's probably blocking you from posting websites until you reach a certain post limit. We had to do this due to spammers who would flood the forum with ads for viagra and what not. It's a little annoying, but it's either that or have 50 mods to make sure spammers don't flood us with crap.

Thanks for your thoughts on the website, by the way! We'll definitely take that under advisement.

[Jako Pear]

I think that you should get either the Bluelight one or the Architect one. They both seem professional, but Bluelight looks looser and more user-friendly.
Quicktab was just.. bad, and Just Lucid lived up to its freebie-ness.
iTheme looked cool, but would it actually get used to its full potential?
For SBS, I think Bluelight would be best - I agree with Spacepirate - the green envato theme is great.