Site Look and Feel, Pt 2

[Andy]

I'd like to bring up this topic again (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/showthread.php?t=630). Since there was a lot of discussion of blues, I've installed two blue styles so you can test them out and give your thoughts. Depending on the general consensus for them, we may try other styles or experiment in whatever direction you all wish.

Just keep in mind that these styles have not been fully incorporated with the site, because that could take hours. You can visit any link you see, but certain things like the store, rules, and site information are not accessible. The logos are default, as well.

Just ask yourself: Would I rather view the site with one of these, or the current one, and why not? Constructive criticism. :)

Visions Blue (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/?styleid=14)

Classic Blue (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/?styleid=16)

EDIT: Click here (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/?styleid=2) to return to the default style. You can do this at the bottom-left of any page, too.

[GeorgeMichael]

hmm... I like the original better... well the reason I say that is that I can't get back to the original layout, and I can't get to literature or anything. How come it won't change back for me. I'm stuck on either Classic or Vision Blue now...


EDIT: Oops... nevermind :)

[Nyx]

Oh crap..I'm stuck on classic now...how do I get back to orginal?!

As for constructive crit...I like the one we have now better than both since they just look to cliche and the one YWO has right now is way more unique.

[GeorgeMichael]

Nyx, just go to the bottom of the home page and click default style on the little tag window. (Bottom left corner)

[Ichigo]

For me those two are too hard on the eyes. I like the original it's like a serene winter theme.

[Tncowgirl]

I like this one better then those. :D, that is just me.

[Nyx]

Nyx, just go to the bottom of the home page and click default style on the little tag window. (Bottom left corner)

Thanks, Georgy!:D

[Carraka]

Maybe it's because I'm used to it, but I really prefer the silver theme.

Who was talking about blue anyway? -glares-

[Andy]

Um, okay...Where are all the people who voted the current one was boring? Double-crossers....:pirate:

[Zombified]

I like the new ones.
I think I shall alternate between them all.

[Imelda]

The original is way better. The others looks like lame default styles. This one is special. *hugs style*

[Andy]

Here are some more for testing:

Fresh Blue (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/index.php?styleid=21)

Vanilla Cola (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/index.php?styleid=17)

Approx (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/index.php?styleid=20)

Click here (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/?styleid=2) to return to the default style. You can do this at the bottom-left of any page, too.

Here's a site with a lot of other possible skins. You need to register to view the pictures, but many of them have viewable demos:
http://www.vbulletin-faq.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=54

I rather like the Approx one. :)

[Alex]

I like the Approx and Vanilla Cola alot =]]

[Nyx]

I like Approx but this one is still better:D

[Andy]

I like Approx but this one is still better:D
Why? Because if it's just a small thing, we could change it. :)

[Nyx]

It's just the original is much more unique.

[Shaun]

Here are my thoughts:
The new ones do look too template like and don't have a lot personalization to them. That's partly because, gasp, we haven't added anything to them since that would be somewhat pointless for Andy to waste the time doing that if we're not sure we're going to use them.
I personally like the layout of our current template, however I am not against fiddling with the colors. So what if we changed the colors of this template a bit to see if we can't brighten it up? One thing people suggested was adding color, since it is a graying/bluish color all around. So why not go with some different color schemes and try some things to give what we currently have some flare? That might make it more appealing. These other templates are just too 'TEMPLATE' like. We want our site to have some real structure and originality to it, and what better way to do that than take the one we already have and fiddling with it so it looks new and fresh?

Edit: I just saw those three others. I like that Approx one, but the problem is I've seen a bunch of other forums use that one. I've never seen anyone use this one...another thing we have to consider about these templates is that we don't want it to look like other forums. We want it to be unique.

[Andy]

I've tried changing some of the colors around, but the results were usually quite ugly. We can try that again, though.

EDIT: Okay, so what Shaun had in mind is doing something like this. Maybe not those exact colors, or in those exact places, but something similar.
http://www.youngwritersonline.net/?styleid=22

[Shaun]

Exactly. We can darken up some areas, maybe even change the color of the buttons. That shouldn't be too hard I don't think. Put them through photoshop and alter the coloration to a bluer tinge or something. We can just add some color to the site, maybe some nifty graphic things, I dunno, something to it. Maybe we could even have a short flash logo...nothing too fancy, but a little neat thing to have when someone first shows up. There are lots of things we can do to the site as it is, so people need to suggest things. Maybe offer some color schemes guys, or little tidbits you'd like to see.

Also, if you join the chat we have this Saturday you can actually bring up things about the site to us directly, in live chat.

[Andy]

We could perhaps add some pictures into the buttons, sort of like the typical vBulletin style. So there wouldn't be just words, but pictures too. Flash logo, though...meh.

I'll try to join the chat.

[Imelda]

Even changing those small areas to blue (or anything else) makes it look like every other forum on the internet. You've got a great scheme here, it's unique, it's calming, and it isn't broken--you guys really don't need to fix it!

Flash logos suck. They drag the loading time of a page down dramatically, and for clever people like what I is, their browser blocks them. So they either don't see it at all, or they have to manually allow it through the filter. Really. Bad. Idea.

This isn't an online game for kids, it's a forum for writers.

Having said that, the Vanilla Cola one is ok, but still more formulaic than the current one.

[Andy]

Even changing those small areas to blue (or anything else) makes it look like every other forum on the internet.
So an all-gray forum is the only way to go? :confused: As Scotty said, it's possibly the most bland design on the internet. I doubt anyone can find a single other site with such a colorless design.

Yes, the current one is unique, but does a forum with 100% whitespace/grayspace really look that inviting? Look up any article on color design, and you won't find one that suggests all-white.

[Alex]

oooh andy just pwned

I don't hate the current design, but a little bit of color is accepted. As I said before, Vanilla Cola FTW!

[Imelda]

An all-grey forum isn't necessarily the way, but all you're giving us is lame blue ones that all look the same. :P

[Andy]

Nah-ah-ah! You said changing those colors to "blue or anything else" was bad.

Way I see it:

dark blue = ocean, sky, soothing = good

light blue (http://www.forum-lance.com/index.php?styleid=11) is too bright

yellow (http://vbskins.com/forums/?styleid=195) is also too bright

so is orange (http://vbskins.com/forums/?styleid=216)

and green (http://vbskins.com/forums/index.php?styleid=162)

red (http://www.1923turk.org/?styleid=12) stands out way too much

Pink (http://www.forum-lance.com/index.php?styleid=74) is an absolute no-no.

Brown (http://www.forum-lance.com/index.php?styleid=10) looks like....you know....

All-black (http://aha-area.com/forum/index.php?styleid=43) is too dark, and is mostly for video game sites. :)


Does anyone like any of the styles I just linked to? We shouldn't choose some other color just for the sake of not choosing blue.

[Shaun]

I like the light blue and the green one, but I don't think either of those are for us :(. That green one is cool, but would it work for a writing site? I doubt it.

[Alex]

the only good ones on that list are green and red in my opinion, but I dunno, I'm not a fan of blue, thats why I liked that vanilla cola one.

I say we SHOULD pick a color different than blue for the sake of it because it would make us unique ((not the fact that we wouldn't be blue, but the fact that we do it for no reason))

[Rafael Domination]

I dig the black one! :crazy:

[jordanisonfire]

I've fallen in love with the black one. :love:

[Rafael Domination]

I know! :D

It's just SOOOOOOO cool :crazy:

[Carraka]

I think I would like the black one if we had color in our logos and stuff. But then again, there are some people that find black depressing. -glares at world-

Orange and green are both good, but green is better than orange. I don't know if they'd work for YWO, but who knows ...?

[jordanisonfire]

:O Black, depressing? Tis the colour that speaks the most.

[Carraka]

Well, don't argue with me about it. Black is my second-favorite color, and favorite colors don't even mean anything to me, so -- I shouldn't have brought that up.

But black is awesome. Yeah. There's a reason cruori are black, and it's not because they want to camouflage with darkness.

[Alex]

I don't think the black works for this site, and trust me I love black, grey, and brown, but it doesn't fit IMO

[ScottyMcGee]

Are you a racist, sir? :O:O

[Alex]

.... yep scotty, your exactly right *sarcastic*

*sigh* but seriously, the black borders don't work >.<

[Shaun]

I personally have problems with black for a writing website. It makes things a little more difficult to read and it's not really invited for a site that is about writing.

Out of curiosity do you guys like the way the template we currently have is set up? If so, maybe we could just change the colors here or add some things here or there? I like the green one, but again, I think overall it's too dark for us and involves a LOT of reworking the site.

[Rafael Domination]

I actually like the default look. It's simple, yet elegant.

*Scotty...you can call me a loser all you like :P*

[Andy]

I like the modified default look, with the dark blues.

[Alex]

I actually like the default look. It's simple, yet elegant.

*Scotty...you can call me a loser all you like :P*

can I? oooh please, can I!?



oh and Andy, I say we agree to disagree because your the co-founder and therefore outrule me anyway. I have spoken! *dissapears*

[Nyx]

I've fallen in love with the black one. :love:

Same here.


But since as Shaun said, it makes it hard to read, maybe we can try a black and white theme? I think that would loook cool. Or maybe a black and grey theme?

[Carraka]

Nooo not black and gray!

I don't want it to look the same as TW, and I view TW in black and gray. Eh, the reason I said that some people find black depressing is because some people on TW (I forget who) didn't like the black and gray theme.

[Alex]

noooo not black

vanilla cola! =]]

[jordanisonfire]

How do you go to Literature on Vanilla Cola?

[Shaun]

You probably can't, Shadow. Those skins that Andy put up were just to look at and get an idea of what we liked and didn't like. Andy didn't edit them so they would look like YWO and the like and have all the links. That would have been a waste of time on his part if we didn't like any of the ones he'd put up...

[jordanisonfire]

Alrighty, then, thanks.