New AGS website design competition

[Pumaman]

After some discussions in this thread, we decided it was about time for a new look AGS website.

So, this is a competition to design the new layout. If you're interested, please post a screenshot of your design for:
(a) the main web page, and
(b) a secondary web page, such as the Features or Download page.
in this thread.
Ideally, the design should be easily adaptable to be applied to the forums (ie. it should look good with any side navigation bars stripped away).

The design must work at 1024x768, and ideally work at 800x600 as well.

If you win, then we'll be asking for the HTML, CSS and any other applicable files in order to convert the site over to the new design, and by entering the competition you are authorizing your design to be used across the AGS Website and Forums wherever we see fit.

The competition closes at 21:00 BST on Sunday 12th August.

Have fun! 

[deadsuperhero]

Question: Does it have to be an actual html layout, or can it be a concept mockup?

[Pumaman]

As I said, please post a screenshot for now, but if you win then we'll expect you to provide a real HTML version of it that we can use.

[edmundito]

Is there going to be an absolute winner of the competition? Because I'd like to enter more layout designs and stuff than the actual look of the site itself...

[Pumaman]

I'm sure we can merge any useful layout suggestions into a winning design.

[TheDude]

Damn, wish I had seen this earlier.

[Darth Mandarb]

I am still working on a design ...

As nobody else has brought anything forward, we should probably extend the dead-line a bit!

[InCreator]

My tiny suggestions & crits:

* Striped background, even though it's professional-looking and simple, is way too overused and... boring.
And it's gray! Can't think of better combination of making something boring as hell.

* Infamous rotating banner project didn't work out, or so it seems. Current banners are, well -- crappy. We have so much good-looking games, in production and completed too... why does this heavily pixelated dog has to cover most of the banner I don't know. Why is Ben Jordan facing away from the banner?
Not that it's very bad, but isn't very attractive neither. I don't think that anything scaled up should be on banner. Instead, we should pick screens from games with high amount of detail and use those. Like maniac mansion screenie on second banner...  Also, screens from most-famous and -awarded AGS games would maybe work better for a banner, since advertising works better this way and that's what banners were invented for. I bet many people know Ben Jordan, Apprentice, etc games (because of general publicity (see AGS in media) and oldware/indie communities), but don't know AGS yet. Seeing these loved ones could bring them to engine instantly. Also, show AGS power overall to anyone other coming to site. AGS should claim some fame from these games... Point was: To use decent screenies (not rushed ones) and famous games.

* "Resources" title should be changed to "Getting started". If I'm looking at a website of a new game engine, "getting started" is what my eyes seek. "Resources" doesn't say much.
OR, "tutorials" actually leads to faqs, help, tutorials (duh) and so on. Maybe even leave "resources" intact but change "tutorials" instead into "getting started"

* Do we really need world map and member's websites? Both are quite expired parts of the site.

* Bug? "Tutorials" and "Downloads" are exactly the same link.

[LimpingFish]

I have a suggestion:

No games in the banners. We have a game database with screenshots, and in my opinion the banners we have at the moment don't offer anything useful by having the screenshots in them. Better to rework the Pick of the Month feature into a "Random Game" type deal, such as the one on Adventure Developers. You could even limit what games are shown, using the games rating, so that only recognizably good games would feature.

[Radiant]

Better to rework the Pick of the Month feature into a "Random Game" type deal,

I second that. Once the rating panel is done, randomly show any four- or five-star game from the database.

[LimpingFish]

A new banner mock-up to try out...



...for people to incorporate it into any of their prototype designs, if they wish.

[Ghost]

* Do we really need world map and member's websites? Both are quite expired parts of the site.

I agree that the worldmap isn't exactly useful, and more of a little widget. But I actually use the "member websites" section a lot, since many users have additional information about their projects, AGS and general game design. I don't mind admitting that I'd miss it a lot. Okay- most members link to their sites in their signature, but as a newcomer, I think a complete, seperate list is more attractive and accessible.
It could use some updating, though, as well as some tutorial/resources links, since many a link leads to pages that no longer exist. I don't know if it's possible to have a check made automatically if a site exists, and update accordingly, but if this can be done without too much effort, just do it!

[Pumaman]

I am still working on a design ...

As nobody else has brought anything forward, we should probably extend the dead-line a bit!

Is anybody else working on a design? If not, then we'd may as well just close this thread and continue discussion in the thread in the Adventure Talk & Chat forum.

[Domino]

I am looking forward to Darth's new site design. This thread has been dead for awhile unfortunately.

Lock this one.

[edmundito]

As I mentioned I'm just working on internal pages.... not the design. I'm basically making layouts that would fit with the overall look that someone else does.

---

Also, I'm going to be out of the house today, but my stuff is almost done! so I might miss the deadline by a couple of hours, if that's not a problem... but they'll be in by 21:00 American pacific time, k?

[Pumaman]

Ok, I'd may as well lock this.

Continue any discussion in this thread:
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=31771.0