$200 Design Competition – One Simple Page (Guaranteed Payment)

Total Prize: $200
Design: One page (Layered PSD – Not Coded)
Page: Main-page for a Directory section (that is only a small part of a larger site)
Contest End: Tuesday 14th September at 18:00 GMT
Payment: Paid via Paypal
Important Note: I always pay – even if I don’t get what I want – look at the 20+ previous contests I’ve run.
Design Note: I have put some possible instructions for designers to follow below – but I’m not set on anything – basically try anything and everything – I want a directory main page that rocks.
Entries: Do NOT PM me your entries – Please post ALL entries on this thread.


Description:

I am looking to have a design put together for the homepage of a directory I’m having built for part of my energy and finance site www.oilprice.com (Just design NOT Coded)

(The directory is a part of the site – so it is not the MAIN homepage – I am just looking for the main page of the Directory section.)

The directory homepage must look very neat and professional – it’s a serious audience – so design is very important.
It must fit in with the rest of the site and not be garish or tasteless – and it certainly shouldn’t look like the free directories that litter the landscape.

I have seen quite a few nice ones out there and I shall run through the ones I like and the parts of them I think work well. But you guys will have to put the jigsaw together.

The design will need to showcase how good this directory is and also allow people to easily navigate through the categories.
It should appeal to both people visiting the site and also companies who will be listing in it.
The price for listing is very steep – so a great design is essential.

I would like the design to have the standard 3 column structure – so narrow left and right hand side and wide middle - http://www.subsea.org/ - but it will need to be wider than subsea.

The 3 directories I like the look of are:

http://www.subsea.org/
http://goliath.ecnext.com/
http://www.business.com/

The problem is that none of them are perfect – but you can certainly take bits off each and put something together.

I am going to put some ideas down below – they may help or they may not – I may in the end go with something completely different so please do try other things than what I have listed below. It is just a possible direction.

Header

At the top of the site I would like the following:
OilPrice.com Business Directory
This should be in a similar position to the title on: http://www.subsea.org/
I also quite like the search function they have as well over to the right hand side. (but I would like something a bit better.)

Underneath Header

If you take a look at www.business.com – I quite like how they have their big box in the middle – if you could substitute their words for the following:

Find Products, Services & Solutions in the Energy, Commodities, Finance and Alternative Energy Sectors.

(if you hover over the tabs that say research solutions and purchase solutions – their layout is quite nice)

Goliath also has a nice part for the top section: http://goliath.ecnext.com/

Left hand section

As for the left hand side I do like http://www.subsea.org/ and also http://goliath.ecnext.com/ - both are professional looking and maybe you could take a little something from both.

If you could also use headings similar to the below on the left hand side:

Directory Home:

Companies
By Categories
By A-Z
By Country
List Your Company
Why List your Company

Oil & Gas
Commodities
Alternative Energy
Environment
Finance/Investing
Employment


Right hand side:

Possibly have a 160x600 space with listings of some companies – maybe it could be sales benefits – I’m open to ideas here – but I think a width of 160 would be best.
I would like something here about why listing with us above the 160x600 block – something that stands out but isn’t garish – so a list with us and why list with us.

The Middle:

This will need the various categories laid out – but they must look very good – not lime these awful SEO directories or DMOZ – it is for professional business listings – so something nice is essential. ( I have just laid them out in a very simple format – you will need to make them look much nicer.

The categories are:

Oil & Gas
Oil & Gas Companies
Drilling Companies
Offshore Companies
Offshore Services
Exploration Companies
Heating Oil Suppliers
Employment
Petroleum products
More….

Commodities
Coal
Uranium
Gold
Silver
Platinum
Aluminium
Copper
Minerals
More….

Alternative Energy
Biodiesel
Fuel Cells
Geothermal Energy
Solar Energy
Steam Power
Tidal Energy
Wind Energy
Electric Cars
More…..

Environment
Carbon Offsetting
Environmental consulting
Waste Removal
Oil Spill
Recycling
Sustainability
Global Warming
Innovation
More….

Finance/Investing
Investing
Wealth management
Opportunities
Wanted
Trading
Forex
Investment Advice
News
More…..

Employment
Oil & Gas
Commodities
Alternative Energy
Environment
General
More…..

Beneath that – it’s anyone’s game – so please feel free to try things out.

As I mentioned above – all I have listed here are potential ideas – Please try something completely different by all means. But i'm not looking for simplistic designs.

I look forward to seeing your entries.

 

Great brief, will join this for sure.

 

will def have a go at this!

 

here is my try!



preview:
http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/2694/oilprice.jpg


Hope you like it!


MSN:
Portfolio: www.adwaitk007.info

Regards,
Adwaitk007

 

Probably will enter.

 

here's my try.. any feedback appreciated

 

Hi - Thanks for the entries so far - here is some feedback.

adwaitk007 - Thankyou for the design - sadly it's really not the sort of thing i'm looking for - it is far too basic. I'm looking for something professional that stands out and makes companies want to list and people to visit.

stellah57 - This is quite nice - it's professional looking but it does need quite a bit of work. I'm not too keen on the top part - it really does need to be a lot stronfer - This is our main sales tool - so we need to use it wisely. Also on the left hand side - the various sections don't stand out and we will need them to.

Still plenty of time left - Come on designers - get your designs in

 

here you go

here is the link..
http://i52.tinypic.com/15gtoj9.png

 

Here's my revision... feedback appreciated..

 

my entry

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk305/bizzard/OilPriceDirectory.jpg

 

Hello CH,
This isn't 100% finished, because i want to know if you like the overall look of it. Just let me know so I can finish it all and get it done.



Full size : http://up203.siz.co.il/up2/5nohw3munmti.jpg

Feedback appriciated.

 

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT - This competition has been extended until Thursday - so designers you have another 48 hours

Here's some feedback:

Hi – here’s some more feedback:

Stellah57 – I like the central part with the sections – but the rest really isn’t working for me – it just doesn’t stand out enough and it just feels far too friendly and not businesslike enough.

Bizzard – This is interesting – but the top picture takes up way too much room – I need to be selling in this space – also the Logo only needs to take up a little space – please do read the design instructions above – it will help immensely with your design. I do quite like the central part though – but you do need to do more work on the right and left hand sides.

NightVisioN – This is quite good – The design does not need a navigation bar at the top so please remove that. Also the top logo takes up way too much room – please read the spec ideas above for this. Also a better positioned and more attractive search bar would be good. You are on the right track – but I’m afraid it still needs a lot of work.

Another reminder – this contest has now been extended until Thursday – so get your designs in.

 

wait my entry.....

 

No feedbacks on my design.......

 

perfectblue - sorry my mistake - here is your feedback:
This is quite a nice design - but i would like to see an actual picture we could put at the top - something that is professional fresh and clean as the current one you have there puts me off.
The centre is pretty good - the right hand side needs to have two boxes, above the large ad about why you should lict your company with us.
The left side could aleo be jazzed up a bit as well.
The logo at the top also needs a bit of work as this is just a page within a site.

 

Here goes my entry,

Great contest here.

Full Size: http://i54.tinypic.com/e9u83r.jpg





Please do let me know what I can do to make it better.



G'day,
Akhil

 

click here to see full : http://i55.tinypic.com/2rnvdkl.jpg


BHODU

 

thanks for the invitation

here is my design

http://i51.tinypic.com/23u51mu.jpg

feedback appreciated

vineet

 

thanks for inviting,
here is mine

 

revision

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk305/bizzard/OilPriceDirectory-1.jpg