Hi I opened a contest a few days ago but people seemed to be struggling for ideas. I had lots of PM''s but only one entry, at least to date, so I decided to open a new contest and be more specific and increase the price slightly. I want to completely redesign my website and need a graphic for the top of the page, NOT a banner of logo or header but a full graphic. Another reason I decided to open a new contest was someone in PM stated that they think I need an Illustrator Artist (or the like) and I think that is likely true, because as I say I don't just want a banner type header or something using a photo, I want a full actual graphic. I will try to give as much detail as I can, but please don't use my current site as reference because I am completely resigning it and want something completely different. Site name is LM Lakeland Design I am a female web designer, living in the UK Lake District. The graphic on the page will be approx 1000px wide, but I would like it designed larger, so if I decide I need it larger later I have the option, so if you can design it at say 2000px, that would be great. I want the graphic to be the main focus or the site, therefore I will redesign the site around this graphic. I can understand why some people found it hard to come up with ideas, because by site name doesn't really have anything obvious you can pull out an focus on, if I had to put in a sentence what I want it to reflect, it would be that I am a creative person (designer) and that I like in the lake district (lake is the obvious one, or water). One thought that came to mine is "a woman painting next to a lake", just an idea. The new contest will be open for 48 hours after which time I will access it to see if there is enough interest, if not I will have to close it and look at other options. I don't want to waste anyones time therefore I must repeat it is a full graphic I want, not a banner type header. I want it to really pop off the page and have great impact. I would also like my site name to be incorporated as part of the graphic rather than just look like it's placed on afterwards. I would need the actual layered file so that I can edit it later. If I find a winner I will make payment via PayPal, I also need confirmation that I own copyright to the final work. Look forward to your entries Dee
Well no entries in this one either Can I just ask for some feedback, why do you think there are no entries? Is what I am requesting that difficult? I though giving out the idea of a woman painting by a lake (or something similar), would really help peeps. Would really appreciate someone letting me know. Dee
What is the height of the graphic? what is the style you want? young, retro, classic, girly? Do you accept illustrator file?
Well I didn't enter a specific height because I think the height really depends on the design but I would say approx on page 300px, but I would like it designed at a higher resolution so I have different options in the future. Yes that format will be fine. Well I don't want something retro, or too young, so I would say a combination of classic and girly, but not overly girly, it has to appeal to both men and women. I don't want a guy visiting the site and thinking it's way too girly. Someone said to me that the reason for no entries so far is that maybe people want to enter but aren't because it's a contest and it's a lot of work with no guarantees. I understand this. So if you would like to enter without putting in loads of work initially a mock up/drawing would be one way, I will give feedback to each entry, so if they are not what I am looking for you haven't wasted a lot of time, just an idea. Thanks Dee
Hey Dee, finding 3-4 illustrations you like with the drawing style and quality you expect and posting them here as examples will greatly increase the chance of more people entering the contest. It will also help a lot to those who already started working on an entry. This way is much easier since one picture can replace 100 words you will write on explaining what exactly you want A lot of us have entered contests with submitting very detailed final products, which end up being wasted because CH decides to just stop answering or he just says he doesn't like any of them, so it won't be a problem for most of us to submit even a final graphic instead of a mockup, provided we can visually see what exactly is expected of us You can see most of the different vector-based illustration styles I'm talking about here: http://vector.tutsplus.com/articles/inspiration/50-insanely-good-vector-based-web-designs/ Cheers!
Yes I think so, maybe you better hire someone for this since it will take a lot of work in the graphic details.
Sparkle92, thank you for taking the time to give your input, much appreciated. Well I found a couple of websites I like http://pralinenschachtel.de/ http://eanka.com/ (this one is my fav of the two), I really like the light/bright colours too. Okay so due to the lack on entries I have had to have a rethink and will just put out there what I see in my head, it's not a case of I must have this, I'm open to ideas, but my lack of detail seemed to be deterring people so maybe this will help. As I said I really like both examples but number two is my favourite, so I see something like that (but obviously unique) but with a women/character sitting on a bench with a laptop, then behind the bench maybe a tree with some butterflies. The size would obviously be different from my initial brief, the same as the second example would be great. Now I just hope I haven't put people off further by being too detailed
Blonde and in a ponytail works best I feel in that type of graphic, I know it's not mean't to look like me but I do have blond highlights and wear up 99% of the time. Well I would say quite casual would work best. Thanks Dee
Hi Sparkle92 That is a big improvement, and the best so far but it's still not quite there yet. The brief I gave was just one idea, and seeing it in action, I'm thinking maybe i should be thinking less is more. I'll give feedback: Fells/lake/tree look more like shapes, I do like the concept but would like them to be much more realistic looking ( I don't mean photo realistic) maybe just more definition and more of a "pop" Either that or go much softer like my example site (http://eanka.com), I can't put my finger on what it is I like about it, I just think it all blends together seamlessly and looks really professional). I want the girl/woman illustration to be the main focus of the design, I think that is what appeals to me about that site, the girl is the main focus and the background doesn't compete. Logo - I really like how you have incorporated it as part of the design, which is what I want, but I'm not too keep on the wood background. Tree if I had taken a photo similar to that I would have cropped it so that the tree would be framing the photo on the left with no gap on the left, so basically the tree would have the left branch removed and the bench would be further over. You wouldn't be able to see any of the background on the left of the photo. Maybe a sun could be added to the design too I think that would be a good addition. This design is going in the right direction, but as I mentioned above I really don't want the background to distract from the woman illustration. Thanks Dee PS I would love to see more entries, but I would urge people to look at the example sites background,
Update Please Read Before Entering: I have had some good entries but feel it is going a bit off course and I really feel I am struggling to get across what I want, so I would like to suggest to anyone who is considering entering or doing a revision they really look at the example site as that is the type of thing I want. The quality of the character is great, as is the background, I like everything about it, so my own version of that is really what I want. I indicated I was open to suggestions and if someone has a design that they think surpasses that site then great but I just think unless I rein in back in and am clear about what I want I am not going to get it and people will have wasted there time, which isn't what I want. My initial idea was meant to be just that one idea, but it now seems all the entries are going down the same route and bypassing the site I used as an example, but if you are in the middle of a design already based on that idea then I'm not going to ask you to redo it, I may well love it, so please let me see it, but for anyone who hasn't started their design yet or who maybe plans on entering a revision, then I would ask you to please look at the example site. Thanks Dee
Anyone working on entries? if so please let me know, so I know whether to leave the contest open or not. Thanks dee