We’ve finally gotten around to launching the newest version of this website. It’s about nine years old, and I think this is version 4.0. There are still plenty of bugs to squash (and the Jobs section is going to be ‘coming soon’ for a while), but all the basics are in. I also need to think about what the best stuff to include in the sidebars of the site is. I welcome any suggestions on that front.
I didn’t have a lot of grand plans for the redesign. Mostly I just was tired of the old design, and thought it was high time for a new one. Plus, I wanted to broaden the main column space a bit, make the site widget-ready, implement threaded comments, get all the static pages into WordPress and tweak sundry other bits and pieces.
One Mashed-Up Header
I am particularly pleased about the way the header graphic came together. Regular readers may recall that, back in March, I ran a competition on Pixish (now defunct, sadly) to get a new header graphic designed. It looked like this:
That was designed by a guy named Sam, who lived in Brighton. It combined a photo that Roland took of a film lot directional sign (that really said ‘DB’–no Photoshopping required) with a photo of me that Phillip took at BarCamp.
I handed the header graphic to Tzaddi, who tweaked it and built out the rest of the site’s aesthetic. In early previews of the site, people weren’t keen on that photo, so we replaced it with one that Scott Beale took at Gnomedex.
The header is the happy result of an ad hoc collaboration between five people and powered by Creative Commons. Plus sixty4media did the installation and upgrading of WordPress, so I suppose that’s seven people.
Feedback Welcome
I welcome any and all feedback. I’m pretty happy with the aesthetics at this stage, but I’m open to suggestions. If you spot anything that’s funky aside from the obvious, feel free to leave a comment. And do let me know if you have an opinion on what belongs in a site’s sidebars.
Just a quick post to close ye olde loop on that poll I ran before I changed continents. Here’s a pretty pie chart showing the results (as always, click for a larger version):
There was a pretty even three-way split. Cityscape Blue has a slight edge over Yellow and Waving and Brown with Many Signs. There was another late submission, which is probably the most creative and original of the bunch:
What Do I Think?
I haven’t had a lot of time to dwell on them, but I think I prefer either Yellow and Waving or Brown with Many Signs. Cityscape Blue feels a bit generic, and besides, I won’t be living in Vancouver for the next little while, anyway.
I also liked the cleverness of the first late submission, and admire the creativity and detail work in the above submission. It may be a little too busy for my site (and I’m not nuts about how my portrait looks), but I think the treatment is gorgeous. It’s by an artist named Celeste Cronrath, and I’d definitely use her for other work that needed a similar aesthetic. Does anybody else dig this latest effort?
I’m going to let them marinate for a few days, and solicit a few more opinions before making a final call.
Way To Go, Pixish
You may recall that I used a new service called Pixish for this project. I have some minor technical and workflow complaints (and boy do they need documentation), but I’ve been really impressed with the artwork this project has generated. I wouldn’t call it world-class, but most of it is average, and some is quite thoughtful and original. I’d definitely use Pixish again if the right project came along.
Regular readers will recall that a couple of weeks ago I submitted an assignment to Pixish, a new get-stuff-designed site. I was looking for source art for the next version of this site, combining any CC-licensed photo of me and this film industry sign.
The assignment closes today, and I’ve got a decent bounty of riches to choose from. Or rather, we do, because I’d like your opinion about which one you like best. Here’s a poll, where you can vote on your favourite. The question, basically, is which image best suits me and this site? Remember that these are source images–they’ll certainly be tweaked and cropped by a web designer.
Find small versions of the images below. You can click them to see larger ones, or check out this Flickr slideshow.
You can also vote on Pixish, but you have to register and, besides, it’s unclear to me how the voting works. I’ve submitted a support query for clarification.
Disclaimer: I reserve the right to reject popular opinion. I have a favourite, but I’d like to hear what yours is.
UPDATE: I received a last minute sixth submission. I can’t modify the poll, so you’ll just have to comment if you like this one best:
Pixish is a new site where you can create image contests. Artists will find assignments from people who need visual art for all kinds of projects. Each Assignment will have different requirements and rewards. If one inspires you, you can submit. The Pixish community can then vote up the best submissions. In the end, the Publisher who started the Assignment will choose a winner and give out any listed rewards.
I’m looking for source art. It’ll be used in creating a new blog header, and as inspiration for the site’s new colour scheme and other design elements. I’ve got a web designer who will build a template based on your work. You don’t have to meet exactly parameters in terms of pixel size.
I’d like the image to integrate two elements:
A movie set sign with my initials (”DB”). You can see a photo of such a sign here. These movie set signs are ubiquitous in my home town of Vancouver.
You can combine these two elements as you see fit.
As a ‘reward’, I’m offering:
I’ll pay CAN $200 (US $198.63) and include a permanent link to your portfolio on my About page. I’ve referred work on several occasions based on queries about my current site’s design.
