Hello,
Are you a kickass web designer with ideas about the site's design, or have outstanding CSS skills (cross browser compat is a must!)? We could greatly use your help.
We've been working nonstop on the code for V3, and have this partially finished new layout up and running - but design isn't our #1 specialty and we'd like your help figuring out how to make Anime-Planet's site design the best around.
You can download a PSD package here. Many elements are flattened, but this will give you a good place to start. Included is an anime entry, and one of the home pages. Note that this isn't a call for new THEME IMAGES - we will open up the floor for that later.
If you have ideas on how to make the design better, please mock up the PSDs and either send those or a jpg/png (we may ask for the psd if we decide to use elements) to webmaster [at] anime-planet [dot] com - please email to that address, rather than post about it here.
We probably won't have the time to respond to each submission, but we will definitely look at each one; and if we use your design elements, you'll be credited on the [pending] staff page. If you have the CSS skills to implement what you've done, let us know that too.
Areas we'd like improved / brainstormed:
-new site logo (the current one is temporary). it could incorporate the mascot somehow, or just something plain... we are open to ideas.
-better header/navigation in general (anime, reviews, etc - the top area). "manga" will need to be in there soon also.
-consistent colors. on V2 there were two themed colors (chosen from the theme in question) - one for link color throughout the site, and one for a secondary color (such as the profile panel). right now we have way more than 2, also a gray, also a tan, and it's not entirely consistent. we don't like the light green in the profile panel, also. a neutral color that doesnt change such as tan/gray is fine, but we need a better color plan.
-consistent fonts. like colors, we have too many fonts/sizes throughout the site. the headings in the profile for example ("about me") versus the right side boxes for random anime / recently added anime versus others, are all different. most dont look very header-y and we'd like a more consistent solution. also appreciated would be ideas on how to make better headings for sections period, even if they end up having to be images.
-a better user panel (the upper right). things it needs: a small avatar (doesnt need to be the exact size you see now), a link to the user control panel (right now, "profile"), an optional "admin" link certain users would see, a link to the user's anime list (and maybe manga list). there could be other stuff in the future as well.
-better styles for the boxes with lists - for example on the anime homepage, the recently added anime and random 2008 anime - these look boring; including images might be good, etc.
-overall, better "icing on the cake" type styles that give AP a better look/feel. for example instead of a plain gray box with a bulleted list in it, maybe the borders of boxes should look different, have more fancy headers, maybe horizontal rules should be customized a bit, etc. imagine the current deisgn, and then kick it up a notch!
-i recommend not spending too much time on the user profile - we need to add in a bunch of things there (including a few recent recs with a link to see all, a few reccent reviews, some recent user activity, the top 5 anime, etc). general layout ideas would be appreiated (the ad location is flexible too and can be changed to a diff size) but given how many changes we'll make, try not to do too much right away.
-review entries: right now they are kind of boring, need screenshots or thumbs perhaps, better headings for the sections (story, etc). here's an example review. the synopsis box on the right also looks bad, the bottom needs something to tie it together, etc.
-recent user activity needs to look nicer, but some of the things above (better overall styles/boxes, better fonts/headers, etc) might help with that.
-need a good layout for the profile edit, register page
as you can see there's a lot of stuff we'd like to upgrade. if you can help out, we'd appreciate it! you can give suggestions on any other pages as well. please don't submit written explanations of ideas - images only.
thanks again!
Are you a kickass web designer with ideas about the site's design, or have outstanding CSS skills (cross browser compat is a must!)? We could greatly use your help.
We've been working nonstop on the code for V3, and have this partially finished new layout up and running - but design isn't our #1 specialty and we'd like your help figuring out how to make Anime-Planet's site design the best around.
You can download a PSD package here. Many elements are flattened, but this will give you a good place to start. Included is an anime entry, and one of the home pages. Note that this isn't a call for new THEME IMAGES - we will open up the floor for that later.
If you have ideas on how to make the design better, please mock up the PSDs and either send those or a jpg/png (we may ask for the psd if we decide to use elements) to webmaster [at] anime-planet [dot] com - please email to that address, rather than post about it here.
We probably won't have the time to respond to each submission, but we will definitely look at each one; and if we use your design elements, you'll be credited on the [pending] staff page. If you have the CSS skills to implement what you've done, let us know that too.
Areas we'd like improved / brainstormed:
-new site logo (the current one is temporary). it could incorporate the mascot somehow, or just something plain... we are open to ideas.
-better header/navigation in general (anime, reviews, etc - the top area). "manga" will need to be in there soon also.
-consistent colors. on V2 there were two themed colors (chosen from the theme in question) - one for link color throughout the site, and one for a secondary color (such as the profile panel). right now we have way more than 2, also a gray, also a tan, and it's not entirely consistent. we don't like the light green in the profile panel, also. a neutral color that doesnt change such as tan/gray is fine, but we need a better color plan.
-consistent fonts. like colors, we have too many fonts/sizes throughout the site. the headings in the profile for example ("about me") versus the right side boxes for random anime / recently added anime versus others, are all different. most dont look very header-y and we'd like a more consistent solution. also appreciated would be ideas on how to make better headings for sections period, even if they end up having to be images.
-a better user panel (the upper right). things it needs: a small avatar (doesnt need to be the exact size you see now), a link to the user control panel (right now, "profile"), an optional "admin" link certain users would see, a link to the user's anime list (and maybe manga list). there could be other stuff in the future as well.
-better styles for the boxes with lists - for example on the anime homepage, the recently added anime and random 2008 anime - these look boring; including images might be good, etc.
-overall, better "icing on the cake" type styles that give AP a better look/feel. for example instead of a plain gray box with a bulleted list in it, maybe the borders of boxes should look different, have more fancy headers, maybe horizontal rules should be customized a bit, etc. imagine the current deisgn, and then kick it up a notch!
-i recommend not spending too much time on the user profile - we need to add in a bunch of things there (including a few recent recs with a link to see all, a few reccent reviews, some recent user activity, the top 5 anime, etc). general layout ideas would be appreiated (the ad location is flexible too and can be changed to a diff size) but given how many changes we'll make, try not to do too much right away.
-review entries: right now they are kind of boring, need screenshots or thumbs perhaps, better headings for the sections (story, etc). here's an example review. the synopsis box on the right also looks bad, the bottom needs something to tie it together, etc.
-recent user activity needs to look nicer, but some of the things above (better overall styles/boxes, better fonts/headers, etc) might help with that.
-need a good layout for the profile edit, register page
as you can see there's a lot of stuff we'd like to upgrade. if you can help out, we'd appreciate it! you can give suggestions on any other pages as well. please don't submit written explanations of ideas - images only.
thanks again!
