Graffic Deezine

[Otaku]

***For those wondering, this was the thread sitting in the new THE NINJA forum. I wanted to make sure the artist was okay having links posted to his work before I posted it in the open forum.***

@Peet & Richard_Benoit: You both seem to have a solid background in graphic design, and you have both expressed a desire to take a more active role in helping out make the forum/site more aesthetically pleasing. Therefore, I created this thread so we can throw around ideas about various banners, buttons, etc until we are all flowing in the same direction and come up with some awesome ideas to make the both places (site/forum) a much more inviting and professional-looking place to visit.

To bring you both up-to-speed, Peet already has a jumpstart on creating some new banner ideas for the main Englipedia banner. The following is what he has come up with so far:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/431411/test1banner-home.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/431411/test1banner-forum.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/431411/test2banner-home.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/431411/illustrator-screengrab.png


The imagary of the forum/site is very important to me. Since starting Englipedia, I've always wanted to have an incredible resource for teachers, but I also wanted to make it appealing, professional-looking, and easy-on-the-eyes...kinda how Window 95 revamped our ideas of how a computer is used.

That's where the graphics come into play. I knew jackshit about art programs when I started the site. It's all been a trial-by-error. Up to now, I've done all the graphics myself. As you can see, it's an alright job, but I'm guessing you two can take the graphics on the site/forum to the next level?

Englipedia and its forum is my baby, but I'm man enough to yield to peeps who have more experience in the field.

Finally, if other people want to weigh-in with their 2-cents, feel free...

Let's kicking around ideas!

[Otaku]

In regards to colors used, keep in mind the forum is made up of shades of blue/yellow.

Also, the main navigation bar on the Englipedia website has the same light blue color.

Peet, I think your designs are off to a good start. I like how it's simple with a limited range of colors.

Also, I also like your idea of having the main banner on the site and the small little link-back button on the forum match. Consistency, I like it!

I'll contribute some more ideas. Give me awhile...

[Richard_BenoitEnglipedia Drone]

I think look is equally important as ideology or philosphy. What does Englipedia stand for, and how can we incorporate that into a new logo while maintaining elements from the old logo.

A basic example. I think the site is very free liberal. I don't feel the boarder so much around the logo so.... cramped (like the second example in this link :
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/431411/illustrator-screengrab.png )

I like the font from the third example in the same link. The site is clear, simple, sophisticated, and most importantly ENGLISH focused. So this font is simple while still maintaining some ye ol' English feel.

Color consistancy and justification also pretty important.......... Or one can simply go with what looks good.

Finally the site is AN IDEA share site, it thrives on good ideas. Good ideas are the fuel or sould food for this site so the lightbulb would be going nowhere if I had a say.

All in all much respect for peet and otaku

[Richard_BenoitEnglipedia Drone]

On a second note for the icons in the forum Otaku, I rather like the icons for the school forums. They are simple, kinda cartoony and decent quality. The other ones, with exception to the grave (fairly new) are showing their age. But then again for the joke section I think the home grown bubble boy is cool... but again old looking. I guess this is something I can kick around in my free time. (more the drawing type)

[Otaku]

Ideology for Englipedia is simple, create a huge resource for English teachers in Japan but present the wealth of information in a way that our grandmothers could understand. Richard, you are also correct in how you view the site.

I would really like to keep the lightbulb because it has important significance to me. When Englipedia was basically still an idea in my head, I asked an ALT I knew who had mad drawing skillz to come up with a logo for Englipedia. Over the years, the logo has always changed but the lightbulb has always been carried through to the new logo. It's my way of not forgetting the roots of where Englipedia came from. It's my way of saying thanks to one person who helped me out at a time when people all around me were making fun of the Englipedia idea saying it was stupid and while other people plain out refused to help me make this idea a reality. His dedication and committment to come up with a logo for me in the face of people around me left me with a tear in my eye.

Hence, the catchphrase for the site: "Givin' a little, gainin' a lot".

Gotta go to class...

[Otaku]

On a second note for the icons in the forum Otaku, I rather like the icons for the school forums. They are simple, kinda cartoony and decent quality. The other ones, with exception to the grave (fairly new) are showing their age. But then again for the joke section I think the home grown bubble boy is cool... but again old looking. I guess this is something I can kick around in my free time. (more the drawing type)

I updated the Joke Forum. You wanna be in charge of updating the rest?

[Richard_BenoitEnglipedia Drone]

Sure I will see what I can do! Question before I start anything, who's creation is bubble boy? I am sure copyrights aren't a problem but I wouldn't want to offend it's creator by reproducing it. Or drawing it myself.

[Otaku]

I created the name. Purdue University created the character. It was a royality-free project their Japanese department did many years ago.

When I started using Bubble Boy, I actually contacted the professor who organized the project to tell him that I was going to use the character on Englipedia. He gave me his blessing at that time.

Reproduce away!

[Richard_BenoitEnglipedia Drone]

Wow, he has a much cooler origin then I could have ever imagined.

[Otaku]

Have you not figured out yet, "cool" is the only way I roll...

While we're talking graphics, what do you peeps think about the character ranking system on the forum? Got ideas to make it better?

[sonofobed]

Yeah, more hot babes! Lol.

Seriously though, my fav character is the guy in the Kendo get-up.

[Otaku]

Then, my friend, you should never post again and you'll always keep your favorite character...

[sonofobed]

Well, he has already gone by. The thought did cross my mind though.

[moolooman]

How about a different girl from the Tokyo Hooters photo. Bit of cut and paste.

[Otaku]

How about a different girl from the Tokyo Hooters photo. Bit of cut and paste.

...and what would all the women surfing this forum think about that idea? Equality, right? There is no way I want a Chip-n-Dale dude posted to my name!

[Otaku]

Throw a couple of shots of the Hoff in there and you should be fine.
http://www.pollsb.com/photos/o/9303-shame_hoff.jpg

[peet]

Hey, I just wanted to pop in and say any more input from non-designers is also welcome.

I offered to help w/ banners and logos, but I've really only been using the site less than a year, and have not dug too deep into the site (just scrambling for JHS worksheets whenever I need them). So it's really helpful for me to hear you, Otaku, (or others too) give more background/context on the existing design or the site in general.

Based on Richard B & Otaku's comments, I'll see if I can't get some 2nd draft logo/banners up shortly. If anyone else wants to take a crack at putting alternates up - the more the merrier

[Paul]

Anything is better than Hasselhoff , and I dont care if I spelled his name right either!

[Otaku]

Sorry, Moolooman. I changed your Hoff image to a URL link. I hated scrolling down and seeing my childhood hero with his jacket open and chest hair blowin' in the wind...

What, are you trying to tramuatize my childhood?




Also, like Peet requested, whether you have experience or not, good/bad FEEDBACK is greatly appreciated to the graphic creations in this thread.

[jessen100]

Feedback....mostly negative....
hopefully constructive

the one with the border is without questiont the best concept of the presented logos.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/431411/illustrator-screengrab.png

note the word "concept". I really dislike the color scheme, but i could be biased, since i really dislike orange. however thats beside the point, as it is clearly the worst color. it really doesnt look appealing with the blue either. too opposite, i can imagine you wanting to bring out the brightness of the light with the color scheme, but its not working if thats what you were going for.

a little bit of outline work, coloring and slight spacing** changes would make that a good logo i think. also some light shining out of the lightbulb would be nice too, perhaps incorporated into the border. i think the matal part of the bulb should be a different color than the glass outline of the rest as well.
But of course you dont want to overcomplicate it.

** i think this is why richard suggested it is cramped.

but if you want a good logo without a border, start over.

*edited once i realized my zoom fails which made quality look bad*

[Richard_BenoitEnglipedia Drone]

cramped...philosophically

[jessen100]

yea, i know what you meant...

its not like english doesnt have any rules or framework.
its also, by a longshot, as a logo, the best one.

[Otaku]

Jessen, I'm still scratching my head wondering if you were just joking around about hating the color orange. I mean, your avatar is almost all orange...

That being said, you raise a lot of good points. :)

[jessen100]

Jessen, I'm still scratching my head wondering if you were just joking around about hating the color orange. I mean, your avatar is almost all orange...

not joking,
but that is pretty funny that you mention it. it might appear orange, but its actually yellow.
theres some orange in there with the mix of red-that became orange.
although my dislike for orange is true, its inevitable for some things such as the sun/fire.

and while its unimportant, i feel it necessary to point out, that no orange posca was used in the making of that sun.

[peet]

Thanks for the input Jessen. I actually did do a version with light rays coming out of the bulb which were connected to the border (like you suggested), but it would have taken a bit more work to make it look good, and since I'm not committed to any of the designs yet (just drafted up some quickies for discussion re: fonts, colors, etc), I deleted that one. Also, I'm leaning toward a borderless logo, anyways..

Thanks for comments re: spacing/kerning. Haven't gotten that far yet, as I was still looking at general font styles (serif/sans/handwritten).. I'll keep your comments in mind for round 2!

Also- any opinions about a logo lightbulb style? Mine was simplified to less detail because I thought it would scale to various sizes easier (icons, business cards) than a more illustrated/cartoony version. This is a general safe way to go for logos, but maybe logo scalability is a non-issue for a site like this.?..

[jessen100]

well if you are going non border, then this is arbitrarym but i was thinking that rather than put the light rays in the border, make the border be spread outward as if they were pushed away into the shape of the light rays. if that makes sense.

try not depend too much on fonts, or it will just look like a regular word sitting there, rather than something to represent the site. i find that none are ever good enough anyways, but maybe if you use individual letters and space them appropriately with an editor, you can get something nice.
i think a lot of them lack good contrast, they look bland...i guess.

[Otaku]

Scalability is nice because you can easily blow-up/shrink whatever image you're working with. It's nice, but not a requirement. It would be cool if it was scalable but don't let that confine your ideas.

Also, thinking about it, I don't like the 'lighthouse' banner. It's too close to an English dictionary company's design here in Japan that can be found in a lot of JHS schools.

Like Jessen said, I don't like the color scheme either, which is kinda bad to say when I don't have suggestions. One thing to keep in mind though, light colors make people happy but darker colors bring a level of authority. Is that something people would agree with? Maybe use a dark AND light color?

Regarding fonts, when I've been stumped in the past, I often visited http://cooltext.com/ It almost always sparked some ideas.

Also, about the forum's banner & linkback button, as you can probably tell from the current layout, via forum software, the banner is laid down and the linkback button is placed on top of the banner. Don't know why I tell you this other than to keep it in mind.

Finally, in my next post, I'll throw a lot of different looks at you that I've worked up in the past. Hopefully that will spark ideas...

[Richard_BenoitEnglipedia Drone]

Hey peet, paying more attention to your lightbulb, I really like it! The actual lightbulb detail or lack there of is effective and cool.

One thing I do like about the classic design above are the blast lines coming from the lightbulb.

[Otaku]

some looks...

[Otaku]

more looks...