Graphic Design Contests

**vitalfinds** · 05-04-2005, 11:06 AM

Hello All,

(I just registered just now and have read the rules, but please let me know if I've gone astray in any way.)

I'm pretty happy with the look in the body of my web site, but I am in need of a new look for my Navigation Bar and Header at www.vitalfinds.com

So, I'm requesting some ideas for a new header and navigation bar - which I'm guessing could be accomplished by changing the background color/texture. I'm clueless as to ideas and what the reward should be. I can offer $50 and and/or link, but if I'm way off on the amount of work required, then please let me know. Blunt talk is good!

Thanks!

**tumeveux** · 05-04-2005, 04:36 PM

**vitalfinds** · 05-04-2005, 06:46 PM

Hello tumeveux

I really don't think I need to start from the ground up. I think that I just need the Nav Bar & Header fluffed up a bit.

Thanks,
Laurie

**nac** · 05-04-2005, 06:54 PM

Hi, welcome to the forums btw

I have some question for this contest..

- Remain backgroundcolour ?
- what size ?
- payment via paypal ?

thx

**vitalfinds** · 05-04-2005, 07:27 PM

- Remain backgroundcolour ?

It can stay that color green (#CAE8BB) or change. It just needs to somehow blend in with the body style and the dark green #336600.

- what size ?

The header right now is 100% wide and 55 pixels high, so it should be somewhere in this range. The Nav bar should probably be about 2/3 the dimension of the height of the header.

- payment via paypal ?

Yes, instant pay via Paypal.

**Jake** · 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tumeveux

Dear sir,madam

Good day to you.I would be very pleased to be considered for your project. I am
runnning www.lartpourmanger.com a site featuring my graphic design works and
photography.

If you provide me some of your ready -text and /graphics/reference sites or your
specs, i can provide you a mockup in less than 24 hours.

I invite you to visit my site,and carefully go through my design works.I'm
sure
and i hope that you will like my style.Or, you can view these works
directly:-

-Featured site designed in terms of banners,headers,layout graphics and
logos

http://www.viocon.com/
-the first mockup
http://www.lartpourmanger.com/layouts/vio.jpg

http://www.xtremeservers.co.uk/ ( it's probably not up yet but the layout is
here:-

-----snip-----

Please feel free to ask any questions you may have.

I am available to start immediately on your project and would be grateful
for your reply.

With kind regards

Nazrin

AIM: tumeveux1
ICQ: tumeveux
YahooIM: nazcoeur4 @ yahoo.com
MSN: coeurdart @ msn.com
designer's site: www.lartpourmanger.com
email:nazrin @ lartpourmanger.com

Don't post this crap in the forum. If you have hundreds of links of stuff he/she probably doesn't care about, do it in a PM. He/She is looking for a banner, and and only a banner. Don't barage him/here with crap that he/she doesnt need. First, its unprofessional, and second, it bloats the entire thread.

Back on topic, I have a project going on right now, but I'd be glad to try to help you in a few days if you do not get something you like from the others.

**vitalfinds** · 05-04-2005, 11:39 PM

I'm a she by the way, and thanks Jake.

**Yoxim** · 05-05-2005, 03:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vitalfinds

Hello All,

(I just registered just now and have read the rules, but please let me know if I've gone astray in any way.)

I'm pretty happy with the look in the body of my web site, but I am in need of a new look for my Navigation Bar and Header at www.vitalfinds.com

So, I'm requesting some ideas for a new header and navigation bar - which I'm guessing could be accomplished by changing the background color/texture. I'm clueless as to ideas and what the reward should be. I can offer $50 and and/or link, but if I'm way off on the amount of work required, then please let me know. Blunt talk is good!

Thanks!

wow. that'a a lot of links. I sure hope you don't want all those links on the left included in the nav. as far as changes to your current header go, is the color/texture change the only thing you're looking for? I mean, you're not running a beauty contest here, your site is purely functional. you have so much content, there isn't really much room for cosmetics.
for your nav, are you referring to the links in the heading of the page, (Home, Order, Contact, etc.)?
If you want, I can hook you up with a really cool JavaScript tree menu for all your content in that left bar, which will greatly cut down on the scrolling your visitors have to do. For an example of what I'm talking about, go to http://www.yoxim.net/charlies/sampler.html
You will see four links to the right of the image, underneath the description. Click on them. Each one of those items in those sub menus can be a link and can also have sub-links of its own. This could be an invaluable organizational tool for your site, but it requires a LOT of work. I can help you with it, but you'd have to put a very nice and prominent link to my site on your front page. The 50 bucks isn't really worth all the work that this would encompass, but that link could be a potential cash cow for me. Believe me when I tell you, compared to the headaches you would suffer trying to get that tree menu to work on your own, that link is a small price to pay.
Anyway, if you wouldn't mind giving me some more details on your project, I'll give it a shot.

**vitalfinds** · 05-05-2005, 03:50 AM

Yoxim - I believe you about the work involved in a Navigation Bar like you're referring to. I don't think I'm ready for something like that right now though, because I seem to still be making changes, and I'd rather have an easy to maintain system.

I'm beginning to think though that maybe there isn't much that can really be done right now since things are so link-oriented. At some point in the future, I could change things so that only the top level catagories appeared on the Nav Bar, but that would mean the creation of some sub-pages which isn't a bad idea, but I just don't want to keep switching directions. I haven't even changed all the links over yet from pointing to ebay.

I guess I was originally thinking that I there might be just a color/texture change that could be made that would make things look a little better. It kind of seems like the Nav bar especially should be a darker color than the body of the site, but a forest green bar is too much. The other idea I had is that maybe the nav bar and header needed to be more dimensional (i.e visual height and/or rounded edges). This won't be the best example, but this shows some buttons with a rounded and height look: http://members.nucite.com/genAuctionTemplates.php

As you can tell, the idea part is what is currently the issue with me.

**angele803** · 05-05-2005, 02:30 PM

Vitalfinds-
Dont give up on us just yet. I think you will get several ideas from the members here that will work the way you are wanting. When I get home this afternoon (I am currently at work) I will work on something. I also think that $50 is a very good prize for this type of contest.

**Yoxim** · 04:43 AM

Allright, I went to your site and looked around a bit. I noticed that you had basically two sets of identical links on your page. You don't need this. It is highly unpractical. Therefore, I suggest you simply get rid of all the links on the left hand side that are already in the body of your page. It will save you a ton of work next time you update your links. I also looked at that rounded corners deal on that other page, and I think you could do that, but you should keep the cleam and simple look of your page. It's easy on the eyes. Anyway, here's what I had in mind.

http://www.yoxim.com/vital.jpg

We can get rid of the shadows alltogether, I just put them in there to offset everything. I hardly spent any time on the logo, we can work on that later. Right now layout is your number one concern. Check it out and let me know what you think and if you'd like to change anything. You can also email me at webmaster@yoxim.com. I check my email all the time, so that's probably the best way to get in touch with me. Hope this helps.

P.S. Something like this is hardly worth 50 bucks, and I don't have a paypal account, and don't feel like getting one, either. So of you decide to do business with me, a link to my site on your front page would be the preferred method of payment.

**dbay** · 05-06-2005, 07:46 AM

nice contest..i'll enter if i have time..

**Vicki** · 05-07-2005, 01:36 AM

I'll enter soon also

**Web Graphics** · 05-07-2005, 01:47 AM

Hi Vital

I will pm you....

**vitalfinds** · 05-07-2005, 02:31 AM

Hello All,

Sorry I didn't check this earlier. I just got a PM from WebGraphics which reminded me to stop in here. He's actually how I discovered this forum which I think it is a gold mine! It took me awhile to post here because it feels like I'm stealing people's time and energy for such a low prize. But back to the subject...

Well I pretty much agree with you Yoxim about not doubling up the links on the front page and nav bar. I had originally thought it would be a good idea since the nav bar would be seen on all the sub-pages, but it's already a pain to maintain. I'm also still adding products, which occasionally requires the re-shuffling of catagories. The Old-Time-Radio catagory for instance is one that needs to go away for now ... but anyway, the point being that I agree that the Nav Bar should be simplified to the top level catagories.

So with your example Yoxin... I like the rounded corners, and I like the simpler nav bar on the side, but I'm not sure I'm too crazy about it sitting on a light background - although the texture does help. I think I like the shadowing, but it seems like the header should be more prominent and bigger. I don't mean anything overly dramatic, but just to stand out a little more. I have the photoshop file for the logo if the logo background needed to be changed to match or blend better with the header background.

Anyway, I am really impressed that you are all here and are willing to do this, and thanks for the ideas already!

**Yoxim** · 05-07-2005, 09:14 PM

I didn't do any work on the logo/header. I just took out the backgorund and made it see through. The background color is the one from your web site, I actually think white would look great. You can also go with a grey one, I've used it, and it looks really good. E-mail me the photoshop file if you'd like and I can do some more work to the logo. I agree that it needs to be more prominent, but it was 03:00 in the morning, and I was just ready to call it quits. That image is just a rough example of what I had in mind basically. That whole thing was laid out in Photoshop, so it's all images, but I can easily put it all in a table layout, including the shadows and rounded edges. Like I said, just email me the logo file, and I'll work it out, I already have a pretty good idea which direction to take it in.
The address is webmaster@yoxim.com

**angele803** · 05-07-2005, 09:17 PM

Okay, here is an idea from me. I did the entire layout in Fireworks and like Yoxim, this is just a rough layout idea and I can easily put it into tables. The text will look much better that way.

http://www.decoratemyweb.com/images/...vitalFinds.htm

**vitalfinds** · 05-08-2005, 12:24 AM

Angele, I can see the possibilities with this. I've also gotten a PM with a link that I've been looking at. This is getting difficult ... in a good way! I'll post again with more detailed comments soon. I also need to round up my original frog image. Thanks again all.

**Web Graphics** · 05-08-2005, 12:43 PM

Here Is a screenshot of a Javascript side menu with one of the links highlighted, using the green hex color you asked for.

**vitalfinds** · 05-08-2005, 01:24 PM

WebGraphics - I like that one, but then it makes me worried about matching it up to a header. If a header could run in a parallel "lane" with the curve and angle of that nav bar, then that could look pretty cool. I'm also thinking that there should be some green 336600 in the header and nav bar.