$100 Site layout design contest!!

[TeviH]

$100 Site layout design contest - NO CODE NECESSARY!

Hello all!

Deadline: April 7 - postponed to April 15 - see last post
Prize: $100!! (If I don't like what I see, I will extend the contest.)
Payment via Paypal only

What I want:

2 design layouts for an ecommerce website. No code, no CSS, no php - I'm doing it all myself. All I want are the graphics. I have a logo and some photos for you to work with. I need 1 main page layout/design, and 1 product page layout and design.

More info:

This is a motorcycle apparel retail store. I want the site to reflect that. Think exciting, loud, bold, colorful, and not too clean. It should be organized and easy to navigate, of course, but don't make the design sterile and corporate.

Leave room on the left for 5 ~ 8 category links. Contact link, home link, FAQ, Help and standard shopping cart links.

logo (psd with transparent background linked below):

Get logo and photo files here:
http://aardvarkwebdesign.com/contest/logo.psd
http://aardvarkwebdesign.com/contest/photo1.jpg
http://aardvarkwebdesign.com/contest/photo2.jpg
http://aardvarkwebdesign.com/contest/photo3.jpg
http://aardvarkwebdesign.com/contest/photo4.jpg

(You can resize and crop things however you want)

• watermark your images!!
• I will need all fonts and graphics on completion of contest
• submit more than one!

GOOD LUCK!!!

 

[repoman]

i need to know ... does this need to be 100% vector?

 

[TeviH]

This can be any way you want. Vector, bitmap - it's all good. I just need them in appropriate size and quality to work with afterwards.

 

[repoman]

okay thanx

 

[ManeD]

This def. sounds interesting. Is there any screen size I should try to shoot for/ you prefer (800x600, etc)? And are you looking for something less image heavy and more content based, or is there no preference on the amount/size of images in the layou?

 

[TeviH]

Good point! Yes, I'd like the width to be 770px. Height doesn't make much difference; people can scroll. But try to keep important info at the top.

It can be image heavy - anything's compressible. :p I suppose the product page should not be too "busy" - but use your judgment. (You can usually compress flat colors into a nice compact gif. Shading is where things can get out of hand.)

Use your own design sense! I'll give critiques and get people to move in the direction I want as things move along. And feel free to submit more than one entry!

 

[TeviH]

What's goin' on here?! Anybody participating?!?!

I thought $100 was a lot for 2 page designs with no coding!

 

[dreaminginspiration]

nope aint alot.

 

[RS]

^Lol agree. But i'll give it a try.

 

[TeviH]

nope aint alot.

How long does it take to knock out a design in photoshop?! Logo's even done... There're contests for $50 that require more work - and logos for $20!!!

What would be fair? :?

 

[angele803]

I think $100 is a great amount. I might try something out later. I am better at "clean" styles though. Just be patient...a lot of times people whip out their work at the very end of the contest.

 

[jkennedy]

Would like your view on this as a header area, before I continue.
Thanks.

 

[ANBU_Ghost]

Well id love to enter this contest, but im just having a hard time grasping the idea of how a Motorcycle apparel retail store website should look. Perhaps u can provide an example of a Site, doesnt have to be about Bikes necessarily, that looks similar in style to wat it is u r looking for.

 

[TeviH]

Well, I can't find any sites with stuff that I'm looking for, but here's a similar company that seems to be doing well: http://hotleathers.com/ All I can say is: loud, exciting, bright and not too clean.

Some sites that have the "feel" I'm looking for:

http://csszengarden.com/?cssfile=/188/188.css&page=0
http://www.overage4design.com/ <--(love the loose-canon feel; the illustration is beautiful)
http://www.thickrecords.com/ <-- (this one is a bit too "stlish" with the small type and teeny area of used real estate)
http://www.harley-davidson.com/wcm/Content/Pages/home.jsp?locale=en_US <--(Harley - duh :p )

@jkennedy: It's really hard for me to say since it's missing the bottom, but it looks good so far, I think. (Please let me know if you own the rights to use a motorcycle image. You can use it for the sake of showing me the design, but if it's not yours, I'll have to get my own photos.)

 

[csj]

Im very much interested, dont close this thread, please wait until I have a submission. I'll probably get my design in before the deadline.

 

[TeviH]

If it looks like it would help people for me to extend the deadline, I'll do it.

cheers

 

[csj]

here's my entry
http://www.csj89.com/web_roadkill.jpg

I hope you dont mind me changing the logo
...im too tired to watermark it now, hehe, maybe later.

 

[TeviH]

I like the look, csj, very nice. Could you try to work the existing logo into that? I suppose the colors would have to change somewhat, too... That's their logo....

 

[RS]

That template looks familiar...

 

[TeviH]

I didn't have much time before to properly examine that submission, csj. I think it's too clean and boxy, and the category links aren't there. I need the Roadkill logo and the category links, and something more wild and exciting.