Website and GUI.
 

If you haven't yet seen the site flowchart in our Yahoo! Group, please look at that. That's serving as the basic piece of architecture for our efforts and everything being done concurrently deals with what we've outlined there.

What we need to examine now is a convenient way of packaging and presenting the back-end content generation stuff to the viewing public.

We need a website.

Several people have expressed that they're skilled in graphic and webpage design. If it's possible, I'd like for people to present their ideas for how we can package this thing and get it out there for people to use and recognize.

In reality, this project is a bit larger than simply creating a website. It involves creating a corporate identity for freelanceFIRST, including an official color scheme, logo, page format, typeface, etc. This means creating an entire suite of graphics, buttons and other errata that represent our product to the public.

I expect it to be of a high, professional level of quality.

I have my own ideas of what to expect and what I'd like to see, but I don't want to inhibit the creativity of others by talking about that just yet.

There are a few requirements, though.

• It has to maintain a small palette of colors that are friendly to printers.
• It needs to be scalable. The logo or other graphics need to be in a format that allows them to be scaled up and printed in large format without any degradation of quality.
• It needs to be recognizable and easy to navigate.

Beyond that, run free and show us what you've got. Remember, we're looking for anything here. Your idea for a logo may inspire someone else to create an entire GUI or website. Share everything.

I know there's probably a ton of people that would like to design the website, but I would be more than happy to write some content for it.

I agree with M here. If we can get these graphics in .png form that would be great. Even better would be in .psd form if you can.

Photoshop format isn't scalable.

I'd prefer than any graphics be done with a vector artwork program such as Macromedia's Fireworks or Freehand, or Adobe Illustrator. When we create a website, we can export the graphics into the needed formats, but having them on hand as pieces of vector artwork from the beginning makes life easier for everyone.

Amanda: I'd like to talk with you about writing content for the site. I'm not sure how much writing there will be, really, but it's probably going to end up being more than I expect.

English majors rock. Have you looked at the mission statement?

Consider the website made!
 

I talked to Sunny Thaper, and he said he would be happy to design the website for FreelanceFIRST. (man, that's way too long to type - we need to figure out a nickname for that! ;)) Anyway, Sunny will start designing in about a week. Oh, like Amanda said, if you need anything written for the website, I'd be happy to help out where I can! :)

- Katie

Indeed I have.

Whenever you'd like to get the new website up, I would be more than happy to help.

I'd also be willing to throw my hat in for helping to write content...

I can do some graphics work or other web type work if needed but i dont really use fireworks, freehand, or illustrator. Though i have them all on my computer at work and could use them.

If you start out with a photoshop document that is big then usualy you dont have much problem scaling down, atleast thats what i have found.

PNG = good.

But this everybody helping with everything isn't really needed for graphic design. At least not for a website. Especially not for this website. All that this website needs as far as design goes is a template for the layout, and a logo/a few other themed images. The rest is backend. Something.

Also, what the crap do you mean by a GUI? Websites are a GUI... but that's called the layout. Something.

Yes. I don't expect that a dozen people will have a hand in the final implementation of the site, as that'd probably just too difficult where keeping everything consistant is concerned.

But, for now, I'd like to see that everyone's who's interested propose their ideas publicly so that we all may get an idea of what we can do with the site. We can all learn from one another if we all share our ideas about what colors and typeface we use, or what logo we might need.

Any ideas about things like that are really appreciated. They don't need to be the finished product, either. Sketches done with anything will work, as well.

Well, I suppose you're right. I guess I just meant that, since there's a lot more to this project than a pretty looking splash page, I'm really intent on seeing that its navigation is easy to use and consistent. I'd also like to be sure that all of the information that could become available is easy to access by our users.

I agree, you need a vector program. Illustrator is wonderful for scaling, and it looks better as you make it larger. I have lots of skills in it, so if you want help there, I'm in. I also can do the coding for the PHP/Perl scripts if you'd like, I've done that for years too.

As one who's already starting a bit of work on the site backend(project request/accept/decline is completely done!...which, of course, for this project is about 2% of the whole thing), I'll be keeping a very close eye on this thread...I'm working on rolling together a couple of ideas I have already seen(don't worry, the colors will be better than they were when a select few of you saw the layout last week)...if any of you are interested in seeing what i've got thus far, IM me at NateT66(AIM). I'm not online that much lately(too busy with other things), but keep your eyes open...

Well, this sure died a quiet death.

Anyway, I spent some fiddling around back at the start of this thread, and I noted that I wouldn't share my results until sometime later.

Well, since nobody else is playing along at home, I've decided to post one of my ideas.

freelanceFIRST layout.

That's my rough concept for a common header for the fF pages. I'm also working on developing an identifiable logo that will be integrated into the page layout, somewhere.

I really like that layout.

- Katie

I do like the way it is laid out, but the colors and graphics will need a little work. I think the idea is pretty good, it will be a great addition to FIRST... I often visit programming sites like this looking for work, and I know.. they do work.

Well, what, specifically "needs work?" A little more detail might help me to change things around a bit and fix it up some.

You'll find me floating face down in a river before I change the color scheme to black and red, black and white, red, white and blue, or any other typical "technology" scheme.

Computers are tool, not a revolution. My design philosophy revolves around using them as such. It means maintaining classical roots. That's why the entire design is reminscent of a frieze.

Quote:

I often visit programming sites like this looking for work, and I know.. they do work.

Could you share some links, please? I'd love to see how other people have made inroads into implementing similar ideas.

Thanks.