http://magedesigns.virtualforums.co.uk/

I need some GOAYB about my skin, can any one tell me what needs to fix.

This is just the pre release Version of the skin, If I could get some Opinions about this skin, what I should change, and what ever else the real skin will be made.

Thanks
~Darkmage

could do with some editing, we need sunjo here.....

overall it is pretty good.

Thanks.
What Kind of Editing?

~Darkmage

*gets his FTA rating hat and starts working*

As a start, it's not bad. The one major problem is that everything is too similar to everything else: the BG, the gradients, the table cells, the banner...they're all identical in their design and in my view does mae the forum look a bit repetitive. I think if you perhaps changed the background design to something a bit...plainer, as it were then there'd be better results - perhaps use the blue aspect slightly more sparingly? I'd like to see something a bit "more" done with the banner too, the text style suits the forum, but it needs something else, that "wow" factor that forums are searching for more nowadays.

Of course, as it's still in development it's hard to be comprehensive about a rate But i'll do another if you want when it's completed, taking into account everything else .

Thank you. My real site is here. http://magedesign.co.nr That is the real forum. of Mgae Designs.

I have to agree with Graham here. Everything seems far too repetitive.

One thing I noticed, though, is that your banner overlaps the background image by about 2px; might want to fix that. Also, I think you should put your background to only repeat vertically; since right now it looks a little odd, since it repeats on the left & right.

I am Using my old skin for now. I am Going to be doing the boards now.

I have updated the skin, and it looks good, though I think more needs to be added. What do you think?

It's still a bit repetitive for my liking. Perhaps change the menu's background colour, give the banner a different background than the forum's background, and use rounded on/off icons rather than square.

You mean for the Menu change the gradient color?

Would repetitive mean same color same design?
and if I have same Design though Different color would that change the repetitiveness?

Posted By Nick on 13th Dec 07 at 9:05pm

 

You mean for the Menu change the gradient color?

Would repetitive mean same color same design?
and if I have same Design though Different color would that change the repetitiveness?

It is partly the colour, since you use the same shade all over the forum. Perhaps do some darker/lighter shades for certain things, and try to incorporate a different pattern into some of the backgrounds of your images.

Ive already got the on/off done

On:


Off:


EDIT:
Ive made 2 sets of banners, tell me what you think is the best one and I will add that one to the forum I think the first banner looks good.

Banner 1:
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x20/magedesigns/vfmdskin/vfmdbannertest.jpg

Banner 2:
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x20/magedesigns/vfmdskin/vfmdbannertest2.jpg

Out of the two, i'd say the second one. I'd also get rid of the copyright from it, as you can always add that to the bottom of the forum.

Yeh but see The copy right is what protects my Images from being stolen. Back 5 years ago on Proboards, some one had stolen a banner of mine, and my Forum's name, and built a website, and took all my Ideas, so now I put copyright on my material now. BTW I see allot of Designing forums putting their forums name on their work anyways.

Posted By infestor1 on 12th Dec 07 at 5:48am

 

could do with some editing, we need sunjo here.....

Sunjo isn't the be all, end all of Forum Skinning.

Eh, looks like it could use some work. Banner doesn't really fit in with the rest of the skin. Background just looks like two stripes either side of the boards. Either make them go all the way to the edge (I assume they do for you, but for people with larger resolutions they don't) or make it flow the the background color better. The black you've used for the background color is too dark. A gray color would be better suited in my opinion.
What about getting some gradients rather than just having that area the same color as the Windowbg.
Lastly, what's with Times New Roman? Verdana or Arial would look much better at those sizes.

Well they told me to change the banner, Mainly Cr0w, he said its to repetitive, so I changed the banner, and I had to make the wallpaper edges a bit farther from the boards as the banner area for some reason over laps it even the the banner area is the same size 700. I use 1024x768 Res. This is still in testing, but I did open it up for new people to join.
TNR looks better the way the skin is imo. I tried Verdana and Arial, didn't look good.

EDIT: Besides the Ads would over lap it if I made it a little more smaller.

I think the second banner would look nicer, although randomizing between the two would also look pretty sexy.

Posted By Nick on 12th Dec 07 at 5:49am

 

Thanks.
What Kind of Editing?

~Darkmage

bit more gradients, like i saw on a thread on proboards, grey is an awesome color for skins, and always, always, and ALWAYS, go with a glossy look.

Posted By Samus on 14th Dec 07 at 3:35am

 

Posted By infestor1 on 12th Dec 07 at 5:48am

 

could do with some editing, we need sunjo here.....

Sunjo isn't the be all, end all of Forum Skinning.

He's only good at one type of skinning anyway.

Posted By infestor1 on 14th Dec 07 at 4:51am

 

Posted By Nick on 12th Dec 07 at 5:49am

 

Thanks.
What Kind of Editing?

~Darkmage

bit more gradients, like i saw on a thread on proboards, grey is an awesome color for skins, and always, always, and ALWAYS, go with a glossy look.

How do I make it glossy, I am a Semi-No0b, I only know a few things about design, thats why when I get out of high school, I will be going to college for web design.

Stinky!! Whats up? Sorry I havn't been on your forum in awhile been to busy.

A simple way to make something look "glossy" is to make something a solid colour, then create a new layer, set the opacity to about 30%, and draw a white rectangle that covers the top half of the solid colour.

Oh so what you mean is the shiny part, like eyes in a cartoon show, or Manga. I can try it, I use Paint Shop Pro 9 so Im not sure how to do that.