New Template Design For Gfxtrap.com

[BuffaloHelp 24]

Hello Xisto members,

 

It is time to reinvent our T17 GFX section, once more.

 

Please visit, http://gfxtrap.com/ and suggest a new template for our site.

 

What we would like to do is get RSS feed from our forum and translate that into HTML page for majority of GFXTrap.com Keep it simple. There's no need for complex menus. You can get the RSS fee for the graphics site.

 

Basic information to be included in our GFXTrap.com site are:

Introduction

Latest topics feed from RSS to be shown in the main page

Link to T17 GFX Crew

T17 GFX Crew bios

other information I failed to mention

This site should be automated. That's why we're trying to keep it simple. This portal site leads back to our forum for discussion and interaction. So keep that in mind when you design menu and links. We are looking for clean design that can be integrated with CMS and RSS.

 

Thank you all in advance for your participation.

[jlhaslip 4]

I can assist with the back-end stuff.RSS feeds are no problem.Linking to the GFX bios are easy enough as well.

[Tramposch 1]

I can begin to work on the graphics, and see how that turns out. My only problem is I don't really do programming (html, php, rss stuff) I just texted GhostRider to see if he wanted to help.I also asked an old buddy of mine, who used to post here and work with me.Anybody here want to help me put this into full speed, and crank out a website?

[BuffaloHelp 24]

I will create RSS for GFX section soon. All we would need is RSS to HTML script and we'll be all set. In the past I used Cutenew CMS to update the front page of GFXTrap.com. I wonder if we should still do this? Or just leave it as a shell and make it function like a portal page.Give your suggestions and opinions.

[Ash-Bash 0]

Nice idea, I have seen some of the Graphics Crew members get ahead of there selves and think they moderate the forum of Xisto.

[Xalor 0]

I think I have some sort of an idea for the GFXTrap site, however I have a question about the forums tab. Apparently it links to either Xisto, Xisto, and the other XISTO Network sites. Is there a way to change that? I mean if it is for the Xisto Site, shouldn't it link back to this site? Is it possible that this section and that site be linked together, or the section here removed and directly links to GFXtrap, but still have the credits go through? Just posting a suggestion. Instead of using Cutenews, I've used it in the past a couple of times, since its pretty useful, since well you don't need to deal with mySQL, and having a single encrypted file is awesome. Joomla! might be a better solution, since it does integrate well with most forum system, I believe it works with IPB.

[Tramposch 1]

Nice idea, I have seen some of the Graphics Crew members get ahead of there selves and think they moderate the forum of Xisto.

I would be interested to see some examples of this.

I think I have some sort of an idea for the GFXTrap site, however I have a question about the forums tab. Apparently it links to either Xisto, Xisto, and the other XISTO Network sites. Is there a way to change that? I mean if it is for the Xisto Site, shouldn't it link back to this site? Is it possible that this section and that site be linked together, or the section here removed and directly links to GFXtrap, but still have the credits go through? Just posting a suggestion.
Instead of using Cutenews, I've used it in the past a couple of times, since its pretty useful, since well you don't need to deal with mySQL, and having a single encrypted file is awesome. Joomla! might be a better solution, since it does integrate well with most forum system, I believe it works with IPB.

I have never worked with any of those systems, so I am not exactly sure what would be better, Joomla! or the other system, so I am leaving that to the professionals.

As for a design, does any body have any ideas? I am going to lay down a sketch of my idea pretty soon.

[Saint_Michael 3]

My recommendation is go with Wordpress because I know of a plugin that uses RSS feeds to generate posts from. The only problem is that since it draws from the Rss feeds it will be broken the minute it gets updated. Either way, it be a lot more efficient in the sense that you can have several groups of people; admin, tutorial writers, subscribers etc etc. All you would need is someone to design a template from scratch and make sre it works for every aspect of the blog.

[Tramposch 1]

http://i.imgur.com/removed.png

I just made a very quick sketch of how I think it should look, any comments are welcome, note that it is a very very very very rough sketch.

[Nameless_ 1]

Are there even any visitors on GFXTrap now? I'm not sure if it is still an active site, but if you use Wordpress or Drupal, I can help. For Drupal, there is also a forum thing if needed, though I think Xisto is enough, but the website is very very outdated, if I must say. If Tramposch wants, I can spin out some graphics too. But I will leave all the scripting and stuff to the professionals, unless we are talking about using a Wordpress of a Drupal CMS. I never really got around to understanding Joomla!.At Tramposch: Aw... I saw your template. You draw and write like a ten year old. And haha, sig of the week winner. yeah, I like that a lot. Yeah, it's cool. I'm going with your template, but for some reason I see grey as the template colour. Not sure if that is what you want, but it seems to fit. Do you think I can post as well? Also, it would be nice if the signature of the week winner gets a link to their site. In support of Xisto hosting.

[Xalor 0]

My recommendation is go with Wordpress because I know of a plugin that uses RSS feeds to generate posts from. The only problem is that since it draws from the Rss feeds it will be broken the minute it gets updated. Either way, it be a lot more efficient in the sense that you can have several groups of people; admin, tutorial writers, subscribers etc etc. All you would need is someone to design a template from scratch and make sre it works for every aspect of the blog.

Wordpress is also a great solution. Although with wordpress I highly reccomend finding some professional themes instead, I mean there is probably a bunch of wordpress theme designers here, but since they aren't too expensive and some are dirt cheap, especially at theme-forest or graphic-river, you can find dozens there. Rockettheme makes some of my favorite themes, they're more expensive but they do make up for it in a complete solution set with their addons and variations, Joomla! + Liftenbloggie works as well.

[BuffaloHelp 24]

Whatever the CMS you are integrating, make sure that someone can design the skin.It's all good and nice when you talk about this is better, that is better, but when no one can design a spiffy looking skin it's all worthless. People who talk a good game often cannot finish the job.Again, whatever you guys decide KEEP IT SIMPLE. Let's not design half working or half good looking skin for Wordpress, drupal or other CMS. And mentioning my first decision to go with flatfile CMS--it's NOT mySQL dependent. Remember, gfxtrap.com is also hosted with free hosting account servers. That means there's going to some down time. Majority of times SQL may be down but HTTP request are still accepted. This keeps the uptime higher than of SQL based sites. It's a strong suggestion but not the final solution. Just keep that in mind.You may choose any CMS as you wish. But if you cannot redesign skins for that CMS let's not use that CMS. And purchasing the skin is not an option right now because I don't know who's going to pay for it Honestly, if you are going to purchase a "theme" then why have GFX Crew?

[inverse_bloom 0]

I could design the skin alongside tramposch and nameless or whoever desires to work on the graphics if people want. I could professionally design the layout with consideration for information design etc, but id prefer to know what CMS people agree on. I can match any design on theme forest or rocket theme, but would prefer at least a paragraph of text explaining what GFXtrap means to its users. Is it edgy, full-on graphics or slightly more conservative for the sake of usability?Just a thought...

Edited December 31, 2009 by inverse_bloom (see edit history)

[Tramposch 1]

ok So colours. What colours do we want this to be?

 

Somebody had mentioned gray already, which I think is good, but just plain gray can be boring, what other colours can we add to it that will match?

 

Blue?

Green?

 

Here is a possibility of a colour pallete.

http://i.imgur.com/removed.png

 

I think it may be too... "boring" though.

[Nameless_ 1]

I could design the skin alongside tramposch and nameless or whoever desires to work on the graphics if people want. I could professionally design the layout with consideration for information design etc, but id prefer to know what CMS people agree on. I can match any design on theme forest or rocket theme, but would prefer at least a paragraph of text explaining what GFXtrap means to its users. Is it edgy, full-on graphics or slightly more conservative for the sake of usability?

 

Just a thought...

I still don't really know how to use Joomla! Properly, even though I have tried it out, but I can help (or try to help, probably will mess up the codes instead, if you know me. ) on Drupal and Wordpress. If it's just plain graphics that we are talkign about, then that is no problem. I'm always here to help.

 

I don't really know what GFXTrap is for though, so I'm not sure. I think it is somewhere in between, with graphics but not too much and over the page.

 

ok So colours. What colours do we want this to be?

 

Somebody had mentioned gray already, which I think is good, but just plain gray can be boring, what other colours can we add to it that will match?

 

Blue?

Green?

 

Here is a possibility of a colour pallete.

http://i.imgur.com/removed.png

 

I think it may be too... "boring" though.

I think that colour might be a bit too dull though. I was thinking along the lines of grey with red, orange and/or green or yello. Bright blue can also be intergrated but with grey, it's just a bit... you know, not too colour protruding and a bit too "conservative". I think that a graphics site should be more graphical. And use more bolder and brighter colours.

 

Oh my god!!! I sound professional then!!! YEEESSSS!!! Haha, OK.