Review My Logo/Website

[mattblog]

Okay first off im working on a gaming forum which should be up as soon as i get opinions. First off the website is gamerzboard.co.cc , you are able to signup if you want to, but still under construction :biggrin:

Secondly,
I need an opinion, what logo looks better with the website???

Logo 1


Or Logo 2

 

[lemon-tree]

There's not really a lot to review there as the forum is still pretty much unchanged from the template, even the image is the same and there is only one forum topic actually available yet.
As for the logo, the colours work well with the theme, but you appear to have over compressed the file, hence why it looks so blurry around the edges.
My recommendations would be:
1. Try to deviate a bit more from the stock theme, it'll give your site more personality and originality, both of which are things you will definitely need in the vastly overpopulated world of gaming forums. Even the logo looks near identical to the one that comes with the theme.
2. Re-export your logo with some higher settings so as to get a better finish around the edges. Even better, redo your logo so it's not so similar to the theme's default.

 

[DeadBattery]

I agree with lemon-tree; the logo looks blurry.
If you want to do some fine-tuning on the template, adding small rounded corners to the search bar would make it stand out less.

 

[szhockeykidd]

If you want to stick with the stock look I would pick logo one and definitely increase the quality of the image. Another point that caught my eye was to keep your style the same over the entire page. Your navigation bar has rounded edges when you hover and it is the active page; if you make all the buttons rounded too it will present as a more professional site.

 

[mattblog]

That's a part ofthe stock theme so I will have to edit that. What do you guys think of the stock theme overall. Should I choose another one. If I'm going to keep this one, I'm willing to work on the banners and logos as well as nav bars. I'm going to be choosing between smf, phpbb, and mybb as well as some other. Can anyone find a theme thr would gongood with a gaming community..

As well as what forum should I use

Matt,

note: ps people say that phpbb requires a lot of Mossi which I'm willing to stfu however people say it is clogged up and makes the site slower.

 

[szhockeykidd]

The stock theme overall is not bad. I have seen much worse stock ones before. If you were to stick with stock ones I would try to make the images overall more detailed or better quality as in the banner and logo. While doing so I would try to adhere to the color scheme of darker colors; however in the logo I would not make each word those colors because it really makes it look like that was a stock image too.

 

[lemon-tree]

Whatever theme you choose I recommend you tear it to pieces and rebuild it with your own graphics in a similar style; remember you may still have to keep the copyright intact though even if you do that. The other alternative, although probably not recommended if you aren't fully confident, would be to create your own theme from the ground up. I'm not sure if SMF does, but I know some CMS and forums come with a base theme that you can build upon yourself.
The least you can do at the moment is change the graphics in the header and the logo.

 

[mattblog]

Whatever theme you choose I recommend you tear it to pieces and rebuild it with your own graphics in a similar style; remember you may still have to keep the copyright intact though even if you do that. The other alternative, although probably not recommended if you aren't fully confident, would be to create your own theme from the ground up. I'm not sure if SMF does, but I know some CMS and forums come with a base theme that you can build upon yourself.
The least you can do at the moment is change the graphics in the header and the logo.

you know what, your right. i agree, i either should tear it to part of make my own. Ive decided to make my own, hopefully it wont be that bad and then i can customize it myself. I need to study php however a bit more but i know the basics. Regardless can anyone thing of a good colour scheme that would go well with a gaming community. I'm Thinking Dark Blue and Black but any other suggestions would be great.

 

[lemon-tree]

When I am trying to work on a colour scheme, sites that create them for you can help tremendously. I don't usually use the precise values they return, but rather just use them as a base.
If you want to take it slowly, you can keep the board running whilst you work through updating each individual graphics file that you think needs changing. Eventually you'll have the whole site updated with your own styling. PHP and CSS knowledge will only really be needed if you want to change the layout of items, but they are both very useful to learn anyway.

 

[mattblog]

However if I'm using the framework on that theme. If it looks nothin like it will it Be mine or still his just modified. Would it be designed by me or him. Should I take the default theme instead and work on that.

 

[lemon-tree]

If you retain any of the structural code, then it is a derivative and proper attribution to the original author should remain intact. If you start from a theme with an open license to begin with, it's yours do with as you please I think. You may have to look into this though.

 

[mattblog]

How would I go about moddinghe different forum types? Would I choose one that looks like a good layout, add differen colours and add different images. Then on he bottom I would say theme by so and so, reformed and nodded by gamerzboard. I'm thinking about swithin to another theme because i only used that theme bcause of the gaming in it but if I'm going to mod it anyways why not choose another theme that can have ad management support and not a need for the banner of gaming in he middle. Sorry for spelling mistakes. On an iPod touch. Thanks

ps I'm going to check the default theme and see if I can mod hat becuae people do that a say Its theirs and I don't see why not.

Regardless
Matt

 

[v4xde]

make it a different site from all the other gamers sites around.
v

 

[lemon-tree]

A quick search reveals this tutorial for creating a theme for SMF, I don't know what sort of quality thata tutorial is, but I guess it should be fine considering it comes from the SMF site. Modding a theme can be anything from a simple colour change to redesigning the whole lot and the results can vary hugely, so I suggest you pick a base theme you like and work with that, although you'll probably still have to retain the copyright.

 

[mattblog]

I have decided to switch from just gaming to overall tech with gaming added into that. I however, will still use these tips you have provided me

Thanks
Matt