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MacRumors Folding Banner Design

Mr. Anderson

Mr. Anderson

Moderator emeritus
Original poster
Nov 1, 2001
22,568
7
VA
So Arn has graciously given us the go ahead on making a banner to advertise/recruit for the team.

Anyone with any thoughts on this should post them here.

D
 
cool.

sounds like fun.

my 1st idea:

how about something similar to the main page's banner but with the word 'folding' in it. Then it animates to fold-up into a origami ball (or circle) that morphs into a rendered sphere of a molecule chain (like the opengl views of the graphical version).

then, as a transition section, it pans the molecule and zooms in on a white connecting bar between spheres where it has a decal of the original frame.

repeat
 
I was thinking more of the MacRumors logo in pieces and colours as if the logo was a protein being formed.
 
Does arn accept .swf? If so, we could make it in Flash. I can make the banner if we can make it in flash, but i would prefer that we all participate in this. :) Lets organize a Flash Macrumors Team :D
 
I can help with the flash as well - and yes, flash is acceptable.

I can also do 3D flash, so if we wanted to show a protein folding it might work out nicely.

We'll need to know the size limitations though....

D
 
<20k is typical. Smaller is better :)

arn
 
I'm at the far end from a Graphic Designer ( an Electron Grease Monkey ), but I'd like to see at least one Mad Cow, and if you want to include Alzheimer's AND Senile Dementia , I'll sent you my picture!... ( Oooo , I almost typed "picture of my wife and I" ) :D :D
 
Originally posted by edesignuk
That'll be hard, it's difficult enough to get a decent 50x50px animated 'tar under 20k! :eek:
Click to expand...

ah, but you're talking gif images - I did this for B2TM and his GeneralCybernetics banners quite a lot packed into 20k. If we go flash we can actually make it interactive....;) Lots of potential

D
 
Ok, I'll start and lets get some feedback

www.gone3d.com/mr/

nothing fancy, just a start, but it does have a button and a link to the FAQ page. So we'll need to update the FAQ so that the first entry is about joining the team.

And, btw, its only 4k - plenty of room for lots more too....

D
 
Good Start Mr. Anderson,


We now have to continue on making sugestions and try to come to a consensus on this. Ill try to think of something too, based on a simple molecule structure :)
 
Originally posted by Mr. Anderson
Ok, I'll start and lets get some feedback

www.gone3d.com/mr/

nothing fancy, just a start, but it does have a button and a link to the FAQ page. So we'll need to update the FAQ so that the first entry is about joining the team.

And, btw, its only 4k - plenty of room for lots more too....

D
Click to expand...

First couple of things. Y ou're right. It's VERy rudimentary. The moving arrows are a bit cheesy and cliché Flash.

The bright yellow and bright blue are too "computer-ish". They remind me of Deskmate's interface from my old Tandy 1000.

If you're going to use that as text, i'd probably switch the headlines— i.e., make the "help make a difference" job the focal point. Lure people in with something they can understand.

Your font for both is also a bit light. In the quick flash world of web animation, I think you need something a bit bolder. Trade Gothic Condensed Italic would work wonders.

I'd also ditch the graduated tone. That stuff always tends to look very 1st year design school.... especially with those colors.

Think a little outside of the box—maybe get some inspiration from medical/pharmaceutical sites. They use some awesome color schemes and modern, fresh fonts.

I also think that it need some sort of logo to brand it. Maybe the MR logo? I'm not sure. But it DEFINITELY needs a graphic of some sort.

www.istockpro.com or www.istockphoto.com might be a nice source of imagery at reasonable costs.

www.zoloft.com has a nice color scheme and some elegant flash animation

www.paxil.com and http://us.gsk.com/ also have nice schemes.

I think you'll want something softer and inviting overall. Whereas right now, you're kinda hard edged and cold.
 
thanks for the critique - but it was a test, especially showing interactivity and file size.

We'll try and stay away from imagery and keep with vector graphics since they tend to take up less space.

And the logo is a must - along with a lot more graphics and the ability to change the background or view different proteins.

D
 
while i can't add much to the design of the add i would say that you need lots of info...its something thats so important yet missing from so many adds...and you especially need it in folding, i know when i first heard of the concept i had no idea what it was
 
Originally posted by Mr. Anderson
thanks for the critique - but it was a test, especially showing interactivity and file size.

We'll try and stay away from imagery and keep with vector graphics since they tend to take up less space.

And the logo is a must - along with a lot more graphics and the ability to change the background or view different proteins.

D
Click to expand...

Right on. But definitely play with the color schemes. You don't want it to look like "just another banner ad" and you need a very interesting color scheme to make it work.

I'm thinking a bright light blue mixed with a pastel-ish yellow, or pale orange would be really eye catching

Maybe make use of the silhouettes...what's good for the apple.... ;)

Vector art can be cheesy, so you'll REALLY have to pay attention to the detail to make it good. A silhouette, or something you'd see at House Industries... that's the level you guys should be playing at.

Hope you can achieve it!
 
I also agree that finding a way to deliver more info is needed. I had no clue what folding was for a good long while and I had a hard time explaining it to my parents when I went to install it onto their PC at home. Either way, adding a banner and possibly another front page topic on it could go a long way with gaining some ground. As was mentioned earlier, when there was a front page topic on it over the summer, a lot of people ended up starting to fold.
 
Maybe arn could make a sub-domain, folding.macrumors.com where a full FAQ can be found in a more presentable manor than a post in the forums?
 
How about something to make us look like a team... Maybe have a Panther and Jaguar mascot with Team Folding t-shirts, and some cheerleaders saying 'go team folding' I'm sure the mac rumors girls will model for it ;) then the ad can pan to the field where it shows an iMac bounce across like lux and turn to face the screen and on the screen it can zoom and show a protien and a simple message about what it is and how to join.... ok maybe too complicated...but pather and Jag mascots for the team would be cool.....
 
Actually, if we get a logo for MacRumors Team Folding - we should have arn submit the artwork to cafepress so we can have mugs made....

D
 
Originally posted by Moxiemike
I dunno if there's much of a market there. Wouldn't hurt, but the point of folding is for charitable causes, not to raise money for macrumors. So i think that's not such a good idea.
Click to expand...

are you familiar with cafepress? You submit the artwork and they make the items per order. You order 1 cup/mug/frisbee/shirt you get only one - no need to have them make 100 and hope you sell them.

And its not to make money - there is no minimum order, its would just be fun. And it would have nothing to do with support macrumors.

D
 
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