Graphics Design Competition: New Forum Header Image

[Scaredgirl]

I was just about to redesign the ugly forum header background image, but then I thought, why not make a competition out of it?



Here is our forum header. It needs to change. We need a new background image that looks more professional. We don't need a new logo, buttons or text. We only need the image behind them.


RULES FOR THIS COMPETITION:
- submit either idea or graphics for the new forum header background image
- images don't have to be "perfect". A rough sketch will be fine, although finished graphics is even better
- you idea has to include elements cards in some shape or form!
- post the idea on this thread
- you can submit multiple ideas


Here you can see the editable area in green.




Inside that green area you can put anything you want. But keep in mind that heavy graphics behind the logo or text look horrible. Some subtle graphics on the other hand might look cool.

Winner will get an award icon under his/her avatar and name in the Hall of Fame.

If you have any questions, let me know.

This competition will run about a week or so depending on how many (and how good) entries we get.

Let the games begin!

[Kamietsu]

Damn, I really need to get my computer working >< This is right up my alley. Maybe I'll attempt to just put the trial version on this computer.

Question though: Can it be animated, or did you want a static design?

[ScytherLoL]

Great idea wish i knew how to do this but I will try and teach myself over the next week just for the fun of it.

I am really enjoying this forum and thankyou for the great competition.

Yours

Scyther

Sorry update anychance we can possibly get the Header text Elements or would you like that redone as well?

[kilava]

What size should the banner be? I'm not that good with photoshop but perhaps I'll try something out.

[Kamietsu]

What size should the banner be? I'm not that good with photoshop but perhaps I'll try something out.

Oh right, the dimensions would be nice to have for the banner.

[Scaredgirl]

I need a static image. Flash animation are generally only needless bells and whistles that make your forum load slower. We might do some simple flash stuff later but for this competition lets keep it simple.

You can get the header logo by right clicking it and choosing "Save Image As..". It's a transparent PNG file.

I'm not looking for a banner. I'm looking for a bigger image that can be used as a background. It can be any shape or form as long as it doesn't go past that green area. I don't know how to explain it any better, lol.

Actually that green area is a bit too big. Right now the wider area starts where Dragon card starts, when it in fact should start where the Steal card ends. Everyone got that?

[Kamietsu]

Just saying, unless you want the background to go over then entire forum, then the green area selected is basically a banner.

Also, I didn't mean any type of flash work. I meant an animated .gif image.

Also, again. The pictures used for the open and closed views are exactly the same....unless I'm just missing something.

[ScytherLoL]

Ok thanks very much I will endeavour to do my best over the next week. I hope to get it in on time.

If I have any questions I will be back here and hopefully can get some answers.

Yours

Scyther

[PuppyChow]

I suck at drawing and painting and graphic designing, so I'll probably not be entering the competition, but looking at the banner image you posted in the first post, there seems to be an error with mine.

(http://www.screenshotdumpster.com/view/m7Gbd45209/header)

As you can see, the cards with mine are much farther to the left. Not a big problem, but if more people are having this problem you may want to look into it.

[Kamietsu]

I suck at drawing and painting and graphic designing, so I'll probably not be entering the competition, but looking at the banner image you posted in the first post, there seems to be an error with mine.

(http://www.screenshotdumpster.com/view/m7Gbd45209/header)

As you can see, the cards with mine are much farther to the left. Not a big problem, but if more people are having this problem you may want to look into it.

That's because the background that the cards are on is dynamic, moving with the size of your browser window and such. But if you compare to where the cards are in relation to the wording above them, the "Official Forum" part, you'll see it all lines up in each picture posted. But depending on your window size, the cards could be under the elements logo (because it is not part of the background) or even your avatar for the same reason as the logo.

EDIT: I've included the actual background image used in the header of the forum. It's rather large, dimension wise, and for anyone who understands forums you will know why. For those of you that don't, it needs to be as large as it is, with as much extra space as is, because this forum is dynamic. It changes with your window size and the image can accommodate up to a large screen resolution.

[PuppyChow]

Then SG has one big gigantic monitor, since that screeny was taken at max size for me  .

[Delreich]

A width of 1024 is at the low end, really. Even the tiny netbooks (or most of them at least) manage that.
Still something worth considering for would-be designers though; how small will screens be expected to be?