VOTE FOR THE KEENSPACE FRONT PAGE! (READ BEFORE VOTING!)

[STrRedWolf]

HERE YE HERE YE, VOTING IS NOW OPEN FOR THE KEENSPACE FRONT PAGE!

Before you vote, you should review the canidates (summary named by myself):

RPin: Keenspace Starbound
zhypoh: Keen-Style

fi13r had an incomplete design similar to zhypoh's, so it is not up for consideration.

This poll will weigh in on the final decision. You have until April 2nd to decide.

[Warren]

I like them both, but Zypoh just edges it slightly for me. I think it's the logo.

[Dan Nicholls]

Torn...torn...ack.

Simple design usually wins out with me but...stars...so nifty...

[Fi13r]

I vote for a design that would combine the best qualities of the two.

I can't 100% vote for one over the other because:

-While zyphoh's is simple, which is always nice, it feels like it needs some tweaking to cinch it up more stylistically. For example, the logo feels like it's ALMOST to where it needs to be... but not quite (like, the text in the logo should be adjusted to use the same font as the text in the 'spot logo, since you're obviously trying to relate the two to each other, from a design perspective, without making it identical). The main content frame feels almost a little TOO simple and empty, like there's a different way that you could arrange information there that would make it look a little more dynamic without sacrificing that simplicity (the solution may be as easy as making the whole space the site content takes up horizontally a little less wide, but it'd probably take more than that).

-As far as having a dynamic, stylish appearence goes, RPin's is strong, but it's not fully developed from an order point of view. Relationships between various parts of the content need to be adjusted so they're a little more... I'm not sure what the word I'm looking for is. I want to say "fluid," but that doesn't quite sound right.

I realize neither of my above comments are all that helpful, since I'm using buzz-words in them like "fluid" and "dynamic," which tend to be meaningless to anyone but the person using them.

I've already talked to RPin a little about this, so he knows I'm better at communicating this stuff in real time than here.

[Faub]

I go for the simplicity. I simply couldn't see my self going to Rpin's page. It feels too "excited" in comparison. I wouldn't want to go to a site where the banner would draw my attention away from the comic listings and other info. Also, zhypoh's site was more along the lines of what I was trying to do before I dropped it.

fi13r's right, though. RPin did a better job with arranging the elements on the page. The information is where it needs to be and the design allows for the page to grow if needed.

What I would suggest is to keep the banners and color design from zhypoh's site (the whole header and menu as well) and arrange the site according to RPin's design including the green Keenspot block and the HUGE link to the guide. If you're not going to allow the guide to be incorporated into www, you may as well make the link to it as prominent as possible.

[Fi13r]

If you're not going to allow the guide to be incorporated into www, you may as well make the link to it as prominent as possible.

I still think we should come up with a way to do this, actually.

[Ghastly]

I like RPin's logo, it's more dynamic. Plus it sets us up as more than just Keenspot Wannabees.

[Psiogen]

I like RPin's design, though there's some minor things I would tweak in it.

-In the body text, there's no need to indent the paragraphs if they're separated by a space.
-I don't think the extended ascender on the 'b' in 'newsbox' really works.
-There's some slightly awkward anti-aliasing. I'd try to make the type, and the lines in the design, crisp where possible.
-Also, the buttons in the navigation bar seem a bit too widely spaced.
</design pedantry>

[Nyke]

*pokes zyphoh's KS entry*
*gets no reaction*
*goes to get a spork*

[Toxic]

Rpin all the way!

[Terotrous]

A general note, I'm not sure I support having the chat link on the front page. It's going pretty good as is, I don't think we want too many non-cartoonists and/or idiots in there. If it is on the front page, either it'll get swamped and spammed or ignored, I'm not sure which.

[Gage Kronos]

I like the look and feel of both, but I agree with faub and Ghastly on some of their points. RPin's design sets us apart from Keenspot more but the continuity is still there in the layout (at least to me), and I think the link to The Guide needs to be fairly prominent, since that's where the "meat" of Keenspace is.

One thing I would change though, is making that big green block for the Keenspot info smaller so the green doesn't stick out as much.

[Superlance]

I like RPin's site better because it looks more detailed.
By adjusting the size on my browser window, I can make zyphoh's page look better, but on any high resolution, it looks pretty empty and barren due to the stretch factor.
RPin's is kindof akward, the way it sits in the middle of the window like that, with 400 empty pixels on each side, but I don't really mind.

I suppose I should have looked through them more carefully; but I am about to pass out from lack of sleep.

G-night, ya'll.
*passes out*

[Jops]

I voted for RPin's...

zhypoh's is simple and good, but i get a sort of "empty" feeling from it

[ShineDog]

can Rpin do no wrong?

it would seem so.

*vote*

[McDuffies]

I don't know about Pin's logo... a little less stars, that's what his design needs. There are stars all over and they remind me of either children's room or disco-era (none wanted in this ocation). But frankly, I don't like Zypoh's loko too much either, too similar to keenspace.
If I had to shoose from offered, I'd say zipoh's design (colours, images) with RPin's arangement of objects (you shouldn't give up on newsbox in frame, it's just too convenient).

[Phalanx]

Hmm, it's a hard decision, but I think zypohs's design is going to wear better than Pin's. Pin's is eye-catching and different, but at the same time, too much so that it's going to look dated very quickly.

I do like's Pin's layout better, though. (Although plus points for zypoh for having his page scale to window size! that's a really good feature.)

I would suggest using zypoh's theme, but like what someone else said, with Pin's prominent 'Guide' Button and other features.

[Rkolter]

I voted for Z's.

I agree with a lot of people here - Rpin definately has the better layout, hands down. But it's too busy - it really did hurt my eyes to look at it all. Z's effect was smoother and easier on the eyes, but his layout was really lacking.

I want Rpin's layout with Z's effects.

[ShineDog]

hmm. maybe pins site is slightly on the busy side, but i think the logo is EXCELLENT.

i just love the star = k thing. very clever!

[Zuri]

I vote for zhypoh, for a number of reasons.

His design is dynamic but simple and elegant. If you wanted to, you could easily swap in any of RPin's graphics. It would be easy to update the look at any time. It uses stylesheets so changes to color or design could be done very quickly and painlessly through the whole site. It loads smoking fast and is completely compliant with standards, requiring no imagemaps or scrolling. Sure, it looks a little empty now, but he doesn't have any content in there really. I'm sure it would look a lot less empty once the actual content got dumped in there. It scales to the screen and makes the best use of space avaliable regardless of your resolution. As a basic design, it works better than RPins IMO.

Hey STrRedWolf, maybe you should add a third option? It seems there is a trend here that people like Zhypoh's design/layout, but RPin's graphics. Maybe there should be an option for that? Maybe see if the two of them would be willing to combine forces and try for a third option? Sort of best of both worlds?