Is there a banner designer in the house?

[robkelk]

Posting for Bob:

One thing I'd like you pass on to the forums at large is that I wouldn't mind if someone more adept at graphics work than I comes up with a good banner for the new boards.  I'll admit that I lucked out entirely with the DWS image a few months back, and I doubt that I can come up with anything close to that for the forum on my own. 

--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[robkelk]

I've had an idea for a banner... Bob, what's the hex color code for the background colour you want to use on the forum? And where can I find the best available description of Doug's bike?

(Hex color code references: http://www.color-hex.com/ )
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Bob Schroeck]

Let me get back to you on both of those, Rob.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Inquisitive Raven]

It's not a full banner design, but I had thoughts about using some variation of this design for the background:
That particular quilt design is known as a Drunkard's Path, and you could select colors such that whatever text color you use contrasts with both design colors well enough to show up clearly.

[Bob Schroeck]

Well.  We can give it a try.  I'll never back down from a reference so obscure I don't get it at first...
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Bob Schroeck]

I've had an idea for a banner... Bob, what's the hex color code for the background colour you want to use on the forum? And where can I find the best available description of Doug's bike?

The shade of green I've been using all these years is #003100.  As for the bike, well, I've been deliberately vague on the exact details of its appearance, but you can start with one of the bikes from BGC and be in the right ballpark. Add to that these passages:

It wasn't new, that was obvious. Its flames-on-black finish, though beautiful and glossy in the morning sun, had dust on it, a scratch or two, and the occasional chip from stones kicked up off the road. The tyres were worn, with mud caked here and there still on the sidewalls. The saddle had several bare spots where heavy usage had rubbed the smooth finish completely away to reveal raw leather; the padding underneath it had molded itself to the shape of its rider through many, many long miles. The plastic of the cargo carriers was scuffed and stained here and there; one "stain" looked more like a scorch such as would be left by a jet of flame.

At the same time, it couldn't possibly be old. No one would ever call her a fan of motorcycles, but even she knew that nothing on the market looked like this, had ever looked like this — all cowls and fairings and huge, fat tyres on single arms instead of forks, long and low and... sleek was the only word that came to mind. But still muscular, somehow. It seemed to have a jet fighter somewhere in its DNA, and maybe a Japanese bullet train, too.

It was the engine that cinched it. Even without being a fan of motorcycles, Hermione knew what their engines should look like — chromed blocks with cylinders housing pistons; carburators and spark plugs and control cables sticking out of them; spinning gears driving loops of chain; grease and petrol and rubber. Not a miniature jet engine out of which grew a drive shaft that shot straight back to the rear wheel, gleaming black on the outside but a pale beige ceramic on the inside.

(from chapter 2 of DW8) and

There was a motorcycle parked nearby, hidden from sight by the cars until now. It looked like something from a sci-fi movie. Its rider must be in the store.

He wandered over to take a better look. Sleek and powerful, it reminded him of fighter jets he'd sometimes seen on the telly. Like it would be better suited to tearing through the air then rolling down a highway. And its instrument panel was ... odd. It was broad and tall, and had seams and hinges. Did it swing open somehow? It reminded him of one of those bloody stupid kids' TV shows. "The Transformers", or something.

There was a toggle switch labeled "mode select" covered by a piece of plastic that would have to be flipped up before the switch could be used. There were other unlabeled switches and a variety of dials as well a small LCD screen with a tiny keypad underneath it. And there was one big red button marked "SCRAM".

(from chapter 1 of DW13)
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[robkelk]

Thanks, Bob.

Looks like all the bikes in my 3D collection have twin-carb engines, so that idea's a wash.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Bob Schroeck]

Well.  I just installed a theme which I think looks pretty good, although I'll probably want to tweak the green when I'm not 1h40m past my bedtime.  If anyone wants to try their hand at a logo (to replace the "MyBB SanFelix" currently at the top of the page), I'll be happy to give it a try.  (Next time I have a few hours free at home, I might try my hand at it, too, but at the moment I have no real vision of what I want.)-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Bob Schroeck]

Looks like all the bikes in my 3D collection have twin-carb engines, so that idea's a wash.

Why not try it anyway?  If it looks cool, I won't quibble.-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[robkelk]

Quick-and-dirty drop-in replacement, pending something (anything) better.
http://web.ncf.ca/fm536/tempstuff/logo.png

--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Bob Schroeck]

Thanks, Rob!  I'll put it up right now.

ETA:  Oh, btw, for anyone considering working up a log: the subtitle, "Join the ongoing conversation!", is by no means mandatory.  I just put it there all those years ago because the space looked empty with nothing there.  Do not feel obligated to keep it if it makes a design clumsy or crowded.-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Bob Schroeck]

... And it's up, and I found where to change the color of the title bars, just to see how it works.  And it looks like the green I've used for the site since 1997 is too dark to go with the black background.  I'll have to think about this.  (Oh, and if anyone's curious, the green in use on the forums is #266F3E.)-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Morganite]

ETA:  Oh, btw, for anyone considering working up a log: the subtitle, "Join the ongoing conversation!", is by no means mandatory.  I just put it there all those years ago because the space looked empty with nothing there.  Do not feel obligated to keep it if it makes a design clumsy or crowded.

But it's cute, so don't feel like you need to try hard to come up with something else either. </kibbitzing>

I hope we can get something more in terms of light-background themes too. The existing one is kind of bleh.

-Morgan.

[Bob Schroeck]

Well, right now there's that and the default.  But I've got a browser window open on this page, and if anyone wants me to download and install a theme from there to expand the options, I'll be happy to.  Or from other sites, just send me the link.-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[robkelk]

I kinda-sorta like simple ... I'm not sure whether I'd use it, but I kinda-sorta like it.--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Bob Schroeck]

No big.  Simple is installed now.-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Morganite]

Eew, rounded-off avatars.

I kind of like MyIPB.

At least from what I can see in the preview images.

-Morgan.

[Bob Schroeck]

It costs me nothing but a few minutes' time to install these, as I said, so I'll add that one when I get home tonight.-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Inquisitive Raven]

I hope we can get something more in terms of light-background themes too. The existing one is kind of bleh.

-Morgan.

But I like dark background themes. Honestly, my primary beef with the default theme is that the text isn't bright enough to contrast well with the black background.

@Bob Schroeck After looking over the themes on the pages linked, I think I like Elusive, but is it too much to ask for full-screen previews?

Also, I think it would be a very good idea to make sure you have at least one light theme and one dark theme that are guaranteed to work well on mobile devices. Only some of the themes provide previews with mobile screen aspect ratios (in portrait orientation).

[Morganite]

Well, that's why we'd have some of both, yeah? There's probably some upper limit on how many different ones we can have (or Bob might want to impose one at some point), but we've got time to explore that.

(Turns out while I like the looks of MyIPB, it's just weird having the post buttons -above- the signature. Whose idea was that?)

Also, does that mean you're volunteering to test the themes for how well they work on mobile after Bob installs them? (And if not, should we say please? It sounds like a good idea, but it needs input from people who actually use the forum on mobile in the first place.)

-Morgan.

[Bob Schroeck]

I don't know if there's a limit to the number of themes.  They have their own table in the database, so I suspect that if there's a limit it's not a particularly low one.

Some of the themes on that site are explicitly for mobile devices; I'll look into grabbing a couple.  Plus the original basic theme for MyBB is relatively bright and clear and might work well on a phone or tablet.  

As for the color of the text on the existing default theme, I'll go see if I can brighten it up a bit.  It'll have to wait until I get home, because I don't have my "cheat sheets" for the various page elements handy, and I don't want to change things at random just because they look like they might be the right one.

Also, on my to-do list ('way towards the bottom) is making a custom theme that mimics the look of the rest of my website, with the black and green as accent colors and the majority of the page black text on a white background.  When/if I finally do that, I'll make that the default.-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Inquisitive Raven]

Also, does that mean you're volunteering to test the themes for how well they work on mobile after Bob installs them? (And if not, should we say please? It sounds like a good idea, but it needs input from people who actually use the forum on mobile in the first place.)

-Morgan.

Well, I could; I have suitable devices, but I normally read the forums from my laptop. It would probably be better if someone who normally accesses the forum from mobile does the actual testing.

[Star Ranger4]

I....  Might take a stab at something, but make no guarentees.

first things first, we ARE thinking about a new banner for the forums when we finish the move, yes?

Bob? did you have any real thoughts about what you'd like?Hear that thunder rolling till it seems to split the sky?
That's every ship in Grayson's Navy taking up the cry-

[b]NO QUARTER!!![/b]

-- "No Quarter", by Echo's Children

[robkelk]

...
first things first, we ARE thinking about a new banner for the forums when we finish the move, yes?
...

Yes - the one I slapped together is a placeholder, almost identical to the one we had except for the dimensions (an exact size match for the software-default banner) and the different font. Even I can do better than that; if somebody else comes up with something before I do, don't mind me.

Bob, are the 300×64 dimensions carved in stone, or can the banner be larger than that?--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Bob Schroeck]

You know, that's a good question.  I don't know how strict the image requirements are... but if my screen is any indication, we could probably go at least twice as wide without problems.  And some of the themes I've seen for download include images under the banner, too, where we just have black right now.-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.