IPB 3.0 Skin Help

[Smacktalks]

http://smacktalks.org/ipb3

This is the skin i'm working on for next week when we upgrade to IPB 3, so I was wanting some thoughts on improvements for it, image sets, etc.

Due to the coding changes all previous skins wont work in the new version of IPB, so the skin i'm working on, the default 3.0 one and the Lo-Fi versions will be the only available skins after the upgrade.

I'm looking to use the skin on here, the news page and cawsearch.com to keep everything with the same look rather than having to work on different designs for each.

At the moment i'm happy with the black/blue header, but the rest of it looks a bit bare and plain.

What'd you think?

[Nemo]

pick a dark scheme or pick a light one. you cant have both.

[ALL STAR]

I like the top section its nice on the eye but like you said i think its the light blue makes the open space areas look even bigger, i think it would look better a darker colour. Maybe if there was a design on the background on featured on areas of the site.

[Smacktalks]

http://smacktalks.org/ipb3/index.php?/index

Here's the latest attempt, looks much better as a dark skin but i've still a few things to change.

[ALL STAR]

I like it looks alot better now.

[Aero]

im not a fan of the jet black look, mayb grey scale it a bit, like the current site's grey night skin colour i also like the side bits on the grey night skin... check it out. at the min i just think the light grey forums etc just dont work on the pure black bg.

[Fozy]

its fucking horrible.

[Smacktalks]

I modelled it on your face <_<

[Nemo]

a little mashup i did with light/dark cross sections: http://nemoso.com/images/st_3.png

admittedly, my skills arent what they used to be. however, i hope this is at least a point in the right direction.

[Smacktalks]

Cheers Sal.

I'm not really keen on those colour schemes with the skin either. I dunno if it's just the design of the skin as opposed to the colours. It just seems too bulky.

I'll try setting the cellspacing to be less than it currently is and also try a fixed size width liek the current default skin on here and see what it looks like.

I tried putting the dark version's header into the cawsearch template on a test page to see what it looked like and it doesn't look too great imo.

http://cawsearch.com/lowm/view_caw_new.php?idx=1

In terms of cawsearch I think it'd be best to have the menu on the left be part of the tabbed menu, so instead of Forums, News, Etc. you've got the links to each games section, but then it changes it from the forum version which I was wanting to put on all pages.

[Fozy]

Definately the worst thing is the design, but the colours are way too dark. I use the EzST skin, and it's lovely. I really do like the Smack logo too.

[jitz]

Ok dso I just came in here, and followed Paul's link, and it takes me to the a "skin" that is black with grey boxes. It looks like an old Geocities website, fuck the colour codes, lets just go with the preset options...oh black and grey, that'll do. Not a fan.

Sal's link leads to a pic with two dead sexy skins, especially the light one which rivals the all conquering EzST skin. Then Paul posts saying it looks horrible. Meanwhile his is black with grey boxes...

Paul, maybe you should host the site HERE.

[Smacktalks]

Are you not sick of the blue colour scheme yet?

I went with Black/Grey because the default IPB skin is white/blue.

Here's a link to the iSkin i've been thinking of using. It's part of the contest IPB are running where the winning skin is included with any new IPB releases.

Here's a forum? with the other entries, any you like?

[Aero]

i looked through a few, i like "thoreau - Dark"

[Nemo]

though im not a fan of red, imperial blood is definitely the winner in terms of sexiness. ip duo is also nice in the sense that it isnt too dark, yet is still easy on the eyes. the rest of them are way too generic.

and to answer your question, mots, no. not all of us are sick of the blue scheme. color schemes are timeless. you can change the site a thousand ways without changing its colors. if anyone here is anything like me, it's not about clinging to the past - it's about clinging to a design that doesnt burn our retinas.

this one isn't cutting it. it's too bright and green was never one of our colors. it's un-britaustraliamerican.

[ALL STAR]

I agree with sal, i like the iip duo skin think with the logo it will look alot better than the current one. Not to keen on the iskin looks a little washed out, which ever one is chosen would say not to choose one with a very light background it gives the impression its a vast space with stuff floating around.

[jitz]

I don't mind IP Duo either, I would bump all the colours up a few shades though.

Yeah it's not about getting sick of blue, it's just what works. I think about colours I'd like to see on a forum and start crossing out - green, lots of red, yellow, lots of orange, purple etc. Red, yellow and orange would all work very well as accents, but as the main colour behind a skin, blue is perfect. I also don't like dark skins, so i wouldn't use black.

[MasterOfTheSwanton]

Well i'm tempted to regress to a backup, IPB3 just seems to be full of errors right now.

I cant even update the skin as images keep disappearing, etc.

[Nemo]

your sig is fucking gay.

[Smacktalks]

lol, forgot I added that.

[Smacktalks]

Ok, so...

For this blue skin, aside from the colour and fixed size, any other other suggestions?