Profile Design Contest's topics - tribe.net

New Tribe Skins

2007-06-05T13:42:41Z

I'm experimenting again with tribe CSS at http://tribeskins.tribe.net/

posted in Profile Design Contest - 0 replies

ghost town

2006-04-06T13:26:07Z

wow... I would love to make some new styles for this site.. is this still a possibility even though the contest is over?

posted in Profile Design Contest - 0 replies

Contest overview and background.

2005-06-23T21:04:00Z

INTRODUCTION
Attention all designers! Tribe.net is looking for great-looking templates for our new Open Profile. If you have fantastic design skills, and are familiar with designing for CSS-based pages, enter the Profile Design Contest now. Top designs will be featured in the Profile Template Library (a new showcase page that every tribe.net user will use to customize their page) and the very best design will win its creator a new 1GB iPod shuffle.

To enter the contest, e-mail your design as a high-quality JPEG to profiledesign@tribe.net. Check this tribe (the Profile Design Contest tribe, at http://profiledesign.tribe.net/) to get the latest news and tips about designing for the contest, as well as sample designs to get you going.

Don't miss this chance to show off your design to the tribe.net community. But hurry -- this contest closes Friday, April 1st, 2005. (And no, we're not joking about that date...)

OVERVIEW
Tribe.net is opening up its profiles, to accept user-created styles. The new Open Profile has been built with a well-defined stylesheet, which is now available for modification by CSS-savvy designers. We will be accepting styles for inclusion in the tribe.net Open Profile Style Library, which will be shown to every tribe.net user that customizes their profile. This is an excellent opportunity to show off your skills to a creative, communicative audience.

CREDITS
Selected styles will be listed on the Open Profile Style Library page, with the following information:

1. Thumbnail image of style
2. Style name, as designated by designer
3. "Designed by" credit with designer's name, and link to their profile

DESIGN SAMPLES
Please refer to the sample designs that have been posted in the Profile Design Contest tribe, which should provide an idea of the customizable areas of the template. Also feel free to ask Elliot Loh, Pete Butler and Victor Barclay for tips on how to design a profile template.

THE FINE PRINT
Contest starts on March 24th, 2005 and ends on April 1st, 2005. Tribe.net will announce the winner of the Apple iPod shuffle by May 15th. Once submitted, all entries become the property of tribe.net and may be displayed on the tribe.net website. Designs must constitute original work by the designer. Any images (photographs and/or illustrations) must be royalty-free.

posted in Profile Design Contest - 3 replies

about the new profile

2005-06-01T16:27:22Z

I think it's a good idea to make us able to know right away when someone has sent us a message. Kind of like Messenger when there's a sound, and also blinking going on in the tool bar...

posted in Profile Design Contest - 0 replies

How do I get a new profile page?

2005-05-27T03:17:05Z

I have a lot of information to share with people, consciously and I would really like to have a page where I can display that information. I don't knwo much about web deisgin or computers, but I do know enough to catch on and get by. I'm dying without at leaste a blog page- help somebodY!!

posted in Profile Design Contest - 2 replies

Wonder how the contest worked out

2005-04-30T01:14:54Z

I was busy and never completed my entry
Anyone else submit? I'd like to see what everyone else did.
go to this link to see where I left off

http://entertaining-arts.com/tribe/newprofile.htm

posted in Profile Design Contest - 13 replies

Getting started on your design...

2005-04-24T03:18:16Z

First off, let me be clear: we're not asking you to create CSS -- at least, not yet, anyway. What you do need to be aware of is how our pages use CSS, and that will influence your designs somewhat. For example, our profile pages don't really use tables; instead they use DIVs and SPANs for major layout elements. (There are some exceptions, which I'll describe if anyone is interested.)

To begin designing your template, first take a look at either one of the new tribe.net profiles, or one of the concepts I've posted in this tribe's photo album:

Sample new profile (mine):
http://tinyurl.com/5w33s

Sample template, NYC concept:
http://tinyurl.com/4zpyn

If you look at my profile, you'll notice that each module is contained in its own box -- those are individual DIVs, which in turn are contained in two separate columns: a narrow one on the left, and a wider one on the right. Within each DIV, you're able to edit the styles for these elements:

- module title font, size and color
- module text font, size and color
- module background, color and/or image (optional)
- module border, color and/or image (optional)

Going up a level, both columns are contained in a larger enclosing DIV, which has some of the same customizable attributes:

- container background, color and/or images
- container header, color and/or images
- container footer, color and/or images

You can see these most clearly in the NYC concept ( http://tinyurl.com/4zpyn ) mentioned above: I've designed an upper background texture (the Brooklyn Bridge, subway tokens and people) that sits behind the content modules. Below all of that, at the bottom of the page, is a New York City skyline graphic. All of this sits on top of a yellowish background color for the main content DIV.

The NYC template has just about all the special treatments I could throw at it; there are special graphical borders for all the photos, plus customized buttons and divider lines for each module. Check the other two concepts for different combinations of style effects:

Sample template, Fibre concept:
http://tinyurl.com/5r84r

Sample template, Nozzle concept:
http://tinyurl.com/53ws3

The main thing to remember with designing a CSS-based template like this is that you're designing for a bunch of rules that are applied to self-contained objects on the screen. So, the challenge is to come up with a visual language that can be applied across a collection of objects, rather than designing each object separately. In general:

- All module titles should be the same style.
- All photos should be displayed the same way.
- All modules should have the same background images or colors.
- Your design should be flexible enough to handle very many modules, or very few -- and few/many individual items in each module. Design a template that can handle 20 different modules, each with 3 items, or one that has one giant blog module with 40 posts in it.

posted in Profile Design Contest - 9 replies

ya know . . . .

2005-04-23T19:38:16Z

I (like a lot of others i think) ran outta time and didnt get anything submitted -
-BUT-
if you have a contest - you should announce who the winner is -
its only right

posted in Profile Design Contest - 0 replies

CSS Stuff

2005-04-23T01:57:30Z

I probably won't get my entry done on time.
I'm so distracted by the CSS stuff.
Fun stuff.

If you open up your profile page and look at the source you will find:

<style type="text/css" media="screen">@import url("http://louvre.tribe.net/tribe/css/oc/layout.css");</style>
<style type="text/css" media="screen">@import url("http://louvre.tribe.net/tribe/css/oc/elements.css");</style>
<style type="text/css" media="screen">@import url("http://louvre.tribe.net/tribe/css/oc/presentation.css");</style>
<style type="text/css" media="screen">@import url("http://louvre.tribe.net/tribe/css/oc/masthead.css");</style>

I've opened each of the different css files in notepad for a look around. elements & presentation are important ones.

I loaded my profile HTML into Frontpage and saved it locally. Also saved those CSS files to the same directory.

Then I started Switching and adding stuff.

posted in Profile Design Contest - 6 replies

Applications?

2005-03-25T23:20:04Z

What applications are people using to design their templates?

We design in OmniGraffle here ( for Mac OS X -- http://omnigroup.com/ ) so my source files are .graffles.

I am going to see if I can post the .graffle for our generic template, so people can concentrate on designing instead of text entry. I'll also figure out if I can convert it to a layered .PSD without too much trouble...

posted in Profile Design Contest - 1 reply

Base stylesheet.

2005-03-25T22:21:05Z

Stay tuned here for instructions on how to view the default profile stylesheet, upon which your designs will be based.

posted in Profile Design Contest - 3 replies

Other sites to check out.

2005-03-25T22:15:34Z

For examples of incredible uses of CSS in custom layouts, check out the CSS Zen Garden. Click through the links for the latest amazing styles, and notice that the HTML stays the same but only the CSS changes:

http://csszengarden.com/

Jeffrey Zeldman and the guys over at A List Apart maintain the Shaolin Temple of CSS techniques:

A List Apart
http://www.alistapart.com/

Also check out some of our HTML Coding tribe for tips on CSS-based layout:
http://htmlcoding.tribe.net/

posted in Profile Design Contest - 0 replies

Sample template concepts.

2005-03-25T05:26:37Z

To get things started, I've posted three sample template concepts in the photo album. It's best to look at them as plain images in a browser window, so here are the links:

Sample profile style concept: NYC
designed by Elliot Loh
http://tinyurl.com/4zpyn

Sample profile style concept: Nozzle
designed by Elliot Loh
http://tinyurl.com/53ws3

Sample profile style concept: Fibre
designed by Elliot Loh
http://tinyurl.com/5r84r

I hope it's pretty clear from the various styles that there's lots of freedom to create different moods, just based on accent graphics, module treatments, and font choices.

Feel free to ask me questions about individual designs, or about how to design your own template.

posted in Profile Design Contest - 2 replies

Submitting your entry.

2005-03-24T06:34:52Z

Here's how to submit your entry for the contest. I recommend you design yoru profile in Photoshop, Illustrator, or some other graphics program that you're comfortable in, and then Save As a high-quality JPEG. Keep your original files editable, though -- if we choose your design, we may need to work with you to adjust certain elements to fit our stylesheet.

SUBMITTING YOUR STYLE
Styles should be submitted as a high-quality JPEG, e-mailed to profiledesign@tribe.net. You will receive confirmation of receipt via e-mail from that address.

Include the following with each entry:
1. The design itself, as a JPEG file attachment.
2. A title or name for your design (25 characters or less).
3. A link to the tribe.net profile who should be credited with the design.
4. A short description of your design, detailing any background or inspiration (optional).

If selected, tribe.net's interface group will work with you to prepare your style's CSS definitions and graphic assets for inclusion in the Style Library.

posted in Profile Design Contest - 0 replies

Design constraints for profiles.

2005-03-24T06:32:08Z

DESIGN CONSTRAINTS
Here's some background on what you will and will not be able to control when you are designing the template. (Remember that you're designing the visual elements around each module, as opposed to the functionality of the modules themselves.) If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me.

As designer, you will have control over the following:
- graphical header, footer, and other navigational and display elements
- fonts for module titles and text content
- display sizes for individual photos/images
- widths and positions of columns
- background colors of page and modules

Tribe.net reserves control over these items:
- location and appearance of header
- location and appearance of footer links
- the actual content: text and photos for each content item

Complete list of items that a style may define:
- Header graphic and/or background color
- Footer graphic and/or background color
- Page background graphic and/or background color
- Expand/collapse graphic for each module
- Background graphics for individual modules
- Action button graphics
- Fonts/sizes for module titles
- Fonts/sizes for module text content
- Sizes of individual images ("My Photo" modules)
- Border treatments for individual images
- Widths and positions of the left and right columns

Although each contest entry is submitted as a single file (see below), each design should be created with the intent of being rendered as several separate images (header/footer/navigation graphics), which together should total no more than 60k. In other words, designs that require large or very complex images are to be avoided.

posted in Profile Design Contest - 0 replies

Complete contest information.

2005-03-24T06:29:29Z

(This is the complete introduction, design guidelines, and contest rules, all in one place.)

INTRODUCTION
Attention all designers! Tribe.net is looking for great-looking templates for our new Open Profile. If you have fantastic design skills, and are familiar with designing for CSS-based pages, enter the Profile Design Contest now. Top designs will be featured in the Profile Template Library (a new showcase page that every tribe.net user will use to customize their page) and the very best design will win its creator a new 1GB iPod shuffle.

To enter the contest, e-mail your design as a high-quality JPEG to profiledesign@tribe.net. Check the Profile Design Contest tribe (http://profiledesign.tribe.net/) to get the latest news and tips about designing for the contest, as well as sample designs to get you going.

Don't miss this chance to show off your design to the tribe.net community. But hurry -- this contest closes Friday, April 1st, 2005. (And no, we're not joking about that date...)

OVERVIEW
Tribe.net is opening up its profiles, to accept user-created styles. The new Open Profile has been built with a well-defined stylesheet, which is now available for modification by CSS-savvy designers. We will be accepting styles for inclusion in the tribe.net Open Profile Style Library, which will be shown to every tribe.net user that customizes their profile. This is an excellent opportunity to show off your skills to a creative, communicative
audience.

DESIGN GUIDELINES
1. Stylesheets should accommodate variable amounts of text, as well as small and large photos. Keep in mind that users who select your style will be able to customize the amount of content displayed on the page.

2. The stylesheet's purpose is to enhance the presentation of the person that owns the profile. Suggested themes include (but are definitely not limited to): reserved, wild, professional, casual, music, nightlife, the outdoors, modern, classic, nostalgia, photography, ethnic/cultural influence, etc.

3. Styles that communicate a general personal style or theme are preferred over very specific styles. For example, a dark theme is preferable to one based around Dracula.

4. Style/visual appeal should not come at the expense of readability and usability. All content should be clearly visible on each style, and links should always be distinguishable from content.

DESIGN CONSTRAINTS

As designer, you will have control over the following:
- graphical header, footer, and other navigational and display elements
- fonts for module titles and text content
- display sizes for individual photos/images
- widths and positions of columns
- background colors of page and modules

Tribe.net reserves control over these items:
- location and appearance of header
- location and appearance of footer links
- the actual content: text and photos for each content item

Complete list of items that a style may define:
- Header graphic and/or background color
- Footer graphic and/or background color
- Page background graphic and/or background color
- Expand/collapse graphic for each module
- Background graphics for individual modules
- Action button graphics
- Fonts/sizes for module titles
- Fonts/sizes for module text content
- Sizes of individual images ("My Photo" modules)
- Border treatments for individual images
- Widths and positions of the left and right columns

Although each contest entry is submitted as a single file (see below), each design should be created with the intent of being rendered as several separate images (header/footer/navigation graphics), which together should total no more than 60k. In other words, designs that require large or very complex images are to be avoided. Please see the Profile Design Contest tribe (http://profiledesign.tribe.net/) for more information.

SUBMITTING YOUR STYLE
Styles should be submitted as a high-quality JPEG, e-mailed to profiledesign@tribe.net. You will receive confirmation of receipt via e-mail from that address.

Include the following with each entry:
1. The design itself, as a JPEG file attachment.
2. A title or name for your design (25 characters or less).
3. A link to the tribe.net profile who should be credited with the design.
4. A short description of your design, detailing any background or inspiration (optional).

If selected, tribe.net's interface group will work with you to prepare your style's CSS definitions and graphic assets for inclusion in the Style Library.

CREDITS
Selected styles will be listed on the Open Profile Style Library page, with the following information:

1. Thumbnail image of style
2. Style name, as designated by designer
3. "Designed by" credit with designer's name, and link to their profile

DESIGN SAMPLES
Please refer to the sample designs that have been posted in the Profile Design Contest tribe, which should provide an idea of the customizable areas of the template. Also feel free to ask Elliot Loh, Pete Butler and Victor Barclay for tips on how to design a profile template.

THE FINE PRINT
Contest starts on March 24th, 2005 and ends on April 1st, 2005. Tribe.net will announce the winner of the Apple iPod shuffle by May 15th. Once submitted, all entries become the property of tribe.net and may be displayed on the tribe.net website. Designs must constitute original work by the designer. Any images (photographs and/or illustrations) must be royalty-free.

posted in Profile Design Contest - 0 replies