Web Design Mockup: Updated 1/24/2013

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Hello everyone. I created a mockup for the website in Photoshop and I will be building the site on the Drupal 7 framework that will allow any member with developer status to update it and add articles. I have never worked with it but i think it is perfect for what needs to be done..


By the way the links in the nav bar are just place holders. I was thinking more along the lines of Home | News | Media | Forums | (Something about getting the game)

Also i used a free font called RedFive instead of the Astro font used in the logo because it costs $20 USD.

Let me know if you have any suggestions for improvements or features you would like to have in the website.

Edit: Added poll to determine what domain name i should buy. I can get 1 for $0.75 USD or 2 for $1.50 USD and i will pay for them and hold onto them so nobody else can take it/them.

Hmm, I'd leave starwarsbattlecry alone, as it sounds more official, could cause legal problems and shit.
Though you could get em both, but use just one\redirect.

Great work Mando!!!

I'd go for a bit more simplistic. The BattleCry colors (logo) are black, white and red so maybe keep those as main colors.
Maybe the background just a solid black (maybe some posed characters later when we have some nice polished ones; similar to the SWBF 2 DVD cover, stormtrooper on the right, rebel trooper on the left).

I'll maybe write some more about how I imagine the website and maybe find some examples of other websites which are cool. But later.

That looks pretty good Mandosis, i like the design and the fonts of the top, although i would go for a more simplistic background, just a solid color like the grey in the background of the forum ->
And i would change the blue holo type effect to red, so it keeps the battlecry logo color scheme like Schlechtwetterfront suggested.
As for what to put into the different categories, we don't know yet.

I took your suggestions and simplified the design and made it full width. Let me know what you think. Also i should add you cant get into any legal bs with domain names. The worst Disny/LucasArts could do is to buy the domain name. Who ever registers it owns it fair and square.

A lot better than the first one.
I have 2 very quick mockups:



I took your second mockup and simplified it a bit more, didn't like that 'bar' behind the menu entries that much so I went for just text. That text would look like yours tho, with Star Wars font and all.
The first one is based a bit on the CryDev website, which I think looks pretty cool:
http://www.crydev.net/newspage.php
You can see that horizontal line and the gradient there, too.


Just throwing stuff around tho, I have no clue about building a functional website so there might be some things which are really hard to do.. who knows.

I like Mandosis' second pic the most so far, but they are all great.

I like the first one he did. The minimalist ones defeat the purpose of having a person doing the web design. We're not really separated from another low quality mod that can make the same thing in a WWYSIWYG editor.


I like the first one. I would like it to be more information based though. http://www.twmod.org/content.html#.UQCdcV5i4rU tractionwars' website is easy on the eyes, looks great, and easy to navigate all while not lacking

I think you misinterpreted my mockups.
http://lucasarts.com/ might be better to showcase what I thought of. Although of course the pic would be smaller and only used as header (like traction wars). You have the Logo in the middle with menu options to the left and right. Similar to my mockup #1 and Mandosis' #2, just without the bar.
Then, separator of some sorts, and then the body, which of course won't look like the one in my mockup, that was just there to have something at all as the body, and show that we will most likely have quite a lot of text on there.

And a web designer is not there to pack the website full of graphics. In our case the main feature we need is easy manageability for all of our members. And we don't need the website to separate us from low quality mods, we will have our game content.
Right now, to be honest, the first layout as is would make us look MORE like a low quality mod than a clean, functional simplistic layout (no offense here), IMO it's too cluttered (with the overlarge white things/buttons at the bottom), the holo effect doesn't give the art justice and the space is not well used.

And the Traction Wars website is a good example, but I don't see any resemblance to Mandosis' mockup #1.
If you break the TW site up, the only not simple thing is the header, because it has the logo + a banner. The body layout/visuals are very much simplistic but the features and game content they fill it with get the focus so it doesn't appear bland or anything.

Focus to the banner, the game content and the functionality of the website, not the visuals of the website.

The color scheme is ugly, but in terms of layout (small header with menu, tight, simple 'body')
http://technicalgamedesign.blogspot.de/search/label/CryEngine%203%20SDK

Header with banner, simple, functional 'body')
http://www.gamebanshee.com/starwarskotor/locations/crystalcave.php

I hope you get my point.

The second version from Mandosis is really good.
The top with the basic menus and the logo of the mod in the middle( or on top of all the menus).We can have some dropdown menus that go to different section. The menu better be distinct than the other part of the site like Mandosis did it very well.

The background should definitely be something more simple like space with stars or black.
There might be a star destroyer also ( not too big) and some space fighters if we use space.

In the center of the screen on the main page we can put the news.
I got some other ideas like on the left we can put a poll, under which we can put chat and etc. (This might get the site too busy so this is just an idea.)

I agree with SharkYbg i think a star field with a star destroyer with maybe a few fighters on the side of it would look good on my first mock up. I think i will add that to it but it will only be a star field. Shcelechtwetterfront LucasArts side is partially built on flash and I don't belive the design will work well with the Druapl framework and does not really stand out or look very modern.

I didn't really talk about the inner workings of the page, just the looks of the header, which is similar to your mockup number 2 with the logo in the center and the menu to both sides of the logo, but without a bar as background, just the banner.
I think lucas arts design actually looks pretty good. It's nice and simple AND is functional and easy to navigate. The visuals have some sci fi elements which would fit your website, too, although it's in no way required.

As you're working with that framework, did you test out how much/in which way you can edit the layout, weekdays required and all that stuff? Not that you waste your time designing something which might not work in the end.

You can edit the entire layout thats not the issue its getting it so anyone one that is an admin can easily change the text of the links and such instead of having to create a menu bar not attached to the framework at all.

Also i just added the first mockup with a space background but the hologram effect got messed up.

Definitely looks better than the first one. However, I think the background behind the weapon should be opaque. And please, not the holo for the art. At least not for the large images. A gallery with thumbs.would be the best solution, then have pop ups for the large images. Then you can have the holo in the thumb gallery. The holo effect just distorts the actual image too much.

I actually did that to the image of the blasters my self to make them look like part of the holo but i think it will be more practical to do just a standard slider in the end.