New look of the Pleased Sheep Films site

So what do you think of the new look of the Pleased Sheep Films site? Before you comment, please note that the forum design is only temporary and will be updated to match the slick look of the rest of the site later on this year.

Also we're still adding the site content onto the site so there are still some gaps and pages that don't work. We're aware that the drop-down menu at the top of the page is out of action too. We're hoping it's fixed soon.

 

[Booth]

Oh I guessed it was original design, I just meant it had 'a look' of a pre-installed theme

I'm not disagreeing or being funny with you so I'll explain what I mean, and where the designer will have trouble understanding.

Pre-installed themes will be produced by a professional graphic designer. So has this site design. So saying it looks like a pre-installed theme doesn't make any sense. It's like going back to Max and saying 'make it look less pro' in a way. How does he make it less like a pre-installed theme would be more help.

If you mean a free theme, I'd have to disagree and ask you to point me in the direction of a web design package that will do this for me, it'd save me a few quid

Do you mean it's lacking in character?

 

[Chris Finch]

I think what I'm getting at is that the 'movie theme' is almost too predictable to use on a movie based website. Rather than it lacking character it perhaps lacks a little originality. In my opinion I felt that previous designs of the site were a little more quirky and original.

The design of the graphics themselves is not in question, they are excellent! I'm not saying that I know of design packages with pre-installs that can re-create whats been done here, it just had that feel when I first saw it. I thought that maybe other (non-PSF) people viewing the site could have thought the same thing.

Rather than making it look 'less professional' I wonder whether the design should be slightly toned down so it appears a little less gimmicky...? So it says

'hey look at our stylish and cool website that has a quirky and original design idea to perfectly reflect the kind of films we make!'

rather than

'hey look at our movie themed website for our movies complete with movie lights and movie fonts...just in case you didn't get it, this site is about movies!'

Ok I'm being a bit silly but just trying to get my point over.

Hey maybe I'm making no sense and it's just me and if thats the case then it's all good.

 

[Chris Finch]

Look at the blinking sheep; it's funny, eye catching, original, quirky and a bit cheeky. I think it perfectly represents what Pleased Sheep stands for (or at least what I think it stands for). A design idea that takes it's inspiration from our faithful mascot could give the site a more fitting personality. Possibly just something to think about further down the line. I don't dislike this design, it's just you seemed to be going in a nice direction with previous designs and this one is oh so very different.

 

[Booth]

The original concept was that at first glance it would be conventional and shiny, and as you scroll further down the page it gets dirtier and slightly less conventional. Under the surface it's a bit quirkier. That was the idea and I think reflects our work.

The problem with past website designs is that apart from those that know us and what we're doing at first glance they didn't really understand what the site was. Perhaps we over-compensated

Although don't forget little things like graphics that Cop will be creating to go down the side columns of pages will add much to the quirkyness of the site. I know there's a lot of content on here already but it was all formatted for the past designs.

I know Max reads this thread daily so he'll take on board your comments... And firebomb your home at his earliest convenience

 

[Chris Finch]

Ok, that all sounds good Mike...looking forward to extra quirkiness 'Quirk factor 9 Mr. Coppack!'

Max - nothing personal...oh and my home is flame retardant!

 

[Booth]

I think I know what you mean, but if anything it's just the font that says 'Latest News', 'Recent Project's, etc that may be a bit of overkill with the 'we make movies' thing.

I quite like that the Pleased Sheep Films font is quite old school with the Sheep sat on top of it. At some point we're going to add him holding a rifle

Cop is creating the images that go behind the lights by the way so if anyone has any suggestions chuck it' in a bucket! Actually don't do that, just post them here

 

[Joanna]

With near 90% of the browser market the motive for innovation was not strongly present, resulting in the 6 year time between the IE6's introduction and its replacement with IE7.

Really?!?!?? That long?!?? Blooming Nora! Sheesh...

Looking at the posts today with less sleepy eyes, its text size is feeling fairly comfortable for me to read (if anything, it's the displayed usernames next to posts that look a touch too small now). Just as well, actually, as altering my browser font size is altering sig size but not main posting text size and if I do another 'ctrl +', all unbolded text looks bolded!

Afraid I'm still with Chris, though, on the background (sorry, very talented Max! ). Even though I now know it's meant to be a fly poster-type background, it's not...for me, anyway...'obvious' enough/relevant enough to what psf is about to be that effective. Just speaking personally, it's not really 'saying anything' to me and I'm still slightly scratching my head over what it's about. I think that for someone who didn't read the explanation from Cop on what it was, they might be a bit bewildered as to what it's showing, etc.

I think if going for a fly postery background, it would benefit from being a little less subtle/'obscure'. Maybe there could be some sort of Pleased Sheep-related fly posters stuck on 'wherever' (you can see I haven't thought this through!), with some torn/ripped areas on said fly posters. They could perhaps be spaced/presented in such a way on said 'wherever' to try and put across the 'independence' of the company...and the fact there are ripped sections is also showing how 'torn away' and separate PSF is from the major film companies.

Big apologies if I've caused any offence by the above!

Looking forward to Cop's graphics.

 

[Booth]

I think it could benefit from being a little darker. I like the idea of having ripped up Pleased Sheep stuff in it though. Perhaps in a future revision

And Joanna stop agreeing with Chris. Remember he eats live squirrels.

 

[Joanna]

And Joanna stop agreeing with Chris.

Nah, you've got that the wrong way round, Mike...

 

[Booth]

You still agreed with him and for that more rodents will surely die.

 

[Joanna]

And if I disagreed with him?...

 

[Booth]

He'd probably just do a stoat as consolation.

 

[Joanna]

Do you realise what image you've just put into my head by saying that, Mike...and just before bedtime, too?....

 

[Booth]

"Lunch!"

​

 

[Joanna]

I think you misunderstood me, Mike!.... .... :jawdrop:

 

[Booth]

Sex mad!

 

[Joanna]

I've just realised the 'mistake' I've made in putting in that last 'smiley'....*gulp :foldarms: *

 

[johngarfieldroberts]

all works fine on Safari (which I prefer over Firefox) on both Mac & Pc! New design is great, really catches your attention!

 

[Chase]

Site looks great fellas. I must say tho I have been having trouble with setting up my avatar. I have tried several times and finally resized a pic to 80x 100 pixes and its 11kb as well and it still won;t let me upload. Strange.

 

[Chase]

Ok, now I feel stupid because there it is next to me. So why has it been reading upload failed. Oh well. forget I said anything.