The guys (and girls?) at freshheads have just sent us their design for The Next Web Conference 2009 website. We like it but what do we know about design, right? Maybe YOU have some ideas about how this looks and how you could improve it?
Well, here is your chance! Download the PSD file and edit all you want. All the layers are there and you can do what you want. Then upload your design to Flickr or send it to me and I will upload it to Flickr for you.
We can’t promise that we will use your ideas but if they are REALLY good we will happily steal whatever you show us. If we do, you will get full credit of course. Thanks in advance… ;-)
Download:
http://www.yousendit.com/download/bVlDYnU0QTZ0TWxMWEE9PQ
Design Preview (click for large version):
Cool! Hope the readers come up with some good ideas to improve the design. Or is it all ready perfect? ;)
First of all, I think it’s an uninspired, standard structure. The Next Web should fulfil its name and come up with a progressive, though usable, structure. Using nice colors, fades and shadows just don’t persuade me any more. But then, maybe I’m too demanding…
1 tiny example: The polaroids look neat, but why not paste all the important logos (Flickr, Twitter, RSS, LinkedIn, etc.) there? In this design they’re to be found on the far bottom. I don’t think that’s very handy.
I don’t get why freshheads put the 12pt text in anti-alias mode(‘sharp’ in this case) instead of showing how it’s actually going to look in a browser(by using the ‘none’ mode).
Anyway, I made a version with more nextweb like colors (eventhough version 1 was probably also like this). And the way most of the text will actually be displayed in the browser, it’s hard to see on flickr though but couldn’t upload it any bigger.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30705410@N08/2899105699/sizes/l/
It needs some more Amsterdam branding! Now it’s just another conference, while we’re based in one of the greatest cities of the world. Every time I travel to a Web 2.0 conference, people are ecstatic when they hear I’m from Amsterdam. Same goes for The Next Web…
Let me first pose the question many of us out-of-towners are wondering about: who is Freshheads and what makes them qualified to redesign this blog / conference website?
Looking at the mockup, I have to say: nothing. No offense guys (and gals), I bet you do pretty work and are well-known in Holland, but this reminds me of a CSS template I saw somewhere.
It may be that you made the CSS template in the first place, but either way, this is not as hot as I would expect the “The Next Web 2009″ site to be.
Take a hint from SXSW, FOWA, LeWeb3, DLD and then come back with something serious.
No hard feelings by the way, it looks nice as a starting point, but nowhere near good enough for a real product.
Wow, that is some serious feedback people! But being critical is easy! Improving on something is harder! Stop bitching, download the PSD file and show us your skills!
One more thing: the site is currently designed to appeal to a broad audience and no just Web2.0 experts. We were looking for an easy to use and scalable design not an experiment in using every Web2.0 technology available…
I was surprised that no one else was giving it a try, so I made a design myself.
Let me know what you think:
http://rogierbikker.com/clients/thenextweb/
Good point – Amsterdam is a fantastic place, and it makes sense to include the ‘sense of place’ in the branding.
So how about this, Ernst-Jan? THE NEXXXT WEB
XXX is of course the city emblem for Amsterdam, the three Saint Andrew’s crosses symbolising the three main elements the city was always vigilant against –
X – Fire
X – Flood
X – Disease
Nowadays, XXX, perhaps due to the Dutch’s famously open-minded attitude that permits the activities that fascinate visitors to Amsterdam’s red light district, has a slightly different connotation.
But it sure as hell sells well!
I agree for some part. Think Freshheads is well capable of designing this site. Like there work, they make decent sites.
But I also think the design is kinda boring for this .
Think it can be more over the top, we’re talking about NEXT WEB.