A Tweak A Week Winner Number 1
Fri, Jun 20, 2008
Well it’s the moment you all have been waiting for… Okay, so maybe not… but after some serious debate and a whole lot of thinking back and forth, I’ve finally decided who will be getting the totally awesome theme tweak for week one. Drum roll please… and the winner is… “Robin” of NOAFilm.be
What makes Robin this week’s winner?
Contests are a tough thing to hold, especially ones like this, where I have to make a personal decision. Unlike my random winner contest like “PB’s Premium Theme Giveaway“, I’ve made this weeks decision based on what I feel is best for my business.
I feel that while Robin’s site is not in English and making it more difficult to complete, it will truly have an impact on the Premium Theme community. Because he’s already using MimboPro I this makes the buzz factor all that much greater. That said, I chose this site based on nothing more than the potential for future business, traffic, publicity, and a well thought out e-mail explaining what he was looking for… oh wait, he did what I asked for… moral of the story… effort prevails every time.
Robin’s Well Thought Out E-Mail
The thing with my site is that I feel everything looks a bit full on the front page, based on the reactions my clients give me I know that they often just look at the top 2/3 of the site. On the other hand all the info on the front page has to be there. What I was thinking is to remove the vertical boundaries, much like this site: http://www.raproject.com/ and maybe change the color combination as well though I really like combinations with brown and blue.
He also used Mimbo Pro as a base and by removing the side boundaries but keeping the content within boundaries it looks like the site has more breathing space (hope i express myself right)
I also want the header which now contains my company logo and some wedding pictures which I threw together in Photoshop to be redesigned, f.i. I liked what http://www.queromedia.be/ did with their header, it also spreads itself horizontally over the site and their tree’s roots end were the tags begin, very simple yet elegant. Now i don’t want a tree on my site
but something simple incorporating my Logo and some artsy fartsy video/photo related stuff.
Let the magic happen…
Robin has issued me complete design freedom on his site which I’ll take seriously. I’ve already got some mock up done and to be honest I’m pretty excited about it.As you can see in the picture above, he’s already made some tweaks on his own and I’m hoping take it to the next level for him.
I’ve take some design cues from the most popular styles of 2008 and mixed them in with a seductive, sensual, classic feel that is sure to lend a real focus to his business. Robin does some wonderful work in both photography and video so showcasing his awesome talent is something that this theme tweak will aim to do.
Robin mentioned in his e-mail that his readers tend to be interested in the top two-thirds of his site. In the deign world, regardless of the medium, is called “Above the Fold”. I reviewed a little bit about the importance of this area of a site in my article about “Building a Better Blog“.
The nuts and bolts…
I’ve already received the original theme file from Robin and so I guess you could say that the work has officially begun. I’ll make one brief mention though, that I’m not all that impressed as of yet with MimboPro’s image and thumb-nailing system. It’s very cumbersome to implement and even for a seasoned WordPress fanatic, it’s not user friendly in the setup.
Usage is pretty straight forward using “Custom Fields” but wow, I’ve fiddled with it for about four hours and just can’t manage to get the imaging system to work properly. Inevitably, I’ll be writing a review on the Mimbo Pro theme when this is all done so you can fully understand what to expect should you purchase this premium theme in the future so be on the look out for it.
In the meantime, I’ll be finishing up my mock ups and hopefully posting my progress tomorrow. with some totally awesome screen shots. if I can get the darn imaging system to act right, I might even have a live demo for you guys and galls too.
Three weeks to go!
Just remember that you all have three more weeks, with three more winners. I’m hoping that some of you will start to fully appreciate the time and energy involved in doing this stuff… so help me out and spread the word! Until tomorrow…
Tags: Business, Freebies, Premium Themes
June 20th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Hey PB, great site you have here. Just noticed that you said that Robin sent you the Mimbo theme files to tweak; unless you’ve already bought the theme yourself that’s probably a bit dodgy…
That said, I’m interested to see what the end result of your tweaking will be. Most of the Mimbo Pro sites I’ve found have been almost identical to the original style, but I don’t know if that’s because of elaborate coding or some other reason.
June 20th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
@ PJ: Hmmm… I’m not sure you’ve grasped what’s going on here PJ, so let me clarify. This is a tweak being done for Robin… I disagree that I should be required to purchase a copy myself when in fact it is not for me, therefore I will not.
To be honest with you, I’m a bit offended. Dodgy was not a good choice of words and anyone who’s read my blog would know that I’m one of the biggest advocates and supporters of premium themes… I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I’d gladly get into a copyright law discussion if anyone would like.
To nip this in the bud, I’ll close off this portion of my comment by saying that I am donating my time and energy into making something better for another blogger… I’m doing this for free. Oh not to mention that this “tweak” will only be opening more doors of creativity… in turn more sales.
In regards to why you’ve seen the same things over and over again without much real variation is simple really. Mimbo Pro is a great concept, however blogs like this one, utilize some of the same integrations but remain 1000 times more flexible than Mimbo does.
From the moment I opened the file, it was problem after problem… Still giving me trouble in fact…. not a good impression. Help forums are lacking a little luster too.
Anyway, thanks for the comment, I hope you have a better understanding of what’s going on here, and come back to check on the progress!
June 20th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Dear PB,
I’m really sorry that my comment offended you, that wasn’t my intention. I don’t doubt that your intentions are good in helping bloggers to tweak their themes.
My only worry was that sharing a paid/premium theme with someone who hasn’t already purchased the theme’s license or had official permission from the theme creator would probably be against the theme’s license. I was not calling you “dodgy”, I just thought that it was worth mentioning.
June 20th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
Thanks for clearing it up PJ. However, the theme’s license has not been violated. It is not running or more than one public server, and it is not being used on multiple domains. Rest assured, I know the terms. I’ll keep you up to date on progress too!
June 21st, 2008 at 1:40 am
I was quite exited this morning when I saw this and very honored to see you choose me for the make over
I don’t have much time right now because I have to get to work, when you are in the wedding business weekends are always working days.
Anyway, I am really curious to see what you are up to, if you need anything more just let me know.
June 21st, 2008 at 2:10 am
One last note and then I’m off to work, Mimbo pro is indeed a tough nut to crack, Darren had his hands full helping users getting the thumbnail script to work. it even took his personal attention and access to the ftp server and wordpress admin panel to get it sorted.
I must say that Darren’s help has been exceptional and at the end, I’m glad it all worked out because it was worth it, I think that his effort to make it easier for many has in fact made it worse to make changes which are really simple in other themes. His free mimbo theme, which I had before this one, has never caused any problem for me but certain plugins f.i. just don’t seem to work right when using mimbo pro.
All problems have been solved now but I think it should not be this cumbersome.
June 21st, 2008 at 2:47 am
The funny thing is, if PB wanted to make a post distributing this theme for free, he’d be within the law and there is nothing Darren could do. Would it be unethical? Oh, for sure, but there’s not a damn thing anyone could do.
Seriously though, come on man. The guy is doing a modificiation on theme, why the hell should he have to buy it?
June 21st, 2008 at 9:18 am
@ Robin: Well congratulations… sort of I guess!
I’ve actually got all the comps done, but because I can’t get the thumb nailing system to function properly… I can’t finish the testing or anything which might just make this a contest called “A Tweak Every Two Weeks”… Yeh, doesn’t seem to have the nice ring to it.
That said, maybe you could write to Darren and ask him what he changed to make it function properly. Once I know, I can get more done and you’ll get your new theme!
Oh, and you’re right, nothing should be this cumbersome. I DO understand the need for a few hacks… like a new cache folder… or some “chmod” changes on certain files… but to purchase something and then be required to get in line to have it hacked is a bit… well, not cool.
@ Nick: You’re so very right, but so that I don’t have to spend all weekend discussing copyright law to those who do not actually KNOW it… I’ll leave it at that.
June 21st, 2008 at 9:23 am
Mr. PB
I was wondering when you were going to tweak http://www.thepissbiscuit.com? I am sure there are always changes and improvements that can be made even to the work of an “expert” like yourself.
Your website could be tweaked. I did not notice many blogs on the web that require tweaking. Even web 2.0 blogs do not require tweaking.
These blogs on the web are in need of complete redesign! The way “designers” are coding their blogs and websites is atrocious! Mr PB, How are you going to make a few minor changes to these blogs and expect a difference?
Tweaking is making a few minor adjustments, which designers, like yourself, are entailed to execute daily.
With my understanding that a simple picture being repositioned on a blog can force a designer to redesign the entire website or greatly compromise his or her design for the remaining form of the blog, do you really think you can improve a blog with “a few tweaks?”
For the record, I do believe you “tweak your blog” perfectly.
June 21st, 2008 at 10:02 am
@ Mrs. Piss:
First off you’re pretty damn cute. Secondly I’m glad you’re getting involved and asking questions, so let me try and respond the best way that I can… after all you’ve made some really interesting points that should be addressed.
Define Tweak: Small, subtle changes that stir emotion, improve presentation, and influence the over all experience of the user.
You said: “Your website could be tweaked. I did not notice many blogs on the web that require tweaking. Even web 2.0 blogs do not require tweaking.”
I guess what you’re saying here is that I make “tweaks” every day on the Piss Biscuit… and that sort of makes it a labor of love… how can I possibly do that for the “Winners”? I can’t. What I can do, is make changes that fall more along the lines of a re-design and hope that the “winners” will come back and actually hire me should they decided to modify their blog again.
You also made references to other blogs not needing tweaks… they need total re-designs. Very true. However thanks to the power that is WordPress, a theme is NOT a permanent installment and can be changed with a few clicks… If a blogs current theme simply isn’t appropriate… I’ll change the foundational theme first before I start working on it. No biggie.
Yes modifying even one image can lead to a total re-design, especially from design freaks like myself. If everyone took the same “designers” pride in their blogs… the blogging community would be a much prettier place.
Do I think I can “tweak” a blog and have it make a difference? Sure. I think so… but a more appropriate question would be… As a designer, can I simply tweak a theme without getting more deeply involved? The answer… Not really. As a designer I’m pre-programmed to want to make something look as nice as I can… that means no matter how hard I may try… I keep working until I’m happy.
Thank you for the compliment too Mrs. Piss, I’ve gotten plenty of “props” over the weeks on the design, so I’m happy to know it’s now got your stamp approval.
June 21st, 2008 at 10:29 am
If you have any questions about the theme, feel free to email me.
June 21st, 2008 at 11:09 am
Thanks for stopping in Darren! I know that time is valuable so I appreciate the generous offer and I’m going to do just that!
I can’t wait to make some of these changes for Robin… I hope to make you proud as well as open some new doors for your fans!
June 21st, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Nice! Congrats Robin. I see that PB takes this very seriously (and why wouldnt he) and is going to produce a mad design for you.
Look forward to the re-design.
Missy.
June 21st, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Hej look! you both have your heads inclined in the same angle!
That most be result of the creative (right) side of your brains which weighs more. :b
Just send you a mail PB about used plugins
June 21st, 2008 at 9:45 pm
@ Missy: You’re not kidding I take it seriously! This is what I do for a living so I don’t want to end up looking like a jackass with some sub-par design. Granted, it’s turned more into a re-design than a “tweak” but I really think you guys and gals are going to dig it.
@ Robin: Got your e-mail thanks!