Sort of a general graphical question.

I'm basically looking for tips and suggestions on what I can do for a name banner/site layout based on the name and some preferences.

Any and all suggestions/tips are welcome.

Right now I have http://www.chessoscorner.com (hosted here of course).

But as soon as my registar fixes it's annoying problems lol, I'm going to register a new domain, and build a new website somewhat (based on the one I am running now).

For the most part it is a name change, but I am going to use this as an opportunity to re-design the site to some degree (basically I need a new banner and colour scheme).

The name is Chrisoft (I am so inventive using my name in it ), and obviously it's main focus is about software or more importantly at this stage, software I create (that ranges from programming, scripting and perhaps beyond to web related software).

I am using photoshop at this stage and am stuck for ideas for the banner/logo and colour scheme. You can tell from my site at present that I like blue lol (I also like the gray and white that goes with it).

I have been playing around with the banner/logo below, nothing much but just been playing with it, and not sure about the colours.

 chrisoft_logo_1.png ( 11.41k ) Number of downloads: 5


More or less, I am stuck on re-doing the site until I can come up with a good banner/logo and colour scheme (the banner/logo background is more or the less the basis for the site colour scheme).

So yeah, not sure how else to explain lol.

I just finished commenting on your name post, and really wanted to check out this one, too.

Like my previous comment, once you finally find that name that sticks, it is good to have the fantastic, moving, riveting banner... hey, that's how I was trying to think of mine....

While I was thinking of the name of my site, I was trying to create my banner title at the same time. My methods were using Photoshop and like 40 billion fonts! (ok, so maybe 1000)

I would start by using my font viewer and a few title ideas. Then once I found a few good fonts, I would go with what font matched which title better... and then continuing eliminating many possibilities, I went ahead and detailed a few possibilities.

I know it can become a long drawn out process for me, so I try to just take my time and try not to burn myself out sitting in front of the PC with 20 or 30 text titles staring at me... I was almost getting tired of seeing my page title!

I was satisfied with a few titles and designs that I started to show my wife a few drafts and then later sending out a few screenshots for suggestions and opinions.

I really think you have the professional feel going with your banner at the moment. I think it would be best to not over kill your text with embossing... and I like the shadow affect.

I think that maybe your icon might want to relate towards the style of your title name as if they were both white, or maybe your icon could be an off white with some opacity. I am perfectionist at times so that is why I suggest, and not tell... I have had people straight out tell me to do and not try... haha, that never goes over well!

But that could be an idea to try or to wrap your mind around. Either way, keep trying to enjoy the process, without it bogging you down.

Yeah the icon/logo (which is really kind of random as to it's use lol) just has a few options set on it, I can take them all off and have it back to flat black and what not.

I was trying to mess around with everything to see what I could get away with, with some nice filters and what not, but this is far as I managed to get without making it look utterly ridiculous lol.

I'll have another bash at it later I think, and I need to have a good play about with what colour scheme I am going to use (chances are a blue), but whether to go dark, light, or inbetween to a degree is what I'm tossing up on.

And whether to chage any of the current site layout, though that would be a great massive pain to do so lol.