Post by Blink on Nov 15, 2007 23:41:42 GMT -5
I know it's just two weeks, but I feel wA could be so much more. Why wait until 2 months to start making changes?
I just came from Xylish's thread about Design Sites dieing at PBS. And he has some good points, it is hard to make an active design site. You need to offer something unique.
wA has a great skin, and the staff are trying really hard to make new content and keep us happy here in these opening weeks. But we have too much to compete with, we need something more.
How many outside member's are coming? Next to none - proboards design site's have fallen into there own community circle.
We need to brainstorm, come up with some Unique ideas that no other design site has tried. And then we need to get word out there. Let's turn wA into something huge.
Here are some of my thoughts. And In no way do I mean to put down wA. The staff here are doing a great job. And I understand that doing all this at once is not plausible. But this is the kind of thing we should be thinking about. And be happy I only put down half of my ideas (seriously, it's less then half).
Graphic Requests
Every design site has a graphic requests board. Why pick us?
Well my idea is to only allow "licensed artists" to fill requests.
They need to pass a test of some sort to fill requests, and then they get a badge. When people get tired of crappy graphics at PBS they come here to get a guaranteed decent image. If you make the badges slightly difficult this will make something for newer graphic artists to strive towards. Perhaps have several different levels as well?
Graphic Premades
Lot's of sites have premade images. What we need is the biggest, easiest to browse database. People have been submitting and thats great, but currently we don't even have an index thread. I remember starting out at PBS and the images I needed most were the icons and such, not banners. And always hated clicking through tons of threads to find something I wanted.
I can guarantee you that if we come up with a large collection of menu buttons, gradients, folder icons, and smilies, people will come to get them.
Coding Database
Why use our database? PBS has a larger one.
My answer to this is to have forum unique codes, and to show them. Have a category in the code boards index thread called "wA Codes". Release a proboard mod every month only available at wA.
People will come to see what's new. They will come to get resources no one else has. Not the same old codes they find at proboards support.
Graphic Battles
People can go anywhere to graphic battle. We need something new! Something unique!
A points system, a way to bet, a way to get new graphic designers involved. Make it exciting and new.
Introduction Board
Once again it's all the same. Scribble 'n Such came up with an Adopt the member idea and it worked great. People say the adoption board, and they sign up because they want to find out more. They wanted to be adopted!
There has got to be another way to welcome new members then spam at them
.
new Member Focus
I don't think we are currently noob friendly. When I was new I hardly understood how a forum works. We need a way to train newbs to proboards. To teach graphics, to teach codes. So people will say "Oh, you're new, head over to wA then."
We could at least start with a detailed welcome thread in introductions. I could write it if you want.
And even more importantly we need a way to reach prospective members. My ideas to do this will not fit here.
Building Up
You want to know what makes something fun? You want to know the secret? It's building up, getting better! It's badges and points and ranks and money. That's what keeps many forums rolling.
I suggested a money idea to Kahless and Moldy Cheese I feel would revolutionize proboards. They didn't like it too much, but some point system is needed. And a way to make it fun, perhaps some way to bet them? Just do something that hasn't be done before. People will come to wA and see us with badges in our signatures and go, "Hey! I bet I could earn a Graphics Badge" And they will sign up.
This is the best advice I can give.
I have more ideas but I won't put out too much. I have been watching forums for a long time, please think about some of this.
Unless this forum becomes even more unique then it is I predict I long struggle, as amazing at it is.
So let's work together and get something big rolling!
I just came from Xylish's thread about Design Sites dieing at PBS. And he has some good points, it is hard to make an active design site. You need to offer something unique.
wA has a great skin, and the staff are trying really hard to make new content and keep us happy here in these opening weeks. But we have too much to compete with, we need something more.
How many outside member's are coming? Next to none - proboards design site's have fallen into there own community circle.
We need to brainstorm, come up with some Unique ideas that no other design site has tried. And then we need to get word out there. Let's turn wA into something huge.
Here are some of my thoughts. And In no way do I mean to put down wA. The staff here are doing a great job. And I understand that doing all this at once is not plausible. But this is the kind of thing we should be thinking about. And be happy I only put down half of my ideas (seriously, it's less then half).
Graphic Requests
Every design site has a graphic requests board. Why pick us?
Well my idea is to only allow "licensed artists" to fill requests.
They need to pass a test of some sort to fill requests, and then they get a badge. When people get tired of crappy graphics at PBS they come here to get a guaranteed decent image. If you make the badges slightly difficult this will make something for newer graphic artists to strive towards. Perhaps have several different levels as well?
Graphic Premades
Lot's of sites have premade images. What we need is the biggest, easiest to browse database. People have been submitting and thats great, but currently we don't even have an index thread. I remember starting out at PBS and the images I needed most were the icons and such, not banners. And always hated clicking through tons of threads to find something I wanted.
I can guarantee you that if we come up with a large collection of menu buttons, gradients, folder icons, and smilies, people will come to get them.
Coding Database
Why use our database? PBS has a larger one.
My answer to this is to have forum unique codes, and to show them. Have a category in the code boards index thread called "wA Codes". Release a proboard mod every month only available at wA.
People will come to see what's new. They will come to get resources no one else has. Not the same old codes they find at proboards support.
Graphic Battles
People can go anywhere to graphic battle. We need something new! Something unique!
A points system, a way to bet, a way to get new graphic designers involved. Make it exciting and new.
Introduction Board
Once again it's all the same. Scribble 'n Such came up with an Adopt the member idea and it worked great. People say the adoption board, and they sign up because they want to find out more. They wanted to be adopted!
There has got to be another way to welcome new members then spam at them
.new Member Focus
I don't think we are currently noob friendly. When I was new I hardly understood how a forum works. We need a way to train newbs to proboards. To teach graphics, to teach codes. So people will say "Oh, you're new, head over to wA then."
We could at least start with a detailed welcome thread in introductions. I could write it if you want.
And even more importantly we need a way to reach prospective members. My ideas to do this will not fit here.
Building Up
You want to know what makes something fun? You want to know the secret? It's building up, getting better! It's badges and points and ranks and money. That's what keeps many forums rolling.
I suggested a money idea to Kahless and Moldy Cheese I feel would revolutionize proboards. They didn't like it too much, but some point system is needed. And a way to make it fun, perhaps some way to bet them? Just do something that hasn't be done before. People will come to wA and see us with badges in our signatures and go, "Hey! I bet I could earn a Graphics Badge" And they will sign up.
This is the best advice I can give.
I have more ideas but I won't put out too much. I have been watching forums for a long time, please think about some of this.
Unless this forum becomes even more unique then it is I predict I long struggle, as amazing at it is.
So let's work together and get something big rolling!
*feels good inside*