Challenge Summary
TopCoder.com has gone through much iteration over the years but one thing has remained the same - the focus on how we do what we do. Now we want to change that message and we are looking for you, the TopCoder community, to show us how. Our new focus is no longer how, but "what we can do for you".
We are looking for one (1) screen design of the TopCoder home page (www.topcoder.com). We want for something different from the current homepage, so please think out of the box and do not simply update the current design.
We want an innovative and engaging design - a layout that grabs the user, shows them "what we can do for you" and encourages them to do it.
This contest allows stock photography. Please see the Contest Details below for policies and requirements.
Tournament Format This competition will be run as a two-round tournament with a total prize purse of $1000. Round 1 At the end of Round One, we will choose Five (5) review winners; each will win $50 and a Design Review. These winners and any member who had a passing submission in Round One will be eligible to compete in Round 2 for the additional prizes. ** Note: For this contest, TopCoder is allowing competitors who submitted in Round 1 but failed screening to still compete in Round 2. They will ONLY be eligible for the final prizes if their reasons for failing are corrected in their final submissions. They are NOT eligible for client feedback. Round 2 Round 2 will start with the announcement of the Five $50 Round 1 winners and the posting of their design reviews in the contest forum. ----------------------------------------------------- We are now in Round 2 Congratulations Round 1 Winners on your $50 Prizes: 21342 - ali_raza_shaikh 21330 - abedavera 21358 - leben 21347 - ujazz 21374 - gh3ablo Requirement Changes - Please remove the navigation items ("engage, compete, studio, etc.") & the "login/password" links currently on the TC homepage. - Add a small "learn more" link to each of the customer testimonial items. - The testimonials will change, either on refresh or in some animated fashion, so your designs should indicate that. ------------------------------------------------- Contest Details The message of the new TopCoder home page will be "what we can do for you". It must equally engage the client and the competitor, easily showing them what they can do and quickly move them in the direction they want to go. Content You must use the following content in your page design: 1. Main Headline (Question): "What could you accomplish with a staff of 212,455?" - This is the main statement of the entire page. It should be a large size with a lot of white space and strong design. - The number is the current TopCoder member count and will change in real time in the final build of this page. 2. Sub-Headline: "Our clients are finding out every day." (insert one of the below statements here - 2a-2d) - This is a static answer and will remain consistent on the site. - The statements below (2a-2d) will show up randomly each time the page refreshes. 2a: "A major corporation builds a web-based financial tracking system" 2b: "A restaurant chain built an iPhone app, allowing customers to order from their menu and daily specials." 2c: "A global insurance firm redesigns the branding of their best-selling product line." 2d: "An entertainment company generates ideas for mini-games to be promoted with a major motion picture." 3. Potential Client Area: This is the potential client area. See Target Audience below for more information. - Headline: "We've been "crowdsourcing" since before there was a name for it." - Text: "Find out what customers ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500's have known since 2001. TopCoder's global community and unique model of competition-based development delivers higher quality results, faster and less expensively than has ever been previously possible." - Call to Action: "Get Started" 4. Potential Competitors - Title: "Designers and Developers" - Text: "At this moment, there are 75 active competitions with $50,000 in total prizes. Get your piece of the pie." (the number of competitions and total prize amount will be dynamically updated. - Call to Action: "Compete now." 5. News Items - This is secondary content that MUST go below the rest of the content listed above. - Even though there may be many news items, there should only be 1-3 news items displayed at a time on the site. - You are free to use a carousel, accordion, fade in/out or some other fun, interactive presentation. - Please use a placeholder image, title and one line description for each news item. Design Requirements - The page must fit comfortably in a 1024x768 browser with minimal vertical scrolling. - The TopCoder logo in the current header must be used. The graphic logo file is provided. The TopCoder corporate colors must be used (red, black and white). They are found in the current home page masthead (www.topcoder.com). You are free to include any additional colors of your choosing. - DO NOT simply update the current home page design or copy elements from that page. We are looking for a completely new design and layout. Be innovative and creative. Design Considerations - The page should be simple and not cluttered. It should be open with a lot of white space. - The images and layout should focus on the message and not compete with it - The user's eye should be drawn to the key items so they can quickly move in the direction they want to go. - Keep it simple. We do not want any long or verbose explanations. That will be saved for interior site pages that the user can click to. - The layout should have a large main area for the site's message (see reference sites below). - The user needs to quickly understand who they are with respect to TopCoder (customer or competitor) and decide which path to take. Depending on who they are, it will lead them down a different path. - The potential clients are the higher priority message, so please dedicate at least 70% of the layout to them. The other 30% is dedicated to the potential competitors. Target Audience When a user comes to TopCoder.com, they are either a: 1. Potential Customer - The user needs to understand that TopCoder can help them get high-quality software built and their creative needs fulfilled. 2. Potential Competitor - The user needs to understand that they can register to compete in software-related or design-related (creative) competitions and earn money. Reference Sites These sites show the type of layout and messaging areas that we are looking for in the home page redesign. - macrabbit (http://macrabbit.com/) - iceberg (http://www.geticeberg.com/) - fliggo (http://www.fliggo.com/) - postbox (http://www.postbox-inc.com/) - onehub (http://onehub.com/) - media temple (http://www.mediatemple.net/) - campaign monitor (http://www.campaignmonitor.com/) - office vp (http://www.officevp.com/) - mint (http://www.mint.com/) - backboard (http://www.getbackboard.com/) - clearspring (http://www.clearspring.com/) - lightCMS (http://www.speaklight.com/) - oh! Media (http://www.ohmedia.ca/) - ten24media (http://www.1024media.com/) Stock Photography Watermarked comp photography from istockphoto.com is allowed in this contest. You must follow these instructions or your submission will fail screening: 1) You must include a completed Third Party Content worksheet. It belongs in your Submission folder/zip file -- NOT your Source folder/zip file. 2) Only use photos, and only use them from iStockPhoto. Other iStockPhoto artwork is not allowed. 3) Be sure to keep the watermark intact. If the image is cropped in such a way that the watermark is not visible, please be sure to include the entire image in your source files so we can see that it is a comp image from iStockphoto.com. Contest Deliverables Round One - Homepage.jpg = Your proposed homepage design - Notes.txt = Any comments, suggestions or explanations of your design for the client. Round Two - Homepage.jpg = Your final and completed Showroom Page design - Notes.txt = Any comments, suggestions or explanations of your design for the client. Judging Criteria You will be judged on the following: - Quality of design - How the design met the above requirements and considerations - How the content was implemented - Innovation, creativity and originality - How well the target audience and messaging was met. Submission and Source Files Preview Image Please create your preview image as one (1) 1024x1024 JPG or PNG file in RGB color mode at 72dpi and place a screenshot of your submission within it. You are free to resize or crop your submission to fit this size, but do not add any filters or elements for dramatic effect, such as drop shadows or reflections. Submission File All Requested Contest Submission Requirements stated above. IMPORTANT- If you are submitting "small updates or changes" with multiple submissions please include in your notes file what is different or changed - this can be confusing to the client sometimes when they can't tell what is different. Source Files All original source files of your submitted designs. Final Fixes As part of the final fixes phase you may be asked to modify content or overall color/graphics.
Tournament Format This competition will be run as a two-round tournament with a total prize purse of $1000. Round 1 At the end of Round One, we will choose Five (5) review winners; each will win $50 and a Design Review. These winners and any member who had a passing submission in Round One will be eligible to compete in Round 2 for the additional prizes. ** Note: For this contest, TopCoder is allowing competitors who submitted in Round 1 but failed screening to still compete in Round 2. They will ONLY be eligible for the final prizes if their reasons for failing are corrected in their final submissions. They are NOT eligible for client feedback. Round 2 Round 2 will start with the announcement of the Five $50 Round 1 winners and the posting of their design reviews in the contest forum. ----------------------------------------------------- We are now in Round 2 Congratulations Round 1 Winners on your $50 Prizes: 21342 - ali_raza_shaikh 21330 - abedavera 21358 - leben 21347 - ujazz 21374 - gh3ablo Requirement Changes - Please remove the navigation items ("engage, compete, studio, etc.") & the "login/password" links currently on the TC homepage. - Add a small "learn more" link to each of the customer testimonial items. - The testimonials will change, either on refresh or in some animated fashion, so your designs should indicate that. ------------------------------------------------- Contest Details The message of the new TopCoder home page will be "what we can do for you". It must equally engage the client and the competitor, easily showing them what they can do and quickly move them in the direction they want to go. Content You must use the following content in your page design: 1. Main Headline (Question): "What could you accomplish with a staff of 212,455?" - This is the main statement of the entire page. It should be a large size with a lot of white space and strong design. - The number is the current TopCoder member count and will change in real time in the final build of this page. 2. Sub-Headline: "Our clients are finding out every day." (insert one of the below statements here - 2a-2d) - This is a static answer and will remain consistent on the site. - The statements below (2a-2d) will show up randomly each time the page refreshes. 2a: "A major corporation builds a web-based financial tracking system" 2b: "A restaurant chain built an iPhone app, allowing customers to order from their menu and daily specials." 2c: "A global insurance firm redesigns the branding of their best-selling product line." 2d: "An entertainment company generates ideas for mini-games to be promoted with a major motion picture." 3. Potential Client Area: This is the potential client area. See Target Audience below for more information. - Headline: "We've been "crowdsourcing" since before there was a name for it." - Text: "Find out what customers ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500's have known since 2001. TopCoder's global community and unique model of competition-based development delivers higher quality results, faster and less expensively than has ever been previously possible." - Call to Action: "Get Started" 4. Potential Competitors - Title: "Designers and Developers" - Text: "At this moment, there are 75 active competitions with $50,000 in total prizes. Get your piece of the pie." (the number of competitions and total prize amount will be dynamically updated. - Call to Action: "Compete now." 5. News Items - This is secondary content that MUST go below the rest of the content listed above. - Even though there may be many news items, there should only be 1-3 news items displayed at a time on the site. - You are free to use a carousel, accordion, fade in/out or some other fun, interactive presentation. - Please use a placeholder image, title and one line description for each news item. Design Requirements - The page must fit comfortably in a 1024x768 browser with minimal vertical scrolling. - The TopCoder logo in the current header must be used. The graphic logo file is provided. The TopCoder corporate colors must be used (red, black and white). They are found in the current home page masthead (www.topcoder.com). You are free to include any additional colors of your choosing. - DO NOT simply update the current home page design or copy elements from that page. We are looking for a completely new design and layout. Be innovative and creative. Design Considerations - The page should be simple and not cluttered. It should be open with a lot of white space. - The images and layout should focus on the message and not compete with it - The user's eye should be drawn to the key items so they can quickly move in the direction they want to go. - Keep it simple. We do not want any long or verbose explanations. That will be saved for interior site pages that the user can click to. - The layout should have a large main area for the site's message (see reference sites below). - The user needs to quickly understand who they are with respect to TopCoder (customer or competitor) and decide which path to take. Depending on who they are, it will lead them down a different path. - The potential clients are the higher priority message, so please dedicate at least 70% of the layout to them. The other 30% is dedicated to the potential competitors. Target Audience When a user comes to TopCoder.com, they are either a: 1. Potential Customer - The user needs to understand that TopCoder can help them get high-quality software built and their creative needs fulfilled. 2. Potential Competitor - The user needs to understand that they can register to compete in software-related or design-related (creative) competitions and earn money. Reference Sites These sites show the type of layout and messaging areas that we are looking for in the home page redesign. - macrabbit (http://macrabbit.com/) - iceberg (http://www.geticeberg.com/) - fliggo (http://www.fliggo.com/) - postbox (http://www.postbox-inc.com/) - onehub (http://onehub.com/) - media temple (http://www.mediatemple.net/) - campaign monitor (http://www.campaignmonitor.com/) - office vp (http://www.officevp.com/) - mint (http://www.mint.com/) - backboard (http://www.getbackboard.com/) - clearspring (http://www.clearspring.com/) - lightCMS (http://www.speaklight.com/) - oh! Media (http://www.ohmedia.ca/) - ten24media (http://www.1024media.com/) Stock Photography Watermarked comp photography from istockphoto.com is allowed in this contest. You must follow these instructions or your submission will fail screening: 1) You must include a completed Third Party Content worksheet. It belongs in your Submission folder/zip file -- NOT your Source folder/zip file. 2) Only use photos, and only use them from iStockPhoto. Other iStockPhoto artwork is not allowed. 3) Be sure to keep the watermark intact. If the image is cropped in such a way that the watermark is not visible, please be sure to include the entire image in your source files so we can see that it is a comp image from iStockphoto.com. Contest Deliverables Round One - Homepage.jpg = Your proposed homepage design - Notes.txt = Any comments, suggestions or explanations of your design for the client. Round Two - Homepage.jpg = Your final and completed Showroom Page design - Notes.txt = Any comments, suggestions or explanations of your design for the client. Judging Criteria You will be judged on the following: - Quality of design - How the design met the above requirements and considerations - How the content was implemented - Innovation, creativity and originality - How well the target audience and messaging was met. Submission and Source Files Preview Image Please create your preview image as one (1) 1024x1024 JPG or PNG file in RGB color mode at 72dpi and place a screenshot of your submission within it. You are free to resize or crop your submission to fit this size, but do not add any filters or elements for dramatic effect, such as drop shadows or reflections. Submission File All Requested Contest Submission Requirements stated above. IMPORTANT- If you are submitting "small updates or changes" with multiple submissions please include in your notes file what is different or changed - this can be confusing to the client sometimes when they can't tell what is different. Source Files All original source files of your submitted designs. Final Fixes As part of the final fixes phase you may be asked to modify content or overall color/graphics.
Please read the challenge specification carefully and watch the forums for any questions or feedback concerning this challenge. It is important that you monitor any updates provided by the client or Studio Admins in the forums. Please post any questions you might have for the client in the forums.