Challenge Summary
Welcome to CSFV Newsletter Design Contest. We want this newsletter to be fun and engaging and to include information CSFV application related. Newsletter will be unique and informative and will be used in desktop and mobile or tablet platform.
Round 1
Your submitted design solution for a review.
CSFV Newsletter Design Template - complete and not complete version. (Desktop and Mobile)
You can submit
Round 2
Final All requested items
CSFV Newsletter Design Template - complete and not complete version. (Desktop and Mobile)
Notes.jpg: Any comments about your design for the Client
The goal of this contest is to create new design for "CSFV" Newsletter. This newsletter will be send to our recipients emails on a monthly basis. The audience for the newsletter is the CSFV current members.
Design Requirements:
- Your template design width should be in size 600px maximum for desktop version.
- You also need create mobile version, that will use fluid layout. See this site for reference, how differences of desktop and mobile layout looks. Use 320px for the width.
- Keep your design clean and simple. Put into consideration that in the next development phase after this contest finished, your design will be converted to HTML table layout. Avoid complicated layouts, too many embedded tables, and tables with too many rows and columns. A simple two-column table or it’s variations with a row across the top is about as complex as you can get.
- Include VeriGames logo in your email newsletter design.
- Use social icons in the newsletter. User placeholder for now to make you passed screening. There will be 4 Social Icons needed: Facebook, Twitter, G+ and Youtube.
- Use web safe font. Read reference here
- Design theme must looks simple and professional, refer to Client Expected Design section below.
- Color: The colors must compliment the CSFV Color Theme. See our current site design theme: http://verigames.com/
- Please download "Design Resource" links below for original source files like icons, theme, page design, and any graphics that can re-use as materials for this newsletter design contest.
-- http://apps.topcoder.com/wiki/download/attachments/112886008/FlowJam.7z
-- http://apps.topcoder.com/wiki/download/attachments/112886008/Ghostmap.7z
-- http://apps.topcoder.com/wiki/download/attachments/112886008/Circuitbot.7z
-- http://apps.topcoder.com/wiki/download/attachments/112886008/Stormbound-Part-1.7z
-- http://apps.topcoder.com/wiki/download/attachments/112886008/Stormbound-Part-2.7z
-- http://apps.topcoder.com/wiki/download/attachments/112886008/Xylem-Part-1.7z
-- http://apps.topcoder.com/wiki/download/attachments/112886008/Xylem-Part-2.7z
-- http://apps.topcoder.com/wiki/download/attachments/112886008/1.StormBound-GUI-Kit.7z
-- http://apps.topcoder.com/wiki/download/attachments/112886008/2.Circuitbot-GUI-Kit.7z
-- http://apps.topcoder.com/wiki/download/attachments/112886008/3.Xilem-GUI-Kit.7z
-- http://apps.topcoder.com/wiki/download/attachments/112886008/4.TrafficJam-GUI-Kit.7z
-- http://apps.topcoder.com/wiki/download/attachments/112886008/5.Ghostmap-GUI-Kit.7z
References about Email Newsletter :
1. Client expected design solution:
- News/Blog section should informative, show headline and the attractive sub articles.
- Pop up graphic, simple and nice design
- Need simple but well arrange categories.
- Usage of overlap & transparent art background? Be aware of background usage on HTML email, make sure it possible to build later on development
- See these sites below for some design inspirations:
-- http://designmodo.com/email-newsletter-designs-inspiration/
-- http://thesherwoodgroup.com/business-education/email-marketing-design-your-newsletters-with-pizazz/#.Ul1lVhZi5CA
-- http://bashooka.com/inspiration/25-beautiful-html-email-newsletter-designs/
-- http://beautiful-email-newsletters.com/
-- http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/create-send-email-newsletter/
2. Explanation about HTML Email Newsletter :
-- http://www.sitepoint.com/code-html-email-newsletters/
-- http://mailchimp.com/resources/guides/html/email-marketing-field-guide/
Content Requirements:
- There are situations this newsletter not having all categories of it each month. We need you create layout that let us easily remove one or some category. Make sure your design not break the layout when we show or hide some categories in case content not available.
- Include Like/Share buttons for each category in the newsletter.
- The newsletter also should look good on mobile. Many users will read their email on mobile devices.
Newsletter Categories
1. Developer Notes
- Put content from attached Circuitbot The Story.GI.docx
- Need your help format of Developer Notes in your design
- This category need show snippet of an article NOT all document content, and the rest should be online in a "More" link.
2. Mini Game Screenshots with captions
- Sample screenshot at attached Circuitbot_3.psd
3. Links to videos
- Need show 1 video per newsletter and an image with a play button.
- Pressing the play button can take the viewer to a web page on verigames.com or YouTube as necessary.
4. Images of recent cool social media posts
- See sample screenshots on attached social-comment-samples.png
- However, not all screenshot will be the same size, this is just an example. Your design need anticipate another sizes.
5. Gamer High Scores and other achievements
- This category will filled this informations:
| Terry P. | 10,987 points in Circuitbot | Two Stars! |
| Hassan A. | 6,789,908 points in Flow Jam | Top Point Getter! |
| Charlie C. | 5,678 points in Ghost Map | All-Time High Score! |
| Amy A. | 1,876,432 points in StormBound | Personal Best! |
| Maria S. | 4,567 points in Xylem | Highest Level Achievement! |
6. Game/Project News
- This area will pull Game News, Project News, CSFV News, Flow Jam News or whatever is appropriate for the content.
- This category should not be static in terms of heading.
7. In-game and Ambient Art
- This category displayed random In-game and Ambient Art from Verigames.com Mini Games
- For now you can show how attached Pg2_bottom.png and Apogee.psd looks on this section
8. Top News
- This section will pull Top News related all activity inside Verigames.com
- How the list should looks?
9. Updates
- This category are things like new game levels, new prizes, new contests, tournaments that are being held, fixes and other gameplay-specific info about any verigames title.
- Just a small category where we can put a blurb, an image if necessary and a link.
10. Member of the Month
- This section will be only show 1 quick information about Member of The Month.
- Format should be a pic person who has shared the most stuff in a month, one who has generated the most new players, one who has spent the most play time on the site, etc.
- Need show a blurb of text, a possible image and a possible link.
Target Audience
- Everyone who likes games from children to adult persons.
Judging Criteria
- Consistency with CSFV application branding.
- Proper implementation on your design for development purpose (HTML table layout).
- Uniqueness and Originality
- Capture all required informations
Submission & Source Files
Preview Image
Please create your preview image as one (1) 1024x1024px JPG or PNG file in RGB color mode at 72dpi and place a screenshot of your submission within it.
Submission File
Submit JPG/PNG image files based on contest submission requirements stated above.
Source Files
All source files of all graphics created in either Adobe Photoshop and saved as editable file.
Final Fixes
As part of the final fixes phase you may be asked to modify your graphics (sizes or colors) or modify overall colors.
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.