# MacOSX.com Monthly Contest



## Trip (Sep 23, 2003)

Hey there!
I was considering starting up a monthly "official" MacOSX.com design contest! I havn't discussed this with any other team members here at MacOSX.com or anybody else, so I'm trying to keep this as open as possible. Where you AND moderators/admins give idea's for this.

Basically I'll setup a specific theme, and each member get's a month to submit their design for whatever the theme is. Right now I have no prizes in mind. "So what's the point" you ask? The point is to have fun! Get these forums a little more active! And share your talents with hundreds of other designers!

An example of a theme I might provide could be anything from "Cars of the year 2020" or "freestyle". The winner would be choosen by myself and a specific panel of judges, and their winning peice would be praised by all here on the DTP forum.

What do you all think? If we get enough people to support the idea, and I get the "go ahead" from the moderators/administrators the first contest will begin next month!


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## potter__ (Sep 23, 2003)

I love the idea of having a contest or at least a forum where we can post our work to show other members, but I have one request. Please, PLEASE, don't end up doing contests like "photoshop this woman on a bike" or the type of contests that Fark.com or Somethingawful.com have. This site is too, hmm... well... it's above that level. Not saying that those types of sites are bad, but I don't think that the moderators nor the members of this community would enjoy the surge of geeks and nerds that come with said contests.

Ideas like, design a new interface look, or maybe, ideas for 'Powerbook G5' (which I have heard from a reliable source that they are well underway to  bring out late 2004 - early 2005).

Like I said, I feel that doing something along design contests or forums are a good idea, but I don't think we should get to carried away with ideas like those of 'the other' sites.

All the best,


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## nb3004 (Sep 23, 2003)

i think its a great idea too, possibly something like this site http://www.worth1000.com/ which has a specific topic but leaves it to be open, also, maybe  every two weeks instead of a month, so it isnt so long in btw.  But i would def. post stuff


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## Arden (Sep 24, 2003)

Same...

Maybe "Design a new theme for this site, the winner gets his/her theme as an option in the User Control Panel."


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## fryke (Sep 24, 2003)

Hmm... My idea would be: Useful desktop pictures. There's a lack of those in this universe. Sure, there are tons of interesting, nice, beautiful, ugly whatever desktop pictures, but what about those that really help you get your work done? Heck: THAT's the part where we can add to the already great GUI of Mac OS X! ;-)


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## Arden (Sep 24, 2003)

Okay, so what would you define as a useful desktop picture?


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## Trip (Sep 24, 2003)

I've got the themes thing down. They'll be usefull and fun! Nothing stupid or pointless. So you can expect them to be fun...but at the same time challenging.


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## Cat (Sep 24, 2003)

Useful desktop backgrounds ... hmmm ...
I know of a guy who put a nice 10x10 grid as desktop picture: helps him keep the icons organised, can even be used as guides, etc.

OTOH, I can imagine someone putting a colour scale in the background: a nice rainbow image with names, RGB values and corresponding hex-codes. 

Or putting in the background that famous quote / formula of that famous person / book you're writing a paper on. 

Or keeping it blank so it doesn't distract you 

Or blue, for calming effect!

Or ...

Well, Fryke, what did you have in mind?


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## potter__ (Sep 24, 2003)

You have some really good ideas there Cat other then the fact that what you see on screen for colour, is not what you see when you print. There are many variations within programs and hardware that change the way colours look. The grid thing I think is a good idea other then the fact that a: screens don't come in a 1:1 aspect ratio and b: there is already a snap to grid option for you icons so they can be organized, what would be good would be your calming images. The grid system would work if it was divided into sections which had different topics of classifications: ie students schoolwork - Freelance - drives etc...

I think the idea and concepts are great but think of the practicality of them. But make a few, lets see, I am being honest, I am interested in seeing if you can pull off something that might just work.


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## Orbit (Sep 24, 2003)

I agree all of these would be fun and some nice new desktop pics would be nice


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## Arden (Sep 25, 2003)

Potter, people don't usually print their desktop backgrounds, so the color issue is more of a nonissue.

The computers in the labs at school have a desktop background with the rules on it, as in no food or drink, no email, etc. so you see it as soon as you get on.  So I can see how they'd be useful for that.


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## Trip (Sep 25, 2003)

Ok well, this idea has been discussed over with Scott. You can expect something soon, just not too soon. 

Thanks for all the input by the way! It was very appriciated!


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