Systematic Productions goes live! (my business and myspace layout)
- Thread starter Ermz
- Start date
smy1
Member
Jesus, this alone makes the gfx-guy look like a total n00b ...
Ermz: design looks cool if you want to cater only to a young, dark, metal-oriented clientele. If I was a rock band/label it'd look too angsty/teenage-y (and thereby a bit unprofessional) for me.
I can't say I find the words 'rock', 'teenage' and 'angst' to be overly exclusive from each other, but that's not to say I agree the latter two are appropriate descriptions of what's here. I had this theme in mind for some time and wanted to do it just like this because it's what I want to see, not adhere to presently trendy corporate designs. We work in music, and I find in this field its important to have some artistic edge, or ideas to express. This designs conveys very well what I initially had in mind, regardless of what some suits might think.
Waterboy
 Certified iPod Trainer
Very exciting! Congrats on everything, Sir!
Good luck to you. Keep us posted on how the business goes.
Take care!
Scott
Good luck to you. Keep us posted on how the business goes.
Take care!
Scott
smy1
Member
Ermz: that's cool, but you are breaking the single most important rule of website design: design for your clients, not for yourself.
Rock, teenage and angst totally go together. Engineering/production, teenage and angst don't go together. If I am shopping for an engineer, I might be inclined to go with the one who's website doesn't look like he's one of those totally unreliable goth-heads who's friend with 5 DeviantArt tutorials under his belt put together the site for him.
A recording studio website doesn't have to look like a car dealership site, but if it looks and feels (loadtimes of 850kb jpgs ...) like something run by a teenager, then it *might* hinder your progress.
Hey, but I'm an old fart! Maybe I am wrong and people will come storming to your door ... so let's wait and see what happens.
Rock, teenage and angst totally go together. Engineering/production, teenage and angst don't go together. If I am shopping for an engineer, I might be inclined to go with the one who's website doesn't look like he's one of those totally unreliable goth-heads who's friend with 5 DeviantArt tutorials under his belt put together the site for him.
A recording studio website doesn't have to look like a car dealership site, but if it looks and feels (loadtimes of 850kb jpgs ...) like something run by a teenager, then it *might* hinder your progress.
Hey, but I'm an old fart! Maybe I am wrong and people will come storming to your door ... so let's wait and see what happens.
That's cool and I appreciate your input. I'm getting the designer to reduce the image sizes now. I agree that they are excessive as is. Might have to wait till next year to see how effective the design is with clients, since the booking sheet is currently solid for most of the year (on the back of a half-arsed design I put together myself for the last year or two). In this business it's probably more about the word of mouth, so having a vanity myspace may not be such a huge drawback, haha.
Thanks everyone else. Really appreciate all the input, especially to you guys that listened to the clips for the first time. The whole thing was basically put together as a delivery mechanism for the sample player, where the crux of what's important truly is. I'll have the image sizes reduced soon so you won't need to wait an ice age to get the songs streaming.
Thanks everyone else. Really appreciate all the input, especially to you guys that listened to the clips for the first time. The whole thing was basically put together as a delivery mechanism for the sample player, where the crux of what's important truly is. I'll have the image sizes reduced soon so you won't need to wait an ice age to get the songs streaming.
vespiz
Mixing!
Mago
Austrian Blech Machine
It looks great, especially the Skull logo \m/
I also like how you talk about yourself in 3rd person on the page haha...makes the thing a whole lot more professional though...even if the sampels speak for themselves!
I also like how you talk about yourself in 3rd person on the page haha...makes the thing a whole lot more professional though...even if the sampels speak for themselves!
xFkx
gain induction
+1
Somehow my first impression was that It would rather fit a cheap action game, than a professional AE/Producer.
Did some google hunting, and found this page: http://www.myspace.com/engagedaudio
Gives a way a good semi-pro feeling methinks.
Please don't take this personaly Ermz, but I've got an FWA in my pocket to back up my judgement
Not taking anything personally, of course. This is up for you guys to take a look at; you are more than welcome to voice your opinions. So far the vast majority are loving the design, and the main criticism is the loading time, which should be sorted out in the next day or two. I respect that some guys feel like you do. Truth be told that all ran through my head before I even committed to the concept. I know it would be non-traditional for a professional tradesman to have a site like this. But that's part of the charm about this to me. If you've caught any of my rants about the state of the music industry, and furthermore: how much I love video game composers, you'd know exactly why it looks the way it does . So the split between clients will likely play out the same way. Guys that want a clean, simple, 'professional' presentation will likely give that site a miss. Guys that dig graphics and vibe, and are perhaps at heart a little geeky will enjoy it. Since I'm in the latter boat, those are the sort of clients I would hope to attract
Thanks for voicing that, by all means. Just one question. Is there a reason you guys are saying stuff like 'fit a cheap action game' and 'Jesus, this alone makes the gfx-guy look like a total n00b ...'. It sounds less like constructive criticism at this point and more like there's an axe to grind. I hope this design doesn't offend at some fundamental level, but certainly cheap is the very last thing I and the vast majority of viewers thought when we saw this, and the designer is certainly very far from being a 'n00b'. I understand if the design doesn't appeal to your sensibilities but I don't think it's right to be insulting to this very talented individual just because your own preference isn't being sated.
. So the split between clients will likely play out the same way. Guys that want a clean, simple, 'professional' presentation will likely give that site a miss. Guys that dig graphics and vibe, and are perhaps at heart a little geeky will enjoy it. Since I'm in the latter boat, those are the sort of clients I would hope to attract Thanks for voicing that, by all means. Just one question. Is there a reason you guys are saying stuff like 'fit a cheap action game' and 'Jesus, this alone makes the gfx-guy look like a total n00b ...'. It sounds less like constructive criticism at this point and more like there's an axe to grind. I hope this design doesn't offend at some fundamental level, but certainly cheap is the very last thing I and the vast majority of viewers thought when we saw this, and the designer is certainly very far from being a 'n00b'. I understand if the design doesn't appeal to your sensibilities but I don't think it's right to be insulting to this very talented individual just because your own preference isn't being sated.
JayB
Member
ParsonsMatt
Alas, Tyranny
Ahh 'voraciously' should've been the one! There you go, typos made it through even in the end. I'll get that sorted, thanks a bunch for pointing it out!
And thanks guys.
And thanks guys.
I like the design, personally. I think it befits a design for a band's CD or a video game, so that desire has been fulfilled. IMO, those in heavier music styles will appreciate an engineer who attempts to make their site match the aesthetics of the genre he most works in. Assuming that you DO want to specialize in heavier styles, I see no issues with this. A design like this tells me "wow, this dude spent the time and money to work on this." Add to that the examples of your work and I see no issues. But to each his own.
Mago
Austrian Blech Machine
+1
Somehow my first impression was that It would rather fit a cheap action game, than a professional AE/Producer.
Did some google hunting, and found this page: http://www.myspace.com/engagedaudio
Gives a way a good semi-pro feeling methinks.
Please don't take this personaly Ermz, but I've got an FWA in my pocket to back up my judgement
the only thing I like more about that desing than ermin's one is the venom figure, because I have the exact same one on my desk
It looks clean, but not very "metal" imo...
Ermz's desing fits that genre better i think.
But anyway, any band that judges wether to go recording or not by the myspace design is quite dumb, because the sound samples should be the reason to go there or not
CatharsisStudios
trcksngsrpbngs
- Jun 25, 2008
- 2,198
- 10
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ATHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATS WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY TO SMALL lol
xFkx
gain induction
I apologise, i did use the word cheap to hastily, I was just under the impression of the main image, It's just a preference but I dislike "photoshoped" images, the fallout type logo is excellent design on the other hand, looks amazing...
I just wanted to mention that there are more ways to skin a cat, this is also game design but i think it has a tad more.. uhmm.. class
Anyway, enough of design corksniffing, I understand your perspective on this, and who knows, It really might pay off in some way or another
Well I'm glad you dig the logo at least. The designer initially wanted a gas mask type picture within the headphones, but I didn't feel it quite worked so I referred him to a picture of Advanced Power Armor and here we are... 
. Funny actually considering the very first idea was meant to entail having a speaker cone bursting and a blue, brilliant singularity shooting out the cracks. Apparently it didn't work so we had to revert to something more 'standard'. The initial idea as a whole was a little different. The banner was conceived pretty much entirely by the designer. I initially planned for something more like a cold, dead industrial machine, or a ruined cityscape. Something barren and desolate, but I guess he wanted to shoot for something a bit more inspiring.
Is it fair to say you generally prefer more minimalist style 'shape' type drawings rather than the kitchen sink thing that's been done here?
@nwright: I agree with you. What puzzles me a little is why this type of design has to be confined to a metal audience though. I listen to a lot of electro-ambient and I can see it hitting those genres easily, as well as harder kinds of rock, especially with industrial overtones (as you can hear in the Memnoir clip). Just because something is dark and imposing, it doesn't necessarily have to appeal to a very limited audience.
. Funny actually considering the very first idea was meant to entail having a speaker cone bursting and a blue, brilliant singularity shooting out the cracks. Apparently it didn't work so we had to revert to something more 'standard'. The initial idea as a whole was a little different. The banner was conceived pretty much entirely by the designer. I initially planned for something more like a cold, dead industrial machine, or a ruined cityscape. Something barren and desolate, but I guess he wanted to shoot for something a bit more inspiring.Is it fair to say you generally prefer more minimalist style 'shape' type drawings rather than the kitchen sink thing that's been done here?
@nwright: I agree with you. What puzzles me a little is why this type of design has to be confined to a metal audience though. I listen to a lot of electro-ambient and I can see it hitting those genres easily, as well as harder kinds of rock, especially with industrial overtones (as you can hear in the Memnoir clip). Just because something is dark and imposing, it doesn't necessarily have to appeal to a very limited audience.
I agree with Ermz, not everything has to be critiqued around here. You can just say "nice" once in a while and leave it at that...
Ermz: Looks good man!
Ermz: Looks good man!
