[MacDog]

Over the last several months, I've noticed that the biggest problem with theming in OSX is the "unknown" and the creative limits of themers.

On one hand, you have some great designers who have a really cool idea/mockup - but they have no understanding, skill or experience in using Themepark.

On the other hand you have people who seem to understand Themepark, and are quite capable of using it to make a good theme (they know all the elements needed), but they obviously lack creative talent & skill in using Photoshop (I'm not naming names, but if you look at a LOT of themes available for OSX, they're complete themes, but they're ugly as sin!)

Perhaps this is a crazy idea, but would it not be smart to somehow/somewhere set up a forum/thread (perhaps at MacThemes.net) where Themepark gurus can hook up with a designer and work a mock up to completion. Of course it could be done here, but what I'm thinking of is more of a "classified section" type of thing.

In other words, are there enough Themepark gurus out there that are willing to COMMIT to producing a theme that someone else has designed - while the designer produces all the artwork to the Themepark guy's specifications (size, transparencies, etc...)?

This sounds like the Unsanity/MacThemes contest, but with a true COMMITMENT by BOTH parties to produce this theme in a timely manner. Obviously, both parties would have to know that yes, I can produce my half of the theme in "XXXX" amount of time. Perhaps a situation where a Themepark guy posts that he has 1 month to work on a theme, then a designer says "hey, I have the time to create the visual elements in PS in the same month's time." They agree to work together, and the theme progresses much faster than what's happening now where it's very slow going.

Perhaps it's easier said than done, I don't know. But I look at my situation, where I would be willing to spend all the time it takes day after day to get elements drawn for a theme idea, but I have no idea how to use Themepark, so I don't even know where to begin and what elements are needed at what size. All I need is someone to say "I need the Apple Menu icon, and it has to be 22x22 pixels, and it needs to have an up and down state � and I NEED IT BY TOMMOROW MORNING.

What do all you experienced themers think about this? Thoughtful responses are appreciated, but "it won't work" or "that's stupid" are not.

[Komisar]

I agree, but don't forget themers do it for fun, they have jobs to work at, and in some cases school to go too. I suggest if you see a mock up thats good tell them to stop by digitalramen.com and look at harlan's themepark tut ... its great for getting started

[MacMan4000]

Sounds like a great idea. Maybe I'm just lazy, but 1 month sounds really fast. But that might just be because Im in school right now. So far Avenger has taken me just under 3 months, and its still in beta. It started out fast, but then school started and it all slowed down... a lot. I know 1 month was just an example, but it made me think to myself "Gee, I hope those guys weren't expecting it to be done in 1 month... if they did expect that then they probably hate me by now"

Maybe I'm just lazy.

BTW, Im one of those guys with good themepark skills and great photoshop skills, but I don't have a single creative bone in my body.

[MacDog]

Originally posted by Komisar:
I suggest if you see a mock up thats good tell them to stop by digitalramen.com and look at harlan's themepark tut ... its great for getting started

I've seen the tutorial you referenced. Unfortunately, it's absolutely useless to anyone who doesn't already know how to use Themepark and knows what ALL of the elements are.

[MMICONS]

I think this idea sound's SUPER GREAT ..I for one, have no clue on how to make a theme, all I know is Photoshop..And I really love to play around with GUI design..

And if im to make my new theme myself =) That will take 4 ever..
like you know, It's going to be Pixel Perfect..

( I will have a preview of my new MM-Theme and stuff soon! )

[MacDog]

Originally posted by MacMan4000:
Sounds like a great idea. Maybe I'm just lazy, but 1 month sounds really fast. But that might just be because Im in school right now. So far Avenger has taken me just under 3 months, and its still in beta. It started out fast, but then school started and it all slowed down... a lot.

But that's EXACTLY why I think something like this might be a good idea. You're busy (hell, we ALL have a real life!), but think how much faster it would go if you ONLY had to drop existing graphics into ThemePark, or if you didn't have to worry about themepark at all, and you just had to worry about producing a graphic at a size & description that someone tells you.

For example, say you and I were doing a theme. You send me an email that says, I need the scroll bars for finder windows, they need to be X pixels by X pixels in size, I also need the application menu bar background and it's X size and it will be stretched to fill space, so make sure it's a pattern that will look good stretched.

For many, the problem is that we open ThemePark and we see an item in Elements/Global Elements/Window Placard/Window Placard Pressed. There are 2 Elements that need to be created, but we have no idea what a Window Placard even is, so we can't very well create an image without knowing where we might see this in the finder or an application.

Essentially, what I'm getting at is the same thing that the Unsanity contest people did where a themer and a designer work together, but where both parties agree (and can stick with) a time frame to produce the theme - AND - where the ThemePark guy can explain what is needed to the artist.

[MacMan4000]

That sounds AWESOME! I like the title of "GUI Classifieds" too. Sounds like a good idea for a separate website even! Someone please do this... now!

[blackdog12345]

its a really good idea

[Lord Sith]

Very good idea. If this were to come to fruition, imagine the number of themes that would become available..........

[DigiHal]

I fall under the banner of PS guy with no themepark understanding.

But I have 2 themes that I would love to see built.

If this happens, put me down as a taker.

Hal!

[Dave-o�]

That was the premise behind the last MacThemes contest.. and if the teams ever get through all of them would be awesome! I for one would like to hook up with a themeparker.. I have solid design skills and know how to met the needs of others.. Hey, it's my day job.. the time line would have to be a bit slower than a month though... Good thread.. really good thread..

[Sage]

Somebody made a thread almost exactly like this many moons ago, but for the life of me I can't remember who or when. I also can't remember why the idea didn't eventually take off, although there was a lot of positive feedback to it.

Anyway, I also fall into the category of "gots the design, but no gots the ThemePark know-how", so...

[phillryu]

You know, I'm really getting to like this idea of a "Classified" site. Preferably one that actually looks like a newspaper, design courtesy of Adam Betts or another very qualified artist.

This is one of those things that I'm not sure if it would quite work (I've been setting up a few collaborations just fine recently, and I've found that it's usually the artist who has the bulk of the time consuming work, so there is usually a themer available) but there are many artists I don't know, and it'd be cool to see how many would be willing to create mockups.

Then again, I do want you guys to work on mockups for the next contest, which will probably be announced on January 1st, in like 3.5 months. (Don't worry, I think most of the themes will be done by then, plus a few extra.) A conflict for me here hehe.

[MacDog]

The downside to the Unsanity contest was that the Themer didn't really know what to expect from the artist - and I would venture to say that the artists had no idea how much was involved in making a complete theme.

By going the "Classifieds" route, we are (hopefully) teaming two people who:

A) Both like a particular theme mockup and want to work together

B) Know what is involved in making a theme

C) Can decide together to set deadlines for particular elements.

I think having a "Classifieds" section on MacThemes.net would be cool - it's really the perfect site for it.

The problem I see happening is we would get hundreds of people with nothing more than a mockup of a finder window and a menu bar from artists who want a theme made. So I would propose that the "Themer" would choose which themes he/she wants to work on (since there are less themers than artists). Perhaps even two artists and one themer could team up. You could have one artist working on app skins & extras and playing backup to the other artist working on main theme elements.

I'm sure these ideas have come up in the past, but I think we're finally at a state with OSX and themes (as well as the tools to create & distribute them) are mainstream and we have several very good themers out there, rather than just one or two.