$400 + PR7 link for template design of PlanetMirror.com

PlanetMirror is both the largest and most popular mirror site in the Asia-Pacific region. It is one of the world's largest download sites for Linux, Games, Patches, Drivers and Applications.

Although PlanetMirror's users are typically more computer literate than most - open source junkies, IT users and so forth, we do have a sizeable audience of 'mum and dad' users. The design must encapsulate both of these user-groups: professional, yet clean and easy to use.

PlanetMirror

Desired Color Scheme:
In line with provided logo - or be creative!

Desired Style:
Clean and professional, taking our target audience into account. Beyond this, feel free to be creative - use 'web 2.0' design elements if you desire.

Accepted File Formats:
XHTML, CSS, PSDs with full layers and fonts

PlanetMirror is both the largest and most popular mirror site in the Asia-Pacific region. It is one of the world's largest download sites for Linux, Games, Patches, Drivers and Applications. It serves approximately 2TB of files per day to over 500,000 users, and has a pagerank of 7 - which the winning designer will be linked to for a minimum of 6 months.

Although PlanetMirror's users are typically more computer literate than most - open source junkies, IT users and so forth, we do have a sizeable audience of 'mum and dad' users who are after software for purposes such as spyware removal. As a result, usability and easy navigation is really important - we want to make navigation easy to use and definitely not annoying for our technical users.

As far as design goes - we have a logo that we think we might want to use but are by no means attached to. (http://www.planetmirror.com/newlogo/) If you want to do something else or modify this logo, please feel free. If you're not using this logo, and going to use a completely different colour scheme, try and keep it looking clean and professional.

At this stage, we're envisaging that registered users will have the ability to alter what they see on pages. (Switch boxes on and off). For the frontpage, however, this is what we'd expect to have:

* Fairly prominent search box
* 2 Advertisements (one 768x90 leaderboard, one 336x280 rectangle)
* Featured Downloads
* Most Popular downloads (can rename to What's Hot, etc)
* Tags
* Download categories
* News

We're ambivalent whether to include download categories or news on the
front page, so if you're running out of room, you could probably pick
one. We'd rather that the front page not be too cramped. If you need
more information on what these could be, just check out another mirror
or downloads site. (Or email us).

What You Get:
-------------

* $400 USD
* A link on PlanetMirror's front page (PR7) to your web development
site. (This link has to be to your site, and can't be on-sold or
transferred. We will link to you for a minimum of 6 months.)
* We will also give written permission for the winning entrant to use
this site in their portfolio.

What We Get:
------------

* XHTML + CSS (please make this compliant)
* PSDs with layers & fonts

We want at least a template for the front page that could be used throughout the site, however, additional designs for a downloading
file" page would be looked upon favourably.

We're going to need the exclusive use on this design, so we will require a form transferring copyright to be signed. We will, of course, allow you to include PlanetMirror in your portfolio.

Update: To assist those who aren't too sure on what the PM staff like here's a list of URLs to get the creative juices flowing. :)

http://www.sitepoint.com/marketplac…tryid=7962
http://www.sitepoint.com/marketplac…tryid=8048
http://www.sitepoint.com/marketplac…tryid=9190
http://filesupload.com/awesomepods/…tspot1.jpg
http://www.sitepoint.com/marketplac…tryid=1485 - Not sure on the colours but the layout holds promise.