[Debate] The Grey Skin Look

[Vicky]

Grey skins can look very sleek and well designed, although not original. They're better than using a blaring mixture of colours (like the "other" skin here), and I think that they can look very nice on the forum.
But yes, the fact that they're being used to much doesn't give a forum something new, and something different about it. They need to use their own skin, and maybe have some colour that is interesting and makes someone bookmark their site.

However, if the skin was grey, and looked pretty sleek and sharp, although fairly dull, I would still join if the topic interested me enough. The design is important but not as important as the topic and the idea of the forum.

[Remarque]

...I once saw a teal-and-orange forum. It was the most gawjus thing I've ever seen :-)

[Gylfie107]

I like to use greys, blacks, whites and blues on my proboards. Although it needs to be reasonable, forums should be unique. Thats part of the beuty of making your own.

[Headmaster of Greens Academy]

Our site is grey, and we like it. We like that it looks elegant, and sleek. A classy tone to it. After reading some of the comments here it got me down, but after looking at my site. I like it just the way it is. We took over the site after the old admin decided they didn't want to RP anymore.

[Desdemona Dreadful]

I just warn anyone not to make the font and the background the same color grey or even in the same grey family. I have seen people defend this choice for their own rpg but I feel that if no one can read your forum, you have a problem.

Also, even if they are two different shades of grey, making the font smaller only compounds the problem.

[Lil' Ninja Wolf]

I think grey is fine to use if it matches with your topic, or if it's done in a unique way. But also don't overdo it. An all grey site isn't that appealing. But sometimes it's cool with the right colors with it.

[Karen]

Our forum and new website uses the grey skin for the background, with teal, pink and black for everything else. I think it looks elegant, professional, crisp and clean, but still fun. We used the same color scheme in the graphic for our main header. When we changed it to this about a year ago, the members said they loved it. And that's what counts no matter what color scheme is ultimately used.

[Pro—Poster]

Jul 9, 2008 15:23:29 GMT -8 Karen said:

Our forum and new website uses the grey skin for the background, with teal, pink and black for everything else. I think it looks elegant, professional, crisp and clean, but still fun. We used the same color scheme in the graphic for our main header. When we changed it to this about a year ago, the members said they loved it. And that's what counts no matter what color scheme is ultimately used.

I agree with you. There are certain times that grey can be very original, and others time it is not. If the grey background is just plain and has nothing on it, it will be unoriginal and unappealing, however add little effects and some photoediting can change that grey skin, and make it nicer. :]]

[chocolatestarfish]

If the site is good, and it has a grey skin, I may stick around.
I have a roleplaying site, and I use three tones of blue and an orange colour for links/main text/borders etc.

[Twinkle Twinkle Little Star]

The color of the skin rarely matters if the board itself isn't done well. However the color of them should go along with what the site is about. For example, if a site is set in the 70s or 60s, bright colors like lime greens and oranges could be used with a tie dye background. But if the site is more seriouse than that, then a grey skin is okay and proper to use. It all matters on preference.

[Dan]

I'm currently using a grey and blue skin as my default on one of my forums and I have to say it works. The grey and the blue work well together.
The other forum is about the army and we tried a grey skin on that one but it didn't work so we tried a camoflage type of skin and that worked really well. So if you're looking for something new try a skin which fits in with what your forum is about.

[Harrald]

Hehe... When I first created my site, the skin I had planned fit the theme nicely. Navy blue, silver accents and stars! Then I got a skin that everyone says looks like chocolate... And I like chocolate. You just can't find a good starry skin anywhere. Yes, I prefer my skin now to the one I had planned. So it worked out well enough. <3

But no offense, I find solid grey skins to be virtually dull and bland. I mean, who wants to sit and stare at a colorless grey site. I mean, throw in some black or possibly a touch of evil red, royal blue, sky-blue, or bright green. I guess really any other vibrant or subtle, yet beautiful color, and it looks amazing! Though in my opinion, too much yellow with a ton of grey and black, and white, looks funny and awkward. And with orange, blech! Though I don't like orange, no offense to anyone, but I think orange and grey seems too far-fetched and too Halloween. So it all depends on the eyes of the beholder, and how much grey you use. : P But I agree with you, solid-grey skins are boring and bland. Unless they have more than grey ((this including black, but not white)).

[cuda66273]

Is there a set of premade skins to choose from, I've hammering at it for 2 hours and i just don't like what I'm getting I can't get rid of the grey....maybe some Grecian Formula?

[Pro—Poster]

Aug 5, 2008 8:56:15 GMT -8 cuda66273 said:

Is there a set of premade skins to choose from, I've hammering at it for 2 hours and i just don't like what I'm getting I can't get rid of the grey....maybe some Grecian Formula?

I haven't seen any pre-made skins, but I know they were dicussing in under the dicussion board about having one, but as for the grey problem, it may be the image you are using. Sorry I couldn't be of more help. ;D

[matrix934]

Some people like the grey skin. Others don't. I personally don't - its a little boring for me. I use the green skin on Proboards (I forget what its called though). Grey doesn't work by itself. If a visitor goes onto a website with only grey skin, and then on the same website but with a unique skin, they'll probably like the unique skin. On my forum I keep a skin of each of the primary colors - red, blue, and yellow, along with the grey. So then the members can decide for themselves which one they like best.