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General Talk: Getting Downloads on OD

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      CommentAuthorbradm81
    • CommentTimeMar 27th 2008
     
    So as a designer, I hope and assume that these are the key ingredients for a template getting a lot of downloads:

    1. Good Code

    2. Innovative Design

    3. Intuitive Design

    4. Attractive Appearance

    But being here a while I've realized that while I hope this is the way it goes, reality says that the reasons a template gets a lot of downloads are more like this:

    1. Bright, pretty colors (also seems that darker templates get more d/l's)

    2. Placement towards the top on the homepage (once you start getting a high number, groupthink usually means you'll keep getting a high number)

    Now I'm not saying this is all bad, nor am I saying that downloads are all that matters. Downloads do matter, though, and I can remember admins of this site saying the reason that they don't have ratings or comments for templates is because they believe the DL number holds a lot of weight.

    So do you think that as designers we should focus more on what users seem to want or more on being innovative even if it's not popular?

    Also, isn't there some way that the order of the templates on the homepage can be generated randomly? This wouldn't seem to be too hard.
  2.  
    I think that really depends on where you are in life. If this is a hobby, innovate. If this is a side job, or mostly just for fun, innovate. If this is supposed to pay the bills, make what people want, but innovate sometimes to show that you can.
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      CommentAuthorperthmetro
    • CommentTimeMar 27th 2008
     
    Posted By: bradm81So do you think that as designers we should focus more on what users seem to want or more on being innovative even if it's not popular?


    That's entirely up you, the designer 100%. You decide what is more important, popularity or innovation. Having said that if you're a great designer then I believe you can easily have both. And either way why not try both approaches. Do what makes you happy... life's too short not to be.
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      CommentAuthorgnome
    • CommentTimeMar 27th 2008
     
    Brad: you should make a template called nightscape wink
    • CommentAuthorMattKern
    • CommentTimeMar 27th 2008 edited by MattKern on the 27th March 2008 at 23:17:48 EDT
     
    I personally get tired of looking at all the blog designs on this (and any) site.

    I would like to see some crazy stuff, but it has been said more than once that a good blog template can put you on the map as a designer. So I guess thats where we are.

    I don't think its good or bad, it just is.
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      CommentAuthorbradm81
    • CommentTimeMar 27th 2008
     
    @gnome: no YOU should make a template called "nightscape"

    @Matt: You're right. I prefer more innovative templates rather than you normal blog-fare, but the masses demand more blogs! And yeah, it just is, not good or bad, just is. That's what I'm saying more than anything.
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      CommentAuthorperthmetro
    • CommentTimeMar 27th 2008
     
    i like innovation/crazy more... We've got enough blog designs to last us into the next few years well and truely.
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      CommentAuthorkirby145
    • CommentTimeMar 28th 2008
     
    Posted By: bradm81they believe the DL number holds a lot of weight.

    Wrong. Let's please add ratings now.

    Thank you.
    •  
      CommentAuthorgreg
    • CommentTimeMar 28th 2008
     
    and comments on designs while we're at it :)
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      CommentAuthorkirby145
    • CommentTimeMar 28th 2008 edited by kirby145 on the 28th March 2008 at 01:33:56 EDT
     
    p.s. I have some interesting slightly innovative templates and really, i want to just release them, but I am hoping that a few people could come to my website when they download them since i spent hours working on them.

    Yet I do not have my website yet
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      CommentAuthorgnome
    • CommentTimeMar 28th 2008 edited by gnome on the 28th March 2008 at 15:32:40 EDT
     
    Putting together a very simple site like mine is easy, even building a custom wordpress setup is quite simple. User ratings are generally not so great without some smart counters, because people tend to rate great templates low just out of spite. What I would propose instead is that search results could be sorted by downloads/day.
  12.  
    Posted By: gnomeWhat I would propose instead is that search results could be sorted by downloads/day.


    I second that motion. Total downloads are great, but I think showing downloads per day gives a truer representation of the template's popularity. Taking a cue from OSWD, perhaps? (May it rest in peace.)

    Rating systems are good too, IMO. I think this community has enough people to outweigh the few who will try to sabotage the system.

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