Hi everyone,

In this thread you can find out what the Graphics Team is about, the process we go through to customise each message board, and how you can apply if you wish to join the team. We hope that it will answer some of the questions you may have. If you have any other questions please do not hesitate to ask them in this thread or PM one of the Graphics Team Managers.

For a list of all Graphics Team Members, see the Forum Leaders page.

WHAT WE DO

When possible we all work to design graphics for three boards. Each member of the team makes a graphic for at least two of those boards. Sometimes some of us are too busy with work or school or have other things going on so we are not able to make graphics for each round. Hence, some rounds last longer than the sixteen days we set for each round.

When each board is to be (re-)customised, we start a thread on that board asking for colour and picture suggestions so that the posters on that board can let the Graphics Team know what they would like to see. These are only suggestions though; so do not expect the Graphics Team to make exactly what you say. Some suggestions are unfortunately unfeasible for the team to create.

When enough graphics have been made (usually around 5 or more for each board), we put all of them into polls and then vote for a week anonymously for which ones we feel are the best.

After the three graphics for the three boards are chosen, the colours are put together by Mel and Leif based on the chosen graphic and wishes of the boards. This process is time consuming and can take quite a bit of time. When it is decided that the design looks good enough, the customisation is set up on the actual board. Sometimes the graphic that the team has chosen does not look right for the board, so the runner-up graphic has to be used. When putting together the customisations Mel and Leif follow the list outlined at the end of this post. Ideally the boards will be done in order, however some boards are simply more difficult to do than others so it is just a guideline.

BOARDS UP FOR CUSTOMISATION

All of the message boards here at Fan Forum will eventually have their own graphic and colours; all of the boards that need a new look will be re-done. Some boards take longer than others because we can get delayed at any stage in the process; we want the best look that we can achieve.

One of the main questions that is asked is "when will *insert board name here* be customised/re-customised?" and the answer to that is "as soon as possible", but we cannot give you an exact date. The boards chosen first are the boards that we feel will most benefit from being customised. When picking the boards to be customised, we consider a number of things including:

- Whether the number of posts on the board is low and therefore customising it could give it a boost.
- Whether the number of posts is high and therefore it deserves to be customised as many people view it every day.
- How long a board has been without a customisation.
- Whether the graphic it already has needs refreshing.

We also contact the moderators of boards so that they can voice their own opinions on if the board could benefit from being re-customised since we understand that they know their boards best. It is important that you respond to these PMs by the deadline set in the PM so that we can work with you to create your customisation at a time which best suits the needs of yourself and your board. Failure to respond will result in the GT Managers presuming that you are happy for us to begin the process.

It is a myth that a board will be customised after a year of it being at Fan Forum, we do not even hold that into consideration. So do not expect that just because a board reaches its one year mark it will immediately be customised. It is also a myth that as soon as a board is made permanent they will begin the customisation process. While we will not begin the process until a board is made permanent, becoming a permanent board here will only mean that the board is added to the bottom of the list of new boards to be done. We work through this list in order of when the boards are made permanent so while some boards may begin the process soon after becoming permanent, others may have a longer wait. Our aim is to get to them as soon as possible but becoming permanent does not automatically mean that we will begin the process on the board.

We can assure you all that we have a list of every single board that does not have a customisation yet and of every board that needs re-doing, so do not worry that your favourite boards might not be on the customisation radar. They are on the list and will not be forgotten.

If you feel that your board could use a refreshed look feel free to PM Chelle and we will take it into consideration. When sending your PM please take the above points into consideration and inform us why you feel your board could use a refreshed look. Chelle will then discuss this with the other Graphics Team Managers and we will get back to you with our decision. Even if we decide to not recustomise your board at this stage we will make a note of your request to look at again at a later date. You can also contact Chelle if you are wondering if we will be redoing your board soon and feel that it would be better to hold off.

THE GRAPHICS TEAM MANAGERS

madness (Mel)
Member since: January 23rd 2013 | Manager since: August 21st 2014
Mel is the manager in charge of doing the actual customisations, meaning she's in contact with Leif to discuss and put up the board customisations. This means that when you find there's a problem with one of the customisations or you have a question about when they'll be put up, Mel is the person to contact. Mel also handles all Graphics Team applications which means that if you have any questions about joining the team or wish to join she is the person to contact.

If you have general questions about the Graphics Team, it's also best to contact Mel about these things.

shinebrighterxx (Chelle)
Member since: May 8th 2014 | Manager since: April 10th 2017
Chelle is the manager who is in charge of determining which board needs to be recustomised next. She maintains the lists which assist in determining which boards need to be (re)done; including a list of all new boards which have not been customised yet, and a list of when all current customisations were put up. She is the contact person for any moderators who feel their board could use a refreshed look or have any questions about the customisation process or when their board is likely to be up for (re)customisation.

me and the sky (Kate)
Member since: January 27th 2009 | Manager since: June 15th 2020
Kate is the person in charge of all current customizations, meaning the ones that the Graphics Team is working on at that moment. If your board is getting customized and you have some concerns/questions, feel free to contact her about this. She can also give you more information about the process (if you wish extra info other than the information given in this thread).

JOINING THE GRAPHICS TEAM

The process for joining the graphics team is not hard at all. You do not have to wait for an opening to be posted anywhere, we will accept applicants all the time. Ideally we would like to see two graphics from you; one celebrity and one television show. For those unsure if they are ready to apply yet feel free to stop by the Graphics Team Mentoring thread on the Fan Art board where you can receive tips and advice from current graphics team members. You can also read Jen's tips (Live Journal) and Mel's tips for some advice on how to make them. Please note that you must be a member of Fan Forum for at least 6 months before you can apply to join the team. You can however still sign up for the mentoring program before that.

If you feel that you would like to be a part of the Graphics Team please send Mel a PM with your two graphics.


Mel, Chelle, and Kate

Please note that although we aim to do row 1 before row 2 and row 2 before row 3, it doesn't always work out that way, some boards are simply more difficult to do than others. Each row is in a random order so any board in a row could be the first and any board could be the last. Basically this list is just a guideline.

1. Disney, Ewan McGregor
2. Lord of the Rings, Jared Padalecki
3. Xo, Kitty, Supernatural
4. Criminal Minds, Spoilers
5. Jason Behr, Video Games