What features could improve the SM Calendar Series?

20 Comments

  • A.V. - 14 years ago

    - User ratings (a voting system for users) : Yes, more votes would encourage users to improve their designs.

    - Each month should have a specific style or topic : No, taste changes over time, and different people prefer different styles.

    - Awards for winners would improve the quality of submissions: No, it would improve the quality of the skilled ones, but also more under-skilled people will join this section, slowing the selection process down.

    I agree on the download counter also. It's an incentive to designers. There's no bigger satisfaction than seeing that little number go up like bubbles.

  • Eva - 15 years ago

    I agree with the download counter

  • Manko10 - 15 years ago

    More beautiful photography instead of cheap design stuff would really improve the galleries. Be brave and go back to the roots. In the beginning you calendar galleries were awesome but then you published more and more ugly Photoshop gadgetries. I would like to see again more photography in the future.

  • dee - 15 years ago

    1980x1020 - widescreen is rarely availble with our calendars :-(

  • Loren - 15 years ago

    I like it a lot the way it is (there's something for everybody). Maybe adding a download counter would be cool, but definitely try to keep the wide variety. I don't think this should be a competition, as it may lead to certain styles/tastes getting more submissions... and thus a decrease in variety.

  • rleonen - 15 years ago

    Perhaps an option to show wallpapers with a specific resolution? I sometimes find that a nice wallpaper is unavailable in my preferred screen resolution.

  • Alana - 15 years ago

    I agree that theming would kill the variety - which is something I look forward to. The less desirable calendars, to me, are the uber-country-specific ones that are fairly unrelatable to someone not from that country (i.e. words written in another language NOT brilliant photos of that country - those can be nice), uber-personal (why do I want a head shot of someone I don't know on my desktop?) and calendars that appear to have been submitted solely to promote the designer's company (shameless - yuck).

    I also agree that thumbnails would be nice.

  • gelogenic - 15 years ago

    I agree with Matt; theming would stifle variety. And why offer ratings or rewards? I prefer this to be a showcase of artist rather than a competition. What's the point of propping up one artist's ego at the expense of the other entries? Can't we keep the emphasis on the *quality* of the connection created between artist and viewer instead of the western bias towards quantity?

  • Redback - 15 years ago

    How about the option to download all wallpapers in a single archived set?

    Obviously not for all resolutions, but perhaps using the most common desktop resolution (or just the highest available for each design)?

  • Ray - 15 years ago

    Be careful that you don't quench creativity but enforcing requirements, themes, or limitations.

  • Annebeth - 15 years ago

    It would be great if all available desktops for one month would also be shown with 'tumbnails' on the top or bottom ot the page, so you wouldn't be scrolling along and losing track of everyting you saw. Good luck guys, and good luck to all designers too. You make my day every first day of the month! I am hooked to new inspiration and usually come back for more round about the 15th.

  • Chris - 15 years ago

    I agree entirely with Matt. The variety of designs is great, a theme would restrict the variety too much.

    I also agree with DawnVVB - dual screen sized wallpapers

  • CaySedai - 15 years ago

    Now that I found Smashing Magazine's monthly calendars, I have stopped going to other sites because I always know I'll find something (usually more than one) I like here.

    I love the variety. I don't know how you could improve the quality of the already high-quality submissions by offering awards. Others have suggested a download counter - that might work. I usually download several and switch them throughout the month.

  • satu - 15 years ago

    i would like to provide a few selected calendars for free to my visitors to my web site (blog). do i need permission from smashing magazine or from each of the respective authors? thank you.

  • stephan - 15 years ago

    I agree to the download counter and i love the variety. So if you ask me, please do not theme the months. No Awards pls.

  • Damien - 15 years ago

    I agree with the download counter.

  • jaki - 15 years ago

    I really like the variety as well - thus, no themed months please! I like rating, but I wouldn't want there to be a reward. I don't want it to be a popularity contest for super designers! I also like encourage spanning 2 screen wallpaper.

  • DawnVVB - 15 years ago

    Add resolutions for spanning two screens!

  • Matt - 15 years ago

    Theming the submissions sounds like a bad idea. I personally like the variety of the images each month and my tastes change. If everything was the same, I may not even use an SM Calendar wallpaper if I'm not enthusiastic about the entire theme of the month.

  • Gabor - 15 years ago

    A download counter would probably provide better feedback on quality and popularity (they're not the same, we all know) than a rating system. Or maybe a combination of the two? Yep, that would be even better, imo. (Not an original idea at all, I know. :))

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