Hi

The current homepage does not focus on spreading Inkscape. So I created a mix of something like getfirefox.com. Most people are just here to find the app and to learn how to use it - so I thought - why not focus on that? And SELL it by showing how great it is in video. The more people using it, the more resources we will get to develop it.

I tried to improve the design by using google/apple minimalism, so now there are only six choices in the top menu.

If there are no resources available, maybe I could do this homepage in Drupal for you guys as a thank you for creating Inkscape if you like it.

Here is the PNG:

http://afine-china.se/InkScapeProposal.png

Hope you like it.

Sincerely yours

Mika Sjöman

It's very interesting, although I'd have more to say about the elements you chose and the layout. Have you linked to it from Inkscapers website contest on DA?

sorry, I can´t find the website contest. Please tell me where it is.

I agree that the things on the frontpage should be discussed better.
I think the No:1 is obvious; get the software - and make people get it. Second, video tutorials. Inkscape is very different from other software, so learning it quick and see it in action is very important to get people to use it. Ten wisely choosen videos on a page should be OK - simple projects from HeathenX for example. As a homepage, you got very short time to prove that this is powerful software you should hold on to.
Third, developers - catch them and with a video show them how to get involved. Make a bounty system, I´d love to pay ten bucks for a specific function. If the maintainer agrees that it has been reached and included in next release, the developer get´s paid. In china, a couple of hundred bucks could be great cash, and that includes our students too.

You make several great points there. I really don't know how developers come to Inkscape, maybe a poll is in order to find out what it was like up till now.

Here's the contest http://inkscapers.deviantart.com/

I definitely think your proposal is allot more inviting to the general public...
Where as developers and people of this ilk will like the current one better as it is utilitarian...and lets face it they are the ones driving the project...

But I think the vast majority of people coming to the site would be more comfortable with your new layout as it would not intimidate people who don't necessarily want to be "walking directly into the workshop".