5e and site design

Question

This question is asked to serve two slighly disparate, but very related purposes. It's ultimately an extension of this answer

Overall I'd like to come out of this with some ideas on what is possible and what we are capable of doing related to doing a site redesign during the period.

For context. Grace Note has said that they'd prefer to allocate minimal developer and designer resources to this project. That means (to me at least) that if we want something done with our design we'll need to do it ourselves.

Some things we probably need to know (and or decide)

• What is the willingness of SE and this site to accept and integrate a fan created design into the site design.
• What dimensions would said art need to be.
• What licensing issues are there for this kind of thing (IE how do we avoid getting this site sent a C&D from WOTC's famous Level 30 attorneys).

If those hurdles are cleared and clarified, we'll need to discuss what design elements we want here on the site, how can we make this feel like a community welcoming 5e players and DMs with open arms.

This is mostly to get the ball rolling on a potential temporary design shift, so lets get moving.

Answer 1

How about “Q&A” written in some fantasy style, and where in we attempt (difficult though it will be) to out-ampersand them.

Answer 2

What is the willingness of SE and this site to accept and integrate a fan created design into the site design.

We'll be trying to put our best foot forward and look professional. It has to let our site design look professional, and help us appeal to the audience we're targeting. Our willingness to accept a fan created design (of art or whatever) will be proportional to how much it helps us do that.

Stuff like imagery for a unique event landing page, our top banner, or vertical side-gutter images as SevenSidedDie pointed out in comments would all help, so long as it helps us do that.

What dimensions would said art need to be.

Mu. It just needs to be art. Its size depends on how we use it, and there's always a cropping feature available.

What licensing issues are there for this kind of thing (IE how do we avoid getting this site sent a C&D from WOTC's famous Level 30 attorneys).

We use art we have a license to use: stuff that's available for commercial use and derivative works, which is inclined toward public domain works or creative commons licensed works, or stuff people explicitly allow us to use.

If those hurdles are cleared and clarified, we'll need to discuss what design elements we want here on the site, how can we make this feel like a community welcoming 5e players and DMs with open arms.

The hurdles mostly don't have an answer, or the answer is straightforward, vague, and what you probably knew already. Let's move straight on to this step, because that's the step we can start talking about unique event landing pages, top banners, and vertical side-gutter images.

Afterwards, we can come back to questions like these, as we work out what we need in order to do it and how we can make it happen, and at that point we'll have actual specific assets to be concerned with and we'll be able to do something useful with questions like these. (Though it's likely the designers like Jin will be doing the work here, so they're the ones who'll be coming up with the plan, and using or not using whatever we come up with or find.)

Answer 3

I'm making a dark stab here.

Point 1 and Point 2 should be discussed in different question. But let's talk about Point 3.

How's about licensing ?

The trouble is, the system license for D&D Next doesn't even... exist. (I assume?)

This is the one used for 4e

Now let's take a stab and read the policy.

5.7 Imagery.
For the avoidance of doubt and in addition to the provisions of Section 9 related to ownership and use of Wizards Intellectual Property (as defined therein), Licensee expressly acknowledges Wizards’ ownership of all imagery and artwork contained in 4E, and Licensee expressly agrees it will not reprint any such imagery or artwork without Wizards’ written permission.

Now, we're actually in bad position. This rule, stately that we can't use theirs graphic.

But here's my suggestion.

If we were to rely to D&D's graphic for our artwork. (Which is actually, for me, OK), then we must be patient and hoping that they will publish a D&D Next's Fan Site Kit (this is the e4's one) However, the license stated that we can't alter it.

Q: How about the license for fan picture?

A: From what I know, it's fair game as long the fan picture is not a plagiarism of the picture that have been published by WOTC.

Note: It has to admitted that I'm sided with people that "new web design just for solely welcoming D&D Next? Do we really need that?"