Template Design Specifications

SmartSpace uses web tools and widgets to produce stunning, database driven websites for businesses and sports and community groups. If you, as a graphic designer, want to put your own website into the Smart Space system, you need to follow these guidelines in your design.

Check out the current active websites here

SmartSpace Overview

Basic SmartSpace

SmartSpace is a database driven website application which delivers high quality websites through a modularised template framework. The SmartSpace engine is also in modular form enabling designers and their clients to access only those modules which they need. These include:

• Content
• Membership Management
• Bookings
• E-Commerce
• Group Management
• Newsletters
• Promotions
• Website Templates

Each website comes with a standard package of

• Basic website framework with control panel
• Basic staff/user management
• Basic customer registration and communication
• Basic pricing system

SmartSpace Widgets and Tools

Whilst some widgets come as standard on the basic SmartSpace framework, a wide range of choices become available when combined with website templates. Every template comes with some widgets as standard. Whilst all the following widgets will need to have the capacity to be made visible on every page of the website, there is no need to have them visible on your site - they can be turned on or off.

Top Menu

• This is an auto generated menu usually placed near the top of the website which contains a home link, and links to other services (if available) such as bookings and memberships
• It can also contain up to 5 links to special content
• Menu items can be replaced by icons uploaded by the designer
• This menu can usually be activated/deactivated but cannot be moved from the specified position
• An area in the header at least 25 pixels high  must be allowed to include this widget
• This area can be placed against an header background image
• This should be seen on every page of the web site

Main Menu

• This menu can be a vertical or horizontal menu
• It also contains fly out/drop  down links if required
• Each parent link in the system can contain auto generated or custom built child links
• This menu can usually be activated/deactivated but cannot be moved from the specified position
• An area 25 pixels high in case of a horizontal menu or 160 pixels wide in case of a vertical menu must be allowed for in the template design
• We would prefer than this menu appear near the top of the page, but this is not necesary
• This should be seen on every page of the web site

Welcome/Feature Panel

• This panel shows the content from a special content categories
• It often combines with images attached to each page of content
• This panel is usually able to display other content if required
• An area suitable for a welcome message or special image should be available to use for this purpose
• See the template design manual for more details
• This will be usually on the home page only of the web site although some elements of it may be viewable on other website pages

SmartSpace Links

• These links either appear in the 25 pixel high SmartSpace bar which cover the top of all web pages or
• Appears as a footer on all website pages (not yet enabled)
• This panel contains links for logging into and managing websites as well as other links related to the use of SmartSpace websites
• Using the SmartSpace bar at the top of the website results in a 50% discount on standard SmartSpace subscription rates (setup costs remain the same)
• No area needs to be set aside for this element as it is set at the top or the bottom of each web page.

Header/Banner Image

Most web pages have some form of header/banner image and area. Sometimes this takes the form of a vertical column rather than a horizontal area.

• SmartSpace will consider all viable web designs whether or not they contain this element
• Although current templates do not support advertising in the head portion of the website, there is no reason why this cannot be achieved with SmartSpace if required
• This usually appears on each page of the web site

Additional Areas of Content

Additional content areas can be included on the home page, but are not required

If a template is designed to support e-commerce, the cart summary widget needs to be available on all website pages

Links and Panels on Content Pages

• Other content pages can contain other relevant links in addition to some of the links and panels above.
• Designers can add more links and panels on content pages depending on the content eg:
  • Links to other content from the same content category can appear on a text content page
  • Links to other products from the same category can appear on a product page
  • Special links to galleries and other links can be added to content pages to appear whenever the page is viewed
  • Most other widgets can be placed on content pages independently of content
• If we don't have a widget you want, chances are we will build it for you, and others, at no charge

Template Sizing

Currently all templates are fixed width websites. There are certain difficulties in supporting the great range of widgets available in SmartSpace when variable width pages are used. Designs which used percentage widths will be considered. Speak to SmartSpace support before designing variable width websites.

• Websites should be 984 pixels in width although shadow graphics on vertical page edges should be added to this width
• This width allows for even sized columns for two, three, and four column pages.
• It also allows for a scroll bar at the side without resorting to horizontal scrolling when on a standard 1024 px wide screen

Graphics and Colours

• Depending on your design, some design elements may be loaded on a site by site basis, whilst other design elements may be loaded into the template style sheet. eg:
  • Tabbed menus are often an integral part of a website, so the supporting images are usually loaded onto the SmartSpace webserver and referenced in the template stylesheet
  • On some websites which contain integrated graphics, often where horizontal and vertical graphics meet, the graphics are loaded into the website itself using the website's database system
  • We use the element styling to ensure your images are perfectly aligned
  • When this happens, these graphics do not form part of the template design
• You provide the hex colours of the elements and we create the colour style sheet to your specs
• SmartSpace also supports custom CSS files for extra styling of various parts of your website.
  • There are often pages within the website which may need different styling
• Most graphics are stored in the website's file and album system, accessible only by you either  by inserting into content or attaching to content or products and services
• The use of graphics which infringe copyright, is not permitted in SmartSpace

We Are Here To Serve

If you are in any doubt as to whether SmartSpace can fulfil your website requirements phone us on 1800 ACTIV8(Australia only) or Contact Us here

We look forward to building great websites together.