I'm Jin, and I'll be working on the designs for the Stack Exchange sites as they graduate from the beta phase. Each site will have its own unique theme that will reflect its topic. However, all sites will share quite a bit of common elements so they feel like they're part of the Stack Exchange family.

During the brainstorming phase, I asked myself, why do people ride bicycles if they have a choice of driving a car, or why do they choose cycling if there are other forms of exercise? As a one-time bicycle lover myself, I thought about personal freedom, accessibility, low cost and being in touch with the great outdoors.

So for the design, I wanted to capture the feeling of riding a bike, rather than focusing on the bike as an object.

Riding a bicycle is a very personal and independent choice. I wanted the design to reflect that. I believe a hand illustrated art style gives it a more personal touch, and the slightly vintage treatment makes it more timeless. After all, bicycles have been around for a long time.

Since the design is entirely focused on a "feeling," I decided to design a poster for our bicycles site first. That way, I didn't have the distraction of the constraints I normally face when creating a design for the web.

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Above is the poster I came up with. I believe the texture, color scheme and minimalist style work towards the goal I was aiming for. From there I transfered the visual elements onto the site design.

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Please keep in mind, not all of the site elements are present in these two mockups. I incorporated some visuals related to bicycles and cycling, e.g. road signs and cogs. But I was careful to not to make it overly "themey." Also, I tried to fit all of the design in one image, so it looks busier than the live site will be.

I'm pleased with the overall design. It did capture the feel I was going after. The site has a unique identity, while maintaining the feeling of the Stack Exchange family.

I'd love to hear your feedback. If there are no major design changes, I'm aiming to launch the site next Tuesday. So an early congrats from me!