Site Redesign, Feelings?

My friend and I have been working at design and other such things for a few years now, it has been a passion of mine for a very long time. As 16 year olds, we are aware that we are not the best, and we aren't trying to be. Our first two versions of the Soaring Designs site were iffy, but we are trying to go above and beyond with version 3.

We have a few concepts we are working on. Here is a preview of one of them. All critz are welcome!

Version 3 - Take 1

I am still trying to fit the "Designs" part of our name somewhere in the header. I haven't found the right spot yet. Any suggestions?

Also, any suggestions as to how the context should be done? I know that it can make or break a site, so I am being careful about layout and placement.

i don't know if this was intentional or simply a browser compatibility issue, but it looks like it says "soarina".

That's just an image paperling... there's no code so compatibility doesn't matter.

I do agree with paperling though. Think about it... You are trying to get your name out "there" right? I think that if you are then you should really try to make the name clear to people. Also you are calling it SOARING designs, but the angle of the word soaring downwards? Doesn't make sense to me. It would, however, be fine if you confirmed the name by putting it at flat on that banner aswell as on the left corner. Just an idea.

Secondly, just a design point... when you go to make this site make sure you do it using CSS. There aren't actually many images on that design at the moment I can only see the need for one at the moment and that's the header... So when you go to code it just use that image and you can lay everythig else out using CSS... it will load alot faster :D

Finally, The place where, I presume the links shall be, is very uneven. You can try that out but I think it would be better if you left, right, or center aligned them instead of having different sized boxes?

Other than that, I like it... Those little coloured boxes compliment the banner. Good job :D

Just my Opinion
Marc

Thanks for the comments guys, I really appreciate it!

As for the header, I was planning on putting the name flat on the banner as well, just as you said lazyroll.

I was planning on using the first 5 boxes on the nav bar which are all equal in size, and leaving the excess to the right, I thought it would look neat. What do you think about that?

Thanks a lot guys, I will post an update soon!

This isn't really coded yet, just sliced it all and got it on the web, I just wanted to see what the site would look like sofar.

What do you think? http://soaring-designs.com/hosted/sdv3/index.htm

Hey,

That already looks alot better, I would say this though: have the about us page as the home page so that you don't need to use the blank space on the right of the nav for the home page. that's what I tend to do.

Also, That News and updates box... Give it a style so that it is clearly seperate from the white background.

Just a point of design, It would be better if you kept one solid uniform style for each of the content areas on the page.

Look forward to seeing more
Marc

Thanks a lot, and I didn't know you were sixteen as well, thats cool!
You got aim?

Nah, I only have MSN. Yes, I'm Sixteen... Nearly 17... I will be able to drieve soon... Steez :D

Just had my sugar shot, so here goes.

Soaring still looks soarina.
Move the News and Updates section to where the About Us is right now, a small column would be adequate to post little news blurbs about client work, etc.
I agree with lazyroll about having the About Us page be the first one that the visitor sees.

And just a personal complain in general, I find that designs like yours fails to express the designer's character or style. You have to remember that the browser is your canvas, not the Photoshop window. Go crazy, just not to extent where the functionality is compromised. ;)

And age has no meaning by the way, we wouldn't be any more amazed about any of your work if you were four or four-hundred.

If he was four i would be pretty impressed :D jokes