York State Bank | Nearly Done

Well this layout has come a long way...

http://www.earthnbeyond.com/maniac/bank5.jpg <--- Current Near final version

Here's the evolution

http://www.red2.org/bank.jpg
http://www.red2.org/bank2.jpg
http://www.red2.org/bank3.jpg
http://www.earthnbeyond.com/maniac/bank4.jpg

and then finally
http://www.earthnbeyond.com/maniac/bank5.jpg

you can see the original site at
http://www.yorkstatebank.com [PATHETIC TO THE MAX!]

What do you guys think of the current version ? Critiques welcome.

looks clean, good job.

looks much better then the version they are using now :D

yes looks good...!

it's interesting to see your progress through a series of comps. looks like a bank website.

yoo... it is a bank site, ain't it??
btw... nice job, but it doesn't look professional...

You said critiques are welcome so off I go:

You could have blue links on a white background with black text in 8px verdana and it would look better than their current. That's not the guage I would like you to look at.

Here's your design competition:

-- http://www.bankofamerica.com (done by Vidid designs I think, before they were aquired - don't go to vidid.com now...funny story that...)
-- http://www.firstunion.com (bleh)
-- http://www.wellsfargo.com (bleh)

So let's say Bank of America is who you're looking to beat 'cause the other two are boring. When I say beat, I mean making a user go "man, I want to bank with York State Bank instead of bank of america because they're so much more __________". What goes in the "________" can come from many places but when working with banks it most likely going to be something like:

-- Professional
-- Trustworthy
-- Safe
-- Advanced
-- Established

I work out with clients early what those words are, then I start designing. As a mater of fact, today I had a client ask me to make his company look "Vibrant", I couldn't work with that so I made him come up with "energetic", "intelligent", and "cool". Much easier to design to.

So, my question is, what types of messages does your design have to convey for York State Bank. Are those messages being conveyed in your current design?

Food for thought...

i like the approach of looking at the competition but those really aren't this bank's competition. these are huge, slick bank websites. this bank in nebraska clearly can't hang with those sites.

this is a home town bank and it should speak to its users. i don't think designing in bank website style (coins, columns, scales, people shaking hands, feather pens, etc) is the best route (plus it seems like too obvious of a solution).

i say think about the region ... think about the customers.

(i keep picturing the bank they rob in Raising Arizona in my mind for some reason and its affecting my judgement!)

i keep picturing the bank they rob in Raising Arizona in my mind for some reason and its affecting my judgement!)

"Well, which is it. You a'wantin' me to be gettin down. Or you a'wantin me to not move? Cause if Im gettin' down, then Ima gonna be a'movin."

By far, the funniest, most creative movie that has ever been made. Sure, some of those situation comedy movies are funny as hell, but I only laugh at them once and never watch them again. I watch raisin' arizona over and over again and it's still funnier than hell.

Plus, you ever sit and study the movie? If you look past the comedy and the sheer stupidity of the main charactars, there is a deeper meaning behind it all. Kinda like Aesop's Fables.

i love that movie too. i can watch it over and over and it still kills me!