I've been asked to design two different layouts for a new client at work. Normally, this isn't an issue and I am full of at least semi-interesting concepts... this one has me rather stumped.

My client is a company that makes rubber o-rings. Any size. Any color. Rubber o-rings.

Anyway.. here is my super-dee-duper uber rough draft unfinished concept. I kind of like it. I kind of hate it. And aside from your standard, run-of-the-mill pseudo-template "Pro" crap..... what ideas can anyone here toss my way? The client described his ideal site as: different, fun, professional, uncluttered and easy to navigate.

Bring me good ideas and good feedback and I shall bow at your feet and be forever in your debt.

Many, many thanks in advance, folks!

That's going to be a hard one to get just right in my opinion. Is it normal for your place of business to develop graphics?

*** Off Topic ***

Do they make o rings that will fit the 80's G.I. Joes?

I make graphics, design layouts, make websites, do front-end scripting, back-end scripting, content management systems, databases and database management systems, online games, point and reward systems.... you name it - if it can be put on teh interwebz, they make me do it. Even if I don't know HOW to do it... they tell me "Eh... you can figure it out.... it'll be fun. It's due Friday."

Then again, I am very tired tonight... and hence, a little more bitter and bitchy than usual. My apologies.

And I would wager they can make an o-ring for your GI Joe. Now, do you need that for a macho armband or a little pool floatie?

While I do need some new pool floaties, the o-rings go inside of the G.I.Joe, not on my arm. I think He-Man figures used them too. I may need a product catalog.

I actually have one of their product catalogs. It just hasn't been updated since 2003 (LITERALLY). And since all of their products are made of petroleum... and oil prices have gone up ever-so-slightly in the last 5 years.... their pricing is more than just a little out of date. But what size ring are you looking for? I would wager they have them...

After an exhausting 3 minute search, this is what I came up with, & stopped.

Here is what I thought up when looking at your skin (obviously it will look better when youtry to do it because you have all the objects used in making the original.



<edit>
I just remembered that I forgot to give you my thoughts on the skin.

I like the overall look of it other than the image is at the bottom and them menu background is dark. Because you are looking for something fun (ish) I decided that you could probably go with the image where the menu currently is and then turn the menu into a narbar (or is you don't like that though) into a menu connecting to the bottom of the picture. The idea that I took for the navbar adn new menu were like a band on its side (not a flat band as the gradient shows some psuedo-lighting effect).

Sorry about the choppyness of the original image, I was using a vector graphics program and didn't really take my time on it to get it looking good.
</edit>

Hope that helps.

This post has been edited by BetaWar: 6 Aug, 2008 - 11:35 AM

hmm.... some nice suggestions, Beta... thank you!

And No2..... they DO have #9 rings... but I don't have a price yet.

i like the suggestions that beta said, what i would change though is the redundancy of the menu options. To me having menu options twice on a page is redundant and cluttered. I also would possibly use the picture of the O rings as a background if it doesn't look to gaudy. Another thing i thought of when i looked at the layout is it might become a little bloggish looking if your not careful.