Enhancing a Site's Look - Looking for Options / Opinions

[Mgd1138]

Hi,

http://www.tradevet.com/index_gs4.htm (Random Pictures on Load / Probably going to use this format overall)
http://www.tradevet.com/index_gs3.htm (Swaps Pictures Automatically / Fade-In)

Given the fact that I do like the overall look (a la www.goldmansachs.com look), I want to spruce it up without (1) adding things in that look cheesy or (2) take the overall simple look of it away and (3) for any new buttons or whatever, I do not want them too bold.

Simply looking for web page references of something that would look professional, corporate-ish, and be a plus-one vs. what I am testing now.

Appreciate anyone's insight.

MD

[mwenz]

TradeVet is a nice, Xara site.

Other than browsing looking for examples, as well as looking at the templates, don't think I have much to recommend. Other than finding a site you like and build it in Xara products, tweak layout/design to suit and publish it.

One source I do review from time to time looking at sites is here:
http://designartwall.com/

And here once in a while:
http://smashingshare.com/2010/11/18/...-blog-roundup/

Take care, Mike

[Mgd1138]

Thanks for the reply Mike. My active site at www.tradevet.com I do like but there are some more current pieces to add in that would spruce things up. I use this site (http://designm.ag/inspiration/websites-fortune-100/) as quick references. Completely amazing amount of work they did to put this together and so easy to browse, etc. What's funny is I was looking for an app that simply built menus years back and found WebStyle4 now WD6. Amazing, amazing tools and honestly made our firm look ten times larger overnight. Learning process but by far the best WYSWYG tool(s) out there.

Anyway, thanks again and I will look at your links. Appreciate your time.

[Mgd1138]

Started looked through the links already Mike. Good stuff. Might chime in to see if we have any of the cool stuff already built somewhere.

Thanks again.

[Mgd1138]

Hey Mike (and Others)...

http://www.zennaware.com/cornerstone/

I do like the gray-ish sections on the bottom. In WD6 how do you make it where you fade in or however you put it a lighter color in? My sections are a solid color only. Would really like to make mine like those.

Thanks in advance.

MD

[mwenz]

Hi MD. They are using DIVs to section off the color changes (well, the whole site is built on DIVs). For instance, where the "Customers" dark gray band, the DIV is:

.promotions, .customers {
background-color: #2c2f32;

At the end of those dark band DIVs, it simply switches back to the body color. I only looked real quickly at the source. The lighter color may be both defined as that color, but also a small, tiled PNG of the same color for adding a touch of texture to the background.

How to do DIVs for such things in Xara? Someone else will need to step in.

Take care, Mike

[Mgd1138]

Hey Mike,

I have been trying to recreate those pages and was having trouble. Is there a tutorial (I know you and others can just 'do it' which I appreciate) as I would like to try it out myself properly.

Thanks in advance.

MD