Website Design Critique Needed

[beowolfe03]

Client is a Vet in Kansas
Wants site to be professional, clean, modern - a learning tool for his clients.

This is a redesign of this site. (http://www.indianhillsanimalclinic.com/)

They didn't give me any copy or pictures, so I ripped it all off their old site, but I wrote all the little blurbs to fill space until they came up with better text. Some pictures need to be purchased and have watermarks. One space in the bottom right doesn't have anything in it at the moment.

I was intending for the top main image to subtly fade in different animals/words since client seemed to want at least one flash element. I don't do any flash/programming, so that will be done after approval.

I'm not completely happy with this---I struggle designing copy layout (and essentially web design itself) more than anything. Any suggestions on how to make this better?

http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a256/beowolfe03/?action=view&current=Front2-Prev.jpg

[Mr_LeE]

These are my suggestions:

The top right images of the girl seems abit too big. Abit overwhelming, takes away from the main content part of the site. (Maybe scale 85-90%?)

Locations info:
Maybe aline them with the content above it. I very strict on measurments, so when i saw that it made me shiver.

Same thing with 9-5 title, and Meet our doctors title.

Make sure they are alined also with the text below it.

I can see that your text boxes are alinged but not the captions under it.

The image under coming soon maybe needs to be rasied abit. Slightly.

The text in emergency care looks abit stretched as well. Maybe it's just me.. I dunno.

Might want to add a rights reserved 2008. to who ever owns the site. and i you want to be proper, a valid xHTML and CSS link back to wc3. (Thats if your going to get your programmer to be proper and validate the site)

That's just me, take the advice or leave it. but im jsut trying to critique ur work if you were right in front of me.

Lee

[beowolfe03]

No need discredit your critique! It's very legitimate. I'm the only designer at my office, so someone has to point out the little things that I miss! I've been looking at this site for hours and hours every day and I get blind to important little things like alignment. I will go through and fix the things you've mentioned and repost.
Thanks much!

[beowolfe03]

Updated Design: http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a256/beowolfe03/Front2-Prev2.jpg

Here are the only things I didn't change...

Same thing with 9-5 title, and Meet our doctors title.

Make sure they are alined also with the text below it.

The text and the titles are in the same text box, so they're probably as aligned as they're going to get.

The text in emergency care looks abit stretched as well. Maybe it's just me.. I dunno.

It's just you. ;) I double checked and I know better than to stretch text :D

I also removed the girl from the top and put another one of the animals I was going to use. (Please remember that these pics will only be there for about 45 seconds.)

Thanks again for your help! If anyone else has comments too, I'd gladly take them!

[beowolfe03]

Latest Update:
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a256/beowolfe03/Front2-Prev4.jpg (http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a256/beowolfe03/Front2-Prev3.jpg)

[Blazer]

I think it looks very nice!
I especially like what you did with the 'going out of town?' dog in the suitcase - clever!
I too agreed with the first image of how the the woman really dominated the screen. I'd be interested to see how the flash looks and what images are used.
Something about the Ermgency Care looks off - maybe b/c it really isn't aligned with anything or the little symbol isn't centered with the text?

Maybe a bit more leading in the text below the big kitty? Or the line length could be a bit longer.

Nice job!

[beowolfe03]

Thanks for kind words!
I agree with you, though. The emergency section did look off. I'd tried something different here...

Pawprints--- good idea, bad idea? Too cartoony?

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a256/beowolfe03/Front2-Prev6.jpg

[TorrentOfFlame]

I like the design alot more then the first concept.

Those paw prints would look nice if they were paw prints. They are more bird tracks, and although people have birds as pets, the prints dont fit in with the current pictures of dogs and cats, if you know what I mean.. Maybe actually paw prints, or include a bird in the mix somwhere.

Im also not too sure about what the logo is? It fits in nicely to the design I just dont get what it is

(:

[beowolfe03]

I was going to include a bird in the top fading photo...I dunno. That might not be enough to warrant bird tracks. I'm still not sure if the paw prints aren't a little too cliché.

I didn't make the logo...It's a cat head in the positive space and a dog head in the negative space inside a diamond with lines going through it. It was probably designed in the 80's or 90's...I can't do anything about it :P

[TorrentOfFlame]

AH! I can see the logo now!

Haha. It was a difficult concept for me lol :P

Im not sure, is this a professional vets? Or do they treat alot of animals who belong to children? If they come across as "friendly" people might be more inclined to go there? Im not sure.

If they arent cluttering the image, and they are only on a small portion, it might look better than without.