Design Inspiration

http://www.myprovence.fr/snapshots2011/index.php?l=en

This site is very interactive and fun to use. The navigation is very different to other sites - with the photos on the page being part of it. When you go to click on the photo there is a rollover of the name of the page you are going to go to. After clicking this you are taken to a Z Index, with images on a slideshow. The map page is also similar, with different segments of the circle changing the background and acting as a video.
Although this site has nothing to do with the one I am designing, I like the idea of using photos as the navigation and a Z Index. To see it in practice, it gives the website an extra something that keeps the user engaged and entertained.




http://w3.upm.com/upm/forestlife/index.html

Again a site different to the one I am designing, but some of the ideas used in here are like what I want to try and create for the Melbourn Fete site. The images used behind the information are great - they aren't too bold but not too plain either. I like the use of boxes of information that pop up in front of the images - they do not take up too much space so the beautiful images in the background can also be seen. I really like the opening and closing of the boxes, (they sort of fold open from the middle). I would want to do this, but from one corner, diagonally. I feel this would work with the grid and information boxes I want to create.


http://grupowprojects.com/nike10/

For my website, I was given the idea of having an "Enter Site" page which would be fun and interest the user before they have even reached any information.
This site does it well, with a great background image, a small bit of text to explain what the site is about - as it is not always easy to realise - and then the "Enter" button at the bottom.
I feel that adding something like this to my site will just make it look more professional and exciting - especially if a great background image is chosen.