notes on the design makeover
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Sara

as I was working on the bits you had asked me to - and prepared the different versions - I was having a closer look at the design
and as you said you liked my feedback I had a few ideas to bring the site's look a little more alive...

These are just a few ideas - I didn't set up everything to be perfectly tied in with the look - but I thought I'd do a quick mockup 
on how I would lay it out and use the colours. Not 100% on this - but I believe the bright turquois is part of the brand colour scheme - 
so I stuck to that to brighten the active links etc.... and tied it in with the other shade if blue you used....

I edited a few images with your pixel effect - I like what you're doing with that - getting away from all the lines and from a boxy look.... 
so I used it a little more and differently from the initial mockup....

Have a look and let me know what you think ;)

QUICK SUM UP OF MAIN CHANGES

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top section

edited new header image to incoporate logo
using pixel style effect with bright turquois colour - blended with #666699

Main menu forming a strip - decorated with different style borders to offset it against the background image

quicklinks and search box in white with coloured border for more light and elegant feel

search box aligned underneath as before - but given no background colour
> pixel visual also appears below menu, fading down into the content area

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left side column

menu re-styled

> main menu - all uppercase (instead of bold for a lighter feel)
> squares instead of rounded rectangles as bulett points for submenu (using bright turquois instead of orange)
> submenu in normal case - bold on rollover

(help boxes unchanged - would need to changed to fit look of layout - in my opinion - the dark blue bars are a little heavy)


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middle - main content

unchanged - would need to be edited to fit

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right side column

accessibility options for page views aligned under other functional boxes (quicklinks and search) - grouped together as 'task panel' for easy use
> better usability as the options are in easy view and quicker to get to via keyboard than in the footer
> focusing all functional elements within 1 area - similar to a menu will not distract but be easy to access


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footer

new look - displayed within 1 line in the same style as the top menu 
> white for a lighter feel
> colours tied into overall scheme
> image with pixel effect repeated with darker shade #666699