Web site makeover: Before and after

Makeover: An attention-grabbing Web site

The problems: A drab design, confusing imagery, dense text

The fix: "I think the overall structure and color scheme is much more appealing now to a wider audience," says Meredith Martin, creative director of The Killswitch Collective, one of the experts we had critique Boreas' old design. "The landscape header images work well and the content is much clearer and easier to follow. I also like the addition of quotations on each page. They introduce a more personal aspect to this site."

While the design and content facelift has made the site more professional, Martin says there is still some room for improvement on the consulting firm's site.

"The thin lines shooting in from the sides are distracting for me," she says. "If the purpose is to help the content stand out more, I would suggest getting rid of the awkward stripes and putting a subtle drop shadow vertically along the sides of the content area instead."

While the navigation is much clearer now, Martin would like to see the Web site's logo link back to the home page. That's a now-standard practice.

Martin also notices small details that can distract visitors. "The spacing between each navigation link under that header image is uneven," she says. "Also, on the leadership page, the headshots down the left are not aligned well with the bio texts to the right. These are small details, but ensuring that nothing has been overlooked will contribute to a more professional feel."