Website/Design Trends

[dugarner]

Ladies and Gents,

I'm hoping someone here can help me!

I am in charge of the members' newsletter for the local Symphony in which I also play. (That's a mouthful!)

I would like to redesign the header and front page of the newsletter this year. We've made some big changes, taken some big risks this season, trying to stay alive and actually finish in the black for the second season in a row (an amazing feat when you combine the crappy economy and the general malaise for live performing arts in smaller markets), and I'd like to have a very professional-looking newsletter to go along with our new 'do.

We don't have money to print in color. We can't print on glossy paper, either, it's just a simple 20# copy paper. So we can't impress with color schemes or slick paper.

Does anyone know of any simple, elegant headers that jump out at you on various websites? I only frequent three or four websites each day and I just don't know what is out there. I'm just looking for an idea for banner design that would be appropriate for a professional organization looking to infuse a little personality into our communications. Stuffy and uppity isn't going to capture the younger generation, but silly or whimsical doesn't exactly say Tchaikovsky, either. (Though I have no problem with whimsical, I don't think the Board would go for it.)

Anyway, if anyone wants to throw any recommendations my way, I'd love to have a handful of sites I can look at to get inspiration.

Sarah

[Scrapbird]

I'm not up on web design, so can't help you there, but good luck!
What do you play?

[neonglow]

Pattern Tap : Organized Web Design Collection of User Interfaces for Inspiration and Ideas. The CSS Gallery Alternative - Pattern Tap, Web Creme | Web design inspiration and CSSREMIX are all great websites for design inspiration!

[dugarner]

Awesome, Neonglow, that's exactly what I was looking for! Thank you so much!

Scrapbird, I play the viola.