I agree with just about Scott said especially the part about navigation. Unless there’s a real good reason, you should never split up or change your navigation.

I actually like the logo. I agree that most of the time top-left is ok, but in this case putting it at the bottom like that works for me. You should always place things in order of how you want them seen. If branding is your number one concern, the logo should be the first most prominent thing. Of course, you don’t need something to be in the top left for it to be the first thing that gets noticed. There are a bunch of ways to create a flowing hierarchy.

I also agree that more subdued colors would be good for the preview. When people see subdued it’s easier for them to image the colors they want.

Fantastic article and great advice Scott. I look forward to seeing more.

missed this pallet from adobe. Best i’v found anyway!
Great blog idea aswell.