Website design I was working on...

I prefer your navigation on your design, but the one they chose isn't without its charm. Your design appears to offer a lot more simplified information and is easy to follow - also I would question the amount of media on the other one - without a really good web connection, it could take quite a while to fully load the page.

You can also tell straight away in your design what the website is for whereas the other looks like a nightclub - it only has one reference to the religious content in a small tagline under the logo.

One thing I would say is that the headline nav looks a bit lost with the transparency on top of the image. How old was the client? This can always influence choosing one design over another.

I like the colors..maybe change the background texture to sky and dirt and draw some climbing vines then finish it off with leafs as bullets? just a design suggestion not a navagation suggestion :P

The client is in there late 30's

It's looks like you could make this as template for joomla

First thing I'd ask is: why were you competing with another designer on this - and where exactly are you competing?

It sounds like it became a very subjective decision for the client, probably based only on personal preference and how they got on with each of you (or rather felt they could get on in the future).

Which of the two designs, yours or your competitors, is 'right' depends on what exatly the client was after as the key goal and target audience of the site.

My advice would be: let go of any irritation you feel about this project and learn the lessons. Get very good at listening to the client, asking the right questions and collecting a brief. Talk this over and get it signed off. Always work to and refer to the brief (there's a great alistapart article which proposes a basic structure for briefs as a starting point).

Once you have a brief, should you run into a competition situation like this again, it ensures that you are competing on a level playing field which will benefit both you and your client.

If it makes you feel any better, your design is better.

There was a brief involved, The Client loved my design. The reason I started the project, was because the client said someone else was going to work on it but hadn't showed him anything in 3 months so they told me to go ahead. But as soon as I met with the client and they love my design, I started coding the site up. Then they send me an email saying, Oh this person was working on something as well... The thing that sucks is I know both people personally, and they client just doesn't want to hurt the other persons feelings even though the design is wrong for the project.

This was what they said in the e-mail -

Having said that, I believe this generation is definitely image
driven, thus having videos as introduction to The Vine would be more
in line with YGen, so I think Greg's design would have more appeal to
people that are in social networks. Bottom line; Nicho's functions &
Greg's design.

There target audience was the younger generation, and one of the main points they stressed was accessibility. This other designer only knows flash so they will be doing the site in flash. I don't think there is anything wrong with flash, just a time and place for it. And this was not one of those times.

Here was his mock for "About" page - http://twitpic.com/cxvni/full

and mine - http://www.flickr.com/photos/29813473@N07/3699796098/sizes/l/in/photostream/

I like what you've done very much and remember your logo concept for 'The Vine' up in the critique area quite a while ago. This whole relationship seems a bit confusing based on them giving you the 'go ahead' and then all of a sudden informing you the 'other designer' is back after a long period of inactivity.

I get the sense the client is very bad at communicating. Why else didn't he inform the other designer that they were working with a new designer?

I have to ask... was there a verbal or written understanding that you'd be paid for developing the site? You've obviously put quite a bit of time and thought into the design. If it were me I'd send them an invoice for your time and run from any project requests from them in the future.

Keep up the great design but work on creating more formal business relationships for your projects. Respect your profession and others will as well.

P.S. - In your 'About' mockup you didn't switch the navigation tab. ;)

Really nice. I like those stitches ;-)

YOU > THEM (Although, theirs is good too.)! That is a damn good design, artistic expression carries much more weight with me than trend the majority of the time.....tough break.