Perhaps... the button next to 'Search' initially reads 'Member Menu On'. When clicked, a flash menu thing appears in the middle of the screen, and the button next to 'Search' toggles to 'Member Menu Off', indicating that clicking the button again, closes the member menu. As an alternative, a menu close function could be placed in the menu itself.
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.... just a thought.
The idea of the member menu is to have readily available buttons to click, without having to scroll all the way back up to the top. If you place this all the way at the top (by the search), you are defeating the purpose. Why click on that if you can just use the top nav anyway?
I like the idea of the member menu.....however, it does get in the way of the bottom links.....the site needs to be lifted up several pixels.....
The member menu is a good idea, but.....
I don't think anyone will be happy with that huge, horizontal, thing, docked to the top or bottom of the screen.
How about some creative use of flash that starts off as a button next to 'Search'? Clicking this flash button then displays a cool flash menu thing.
Although I don't like the styling, I like the concept behind these 'Flash menu things':
http://www.flashcomponents.net/upload/samples/1538/index.html?full=true
A slightly see more
I like the idea of the member menu.....however, it does get in the way of the bottom links.....the site needs to be lifted up several pixels.....
Quite the same thing could be done using DHTML and CSS...