Feedback
Here's a structural suggestion. I notice on my browser that the "top"
gif does not line up perfectly with the red line at the top of your
design. You should be able to line it up, but it's one of those
things that must fit perfectly, and they have always been dangerous
in design.
For example, good furniture is designed with some latitude for
movement under varying climatic conditions. I violated that when I
built a very fine table once, out of rare burl walnut and worm holed
Red Oak, because I thought the plywood base I used for to glue the
burl to, cancelled out the ancient rule. The following summer it
cracked irreparably, right down the middle.
So ... I'd make it an arrow ... a small, light weight one, on a
transparent background. Possibly an outline instead of a solid arrow,
with the word "top" in it, vertically, if you like, so you can see
through it when it goes over other content. You could maybe make it
semi-transparent ... a tiny two color checkerboard with one color
transparent. Don't try to make it line up perfectly with other page
elements ... give it a little slop room.
I hope that helps.
I wouldn't worry about other designers' aesthetic opinions, either.
The worst advice I have gotten was from other artists. Feedback is
valuable, if you ask for it of people representative of your intended
public. How to do things is the most valuable feedback you can get
from other artists. Watch it with the aesthetic opinions. We are
probably the most opinionated group of people on Earth, so it is
dangerous to ask of us our aesthetic criticism. Even well meant, it
can stunt your growth, and often does.
Doug