In this article we are  trying to mimic the navigation menu in Dragon Interactive website using only CSS (no images, no JavaScript).

Note: This is an experimental example using the new features of CSS3. The effects can be seen in Latest Webkit Browser only. Gradients works in Firefox 3.6 but not the fade-in and fade-out transition.

Lets create the html used.

<div class="wrapper">
<div class="container"><ul class="menu" rel="sam1">
<li class="active"><a href="#">Home</a></li>
<li><a href="#">About</a></li>
<li ><a href="#">Blog</a></li>
<li><a href="#">Services</a></li>
<li><a href="#">Portfolio</a></li>
<li><a href="#">Contacts</a></li>
<li><a href="#">Twitter @insic</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>

Now the CSS.

Lets add a gradients using CSS3 gradient property into our wrapper div.

.wrapper {
    width: 100%;
    height: 80px;
    background : #464646;
    background : -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, left bottom, from(rgb(168,168,168)), to(rgb(69,69,69)));
    background : -moz-linear-gradient(top, rgb(168,168,168), rgb(69,69,69));
    border-top: 2px solid #939393;
    position: relative;
    margin-bottom: 30px;
}

The CSS code for the menu item.

ul {
    margin: 0;
    padding: 0;
}

ul.menu {
    height: 80px;
    border-left: 1px solid rgba(0,0,0,0.3);
    border-right: 1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.3);
    float:left;
}

ul.menu li {
    list-style: none;
    float:left;
    height: 79px;
    text-align: center;
    background: -webkit-gradient(radial, 50% 100%, 10, 50% 50%, 90, from(rgba(31,169,244,1)), to(rgba(0,28,78, 1)) );
    background: -moz-radial-gradient(center 80px 45deg, circle cover, rgba(31,169,244,1) 0%, rgba(0,28,78, 1) 100%);
    }

ul li a {
    display: block;
    padding: 0 20px;
    border-left: 1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.1);
    border-right: 1px solid rgba(0,0,0,0.1);
    text-align: center;
    line-height: 79px;
    background : -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, left bottom, from(rgb(168,168,168)), to(rgb(69,69,69)));
    background : -moz-linear-gradient(top, rgb(168,168,168), rgb(69,69,69));
    -webkit-transition-property: background;
    -webkit-transition-duration: 700ms;
    -moz-transition-property: background;
    -moz-transition-duration: 700ms;
    }

ul li a:hover {
    background: transparent none;
}

ul li.active a{
    background: -webkit-gradient(radial, 50% 100%, 10, 50% 50%, 90, from(rgba(31,169,244,1)), to(rgba(0,28,78, 1)) );
    background: -moz-radial-gradient(center 80px 45deg, circle cover, rgba(31,169,244,1) 0%, rgba(0,28,78, 1) 100%);
}