Evening all!

I REALLY need someones help on this, I started an environment design for my final year of Graphic design, and I'm having trouble with the actual designing of the level... not the modelling or texturing, the really basic layout of where things should go and what should be included!
AND IT'S KILLING ME!
I realise there's nothing anyone can specifically crit me on but maybe some pointers on how to get started?

Here's a top-down render of the level as it stands...



The dull yellow area is where I am allowing the player to go, it's blocked off by a mountain, a dry riverbed and a flowing river, the blobs are placeolder trees and bushes.
The basic idea is that I have largish area with three "pieces" to show off, and easily navigatable pathways going between each.

I can't get away from feeling that the whole thing looks and feels really cheesy!

Maybe I should go for the single enclosed cylindrical area packed with prettiness and forget the "playable level" thing?

Any and all crits will be welcomed with open arms like a favourite uncle we thought was lost in the snow.

P.S. First environment design, be harsh!

Few things I need to know...

1. Where will the player start? If this is going to be a playable level then what path will the player take? Is the altar the goal of the level?

2. If the altar area is the goal of the level... why is it the goal? What is the story behind the level? A major part of level design is telling a story. What story are you trying to tell? If you just want the level to be pretty with no story, the player is going to notice.

3. Is this going to be an open sandbox type area or do you want to control player movement? IE if you want to control player movement you could have the statue collapse after he passes it so he can not longer go back the way he came.

4. Are there going to be enemies in this area? If not the large scale area will get boring to the player quickly if there is not much to see but trees and rocks.

Come up with a backstory to the level and the character the player will control. It will add a lot of ideas and believability to the level and make conceptualization much easier

Okey Dokey, as usual I messed up by not explaining everything!

My original idea was to have a three-part environment, High-fantasy, Urban and Sci-fi that lead through to each other forever (via a portal between the sci-fi and fantasy areas).
Each area would have a set area that would act as a thematic portfolio piece, a circle of stones, a fallen statue and some kind of altar.
I'm thinking that this will take too long so I cut out everything except the fantasy area.

So there's no official start location (which may change because of the alterations), there's no official goal, and there will be no items or enemies.

My initial idea was to have a fairly linear set of areas, but hopefully removing the feeling that you're trapped in something you want to see more of.

The story idea sounds GOLDEN! I think that will make a big difference, thanks man!
Will update ASAP!

Thanks Kiser
puddles