I think your ideas have possibilities. However the reason your designs have been ranked low is because of their practical use for us.If you would like to take your design no 12 and remove the box, make whatever changes are required with colour and leave the text set out the same the ranking should change greatly.
Thank you for your feedback! I have made the requested changes! Please let me know if you would like to see any further revisions. I will be on the road most of the day tomorrow and will try to get any up that you ask for, but if I'm not able to you do not have to extend - the person who is in 1st place during judging can provide you with revisions still. Not saying you have to put me there - but if you would like to see final changes to compare to other entries (mine or others) that's all you have to do!
That is much better mgal, It's interesting how you have tried to render the rings in the second one to show how they interact with one another in an actual pond. Thank you for your work Regards Graham