If you look at Web pages, you will find that a high percentage of them have a very technical look. Buttons that imitate functions of a computer window environment are used for navigation, and sterile lists of things are presented. The whole screen layout is very text-line oriented.
When you design navigation elements, headlines or other designs for Web pages, you need to consider the atmosphere in which the information presented is to appear. If your client does not know, it s up to you to create an atmosphere suitable for the client's information content.
Your 'buttons' do not need frames around them. Transparent backgrounds around handwritten words or more fancy designs will work very well as navigational aids for the readership. Try to find something outstanding rather than designing the world's 6731th set of 'arrows in a box'. Connecting navigational elements to the theme of the pages is always a good idea.