Hi William,
Very nice! Sure it is a good idea, elegant, coming close to what Xubuntu, Lubuntu (for instance) provide. If you provide a 48x48 png image I will add it in the next ISO and set it up as default.
I would just like to ask you a favor : I live in another times and place (space and time differ here, aren't we all time travelers?). In a Lubuntu with a small button, people I was introducing to Linux didn't know where to click to access the menus. Could you also create a larger button, 48 pixels high, and large as the second button available in Lubuntu? (Don't remember the size now): put the small rond on the right and write again "Menus" (but with a "s", I forgot it when I did it). And you could use the same font as for the Bento writing on the splash plymouth.
That would be very nice of you!