10 Amazing Website Designs, The Freshest Yet

26 Responses to “10 Amazing Website Designs, The Freshest Yet”

1. 

   ia
   April 6th, 2008 at 5:56 am

   I think it would be a more interesting challenge to find websites that _are_ “Web 2.0” - as in, they’re web applications that do awesome things - but don’t _look_ “Web 2.0”. I hate that the phrase “Web 2.0 look” actually exists since it’s used to describe the new wave of technologies and concepts, not aesthetics.

2. 

   Zinni
   April 6th, 2008 at 6:27 am

   ia, I agree that would be an interesting task. I actually don’t know one off the top of my head that would accomplish the feat. I will attempt to generate a list in the future though, because I agree that those would be some sites truly deserving attention.

3. 

   Progresswear
   April 6th, 2008 at 9:49 am

   You can find fantastic examples of web 2.0 sites that don’t look so damned bland and canned among the CSS cult of design. Check out CSS Beauty, CSS Vault etc.

4. 

   liam
   April 6th, 2008 at 10:40 am

   Thanks, another great collection.

5. 

   SlechtValk
   April 6th, 2008 at 10:49 am

   Although these designs (more or less) look good, i do not agree that these are “Amazing”. Except for “North Colour” thay all use invalid code ( http://validator.w3.org/ ), use table layouts and/or Plug-ins (like Flash) and do not offer alternatives so thay are very inaccesseble. I think there are a lot more sites that use valid code and are very accesseble.

   greatings SlechtValk

6. 

   Zinni
   April 6th, 2008 at 11:33 am

   SlechtValk

   My question to you is what does amazing design have to do with the code? If this was a collection of amazing book cover designs then there would be no mention. I have selected these sites upon aesthetic and concept.

   What you are describing is production value. I try not to feature sites that are a simply sliced JPGs, however accessibility and code structure are not the main concern of this series. I am trying to share what I believe to be creative sites, regardless of their code structure.

   I agree that valid code has its benefits, however I am not using it as a determining factor for inclusion. I think that there are enough sites out there doing that already. Thanks for your comment, and I hope you can see why I still choose to include these sites.

7. 

   SlechtValk
   April 6th, 2008 at 1:59 pm

   Zinni,

   You ask what amazing design has to do with the code… but your title doesn’t state “10 amazing designs…” but includes the woord “website”. IMHO a website design should follow the rules for making a wabsite, and that’s where valid code comes into play…

   I understand that your criteria are somewhat different than mine and that you added these sites to your list because thay just look good (i don’t like them all but thats not the point).

   I just think that accessebility, validity and semantics are more inportant than you do, and that it is just a challenge for designers to get the design thay want within the limits of the web.

   Finaly I think that a lot of sites from your list could be made valid and accessible and I think that designers who don’t do that are just lazy (some special cases excluded)…

   SlechtValk

8. 

   Zinni
   April 6th, 2008 at 2:18 pm

   SlechValk,

   I think that all of the sites could be created with valid code, and if it were me I would take that approach. I like you believe that we should take the extra step. However the list of sites on the web that are different than most of the sites out there and also perfectly constructed is a small list. Thanks for your comments. You raise legitimate points and hopefully they have inspired other designers / developers to increase their production values as well.

9. 

   kristarella
   April 6th, 2008 at 4:27 pm

   I agree with SlechtValk, my idea of web design is that it’s all about the code – at least when I’m trying to design it is.

   I see from your comments Zinni that you were looking for the look of the site, I didn’t realise that from what you’d written in your posts in this series. Glad it’s clarified now.

10. 

    Sketchplanet
    April 7th, 2008 at 6:18 am

    Yep they dont’ suck so bad, but a little bland.

11. 

    C
    April 7th, 2008 at 11:47 am

    Kind of a silly discussion. The title clearly says ‘website designs’. That implies nothing about code, functionality, or features. I believe most people understand ‘design’ to be aesthetics, layout, structure, color, and other visual attributes.

12. 

    ryan
    April 7th, 2008 at 12:59 pm

    Here is another site for you guys to check out:

    http://www.seocompatibledesign.com

    This site has clean code, viewable in all browsers and still maintain a creative design.

13. 

    Geoff Cheshire
    April 7th, 2008 at 2:50 pm

    Web standards are important, just as grammar in prose. Yet, good grammar doesn’t mean the writing is good, elegant, or powerful. I’d wager most great works of literature depart from the rules here and there. Whether a site validates is just one thing to consider when deciding whether it’s “good” or not, and especially where and why it’s not valid in the context of what the site’s trying to achieve.

    I mean, would you prefer using one of the above non-validating sites or this?

14. 

    Zinni
    April 7th, 2008 at 3:56 pm

    Geoff, thanks for putting my thoughts into perspective. I appreciate the comment, you summed up exactly what I was thinking.

15. 

    David
    April 7th, 2008 at 5:46 pm

    I realize this is contributing to the tangent (as opposed to focusing on the post, which was a nice collection of *designs*) - but I have to just chime in… but regarding the comments above regarding web standards and validation: validation DOES NOT equal web standards or best practices. Validation is simply a tool. A validator points out errors in your code in regards to following the spec. Standards and best practices in web design (encompassing graphic design, usability, accessibility, code, etc) are about SO MUCH more than mere validation… I’ll not drone on any further b/c if you care, you can research it. Just needed to be said.

16. 

    Jermayn
    April 8th, 2008 at 7:47 pm

    It is indeed good to see non-web 2.0 look websites every so often

17. 

    Zaiah Adu
    April 10th, 2008 at 1:08 pm

    It was great to see some truly original designs. Everything on the web is starting to look the same. What burns me is that on this same page of masterpieces is a banner for HOMESTEAD! With a slogan of “BUILD YOUR SITE IN MINUTES”! WTH? Sites like those are destroying the true art and craftsmanship of web design! Save the web. Hire a pro! Plus they have student loans to pay back.

    Peace

18. 

    Zinni
    April 10th, 2008 at 1:44 pm

    Zaiah Adu,

    I agree with the statement about the homestead banner. I am actually in the process of redesigning the site to utilize other more effective and relevant ad networks other than adsense. Unfortunately adsense may think it is relevant, but in most cases it is not. This change will take place on the the first of may corresponding with this seasons css reboot.

19. 

    Libor Fikr
    April 11th, 2008 at 7:31 am

    Amazing! I like krolikov.net.