Posts Tagged ‘web design’

Ever since the iPhone originally came out industry experts have been buzzing about he future of the mobile web. If you are reading this blog, you are probably very aware of the face that Apple announced the iPhone SDK, and other new features that will be launching this July. With this announcement (read the details on Engadget and the roundup on gizmodo) I finally decided to make the plunge, and not because of the new features. But why would I decide to buy a $400 phone if I wasn’t really that interested in the release of the new features and I hadn’t already made the move?

To those of you who follow this blog, you may remember that about a week ago I hinted at the release of a new personal project of mine. I also recently released an article about starting you own personal design project, and some of the benefits of doing so. Well, after a couple of more days than I would have wanted (due to real client work of course) I am finally able to reveal my latest project, Barackas.com. In an effort to share this project I am so proud of I am going to take some time to discuss the project and my design choices.

I have been stumbling across some amazing websites lately that have successfully kicked the “web 2.0” aesthetic so I thought that it was time to make another post in my series. The original two posts in the series can be found here (post 1) and here (post 2).

Contrast the Blog is currently running an article titled SEO is Bullshit that has had me thinking. While a little bit more blunt than I would be, I can’t help but find myself agreeing with some of the witty rant:

SEO is using deodorant instead of washing. SEO is masking bad coffee with sugar. SEO is cramming instead of studying. SEO is using pain killers instead of going to the dentist. SEO is taking weight loss pills instead of exercising. SEO is a comb-over. SEO is Scientology. SEO is Paris Hilton. SEO is the Zune. SEO is the morning-after pill. SEO is astroturf. SEO is not the real thing. SEO is cutting corners. SEO is not the solution. SEO is bullshit.

Maybe you have been in the same position as me lately, picture the following example. Your potential client comes to you looking for a website. They express their concerns regarding being able to update the content, the people they would like to reach, and what they would like their site to accomplish. However they have not mentioned the other majority of the project. Who will be responsible for organizing all of their company’s information, and who will be responsible for the upkeep? While the client is convinced that they need a website, they do not realize the commitment that a site can be.

In my article Why the Web is Killing Creativity in Design I argued that the so called “web 2.0” aesthetic has actually caused more problems than good for designers. This article proved to be a huge success and has been one of the most popular articles I have written for Positive Space. Earlier today, reader Robert Ross posted an amazing response in support of my post that comes along with 40 years of experience. His response is amazingly well written, so well in fact that I felt it was deserving of its own post. This response also reinforces the idea that if we as designers really want to utilize our talents to their fullest we should create the opportunity for ourselves, which Robert has done this through his website Raw Food Life.

I wanted to do a quick post to let everyone know that AssociaDirect, the sister company of LEVEL2 Marketing Group (where I work), has started a program to give away a website to a non-profit organization twice a year. Every six months we will be selecting a winner and awarding them a website including the following features:

Well, I do not want to turn this blog into a site devoted to endless lists full of links, however I was called out when I wrote my first article about designs that do not have the typical “web 2.0” aesthetic. Here is the comment from Adam that led to this sequel:

Recent discussions on this blog regarding the nature of web design, the 2.0 look, and where we should be taking inspiration from has led me to write this post with 10 of my favorite sites that do not look at all like the stereotypical web 2.0 site. I hope that this short grouping of sites can help explain to those who did not understand me before what type of sites I have been referencing. This is by no means a complete list, and there are new ones being added every day but these are definitely some of the best.

Recently I have come to the conclusion that current trends in web design are causing a complete lack of creativity. The whole “Web 2.0” design movement (if you can call it that) has already caused its damage. What do I mean by damage? While many people believe that these trends in web design have increased the importance of design in the eye of our users and clients. I however believe that this is not true. All that has been accomplished is that these people have developed a false perception of what good design is. So what does this mean? It means that we as designers now have a new hurdle to overcome. We must now fight even harder to effectively meet their communication needs. In addition to the typical requests for bigger logos and larger type, now we must fight to stray outside the world of glossy buttons, and reflected logos.