Clearly, a site doesn't need to exhibit all these features to work well, and displaying these features doesn't make a design "2.0" - or good!
- Simplicity
- Central layout
- Fewer columns
- Separate top section
- Solid areas of screen real-estate
- Simple navigation
- Bold logos
- Bigger text
- Bold text introductions
- Strong colours
- Rich surfaces
- Gradients
- Reflections
- Cute icons
- Star flashes
Web 2.0 ?
I'm using the term "Web 2.0 design" to describe the prevailing style of web design I introduce in my current style article.
Many people use the term "Web 2.0" to describe:
- a resurgence in the web economy
- a new level of technological interactivity between web sites and services
- or social phenomena deriving from new types of online communities and social networks
Many others also use the term in reference to a recent school of web design. I'm comfortable with using it in that context here.
In sociological terms, movements impact people on many levels: economic, cultural, political, etc. Is skate-punk about entertainment and sport, music and the music industry, fashion, or the breakdown of society?
Introduction
I'm going to take you through the features of the current wave of excellent web site designs, dissect the most significant features, explain why each one can be good, and show you how to use them in your own sites.
If I had to sum up "Web 2.0" design in one word, it would have to be "simplicity", so that's where we'll start.
I'm a great believer in simplicity. I think it's the way forward for web design.
Today's simple, bold, elegant page designs deliver more with less:
- They enable designers to shoot straight for the site's goals, by guiding the site visitor's eye through the use of fewer, well-chosen visual elements.
- They use fewer words but say more, and carefully selected imagery to create the desired feel.
- They reject the idea that we can't guess what people want from our sites
No comments:
Post a Comment