We’re in the process of finalizing design decisions for our key pages- the pages most people will be using once the site is up and running. Serendipitously, I came across this article on Web Design From Scratch that summed up the (heretofore inarticulable by me) design principles of web 2.0. The characteristics singled out were:

1. Simplicity
2. Central layout
3. Fewer columns
4. Separate top section
5. Solid areas of screen real-estate
6. Simple nav
7. Bold logos
8. Bigger text
9. Bold text introductions
10. Strong colours
11. Rich surfaces
12. Gradients
13. Reflections
14. Cute icons
15. Star flashes

This was a great call to arms, and a timely motivation to keep at the CSS pruning project we were in the middle of. The examples were great- the only small quibble I had was the tendency toward cute. Lighthearted, sure- but you don’t want users to have the sinking suspicion that your web designer wears her hair in pigtails and squeals “Kawaii!” at the sight of a puppy. Just sayin’…

Reading through the list sparked some curiosity as to how prevalent web 2.0 design is in the Irish web world. As a Dublin-based start-up, we see a lot of emphasis on design-based companies, and a lot of effort going into cultivating digital media and other design heavy start-ups. Worth looking into…