Web 2.0 Design
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:
- Simplicity
- Central layout
- Fewer columns
- Separate top section
- Solid areas of screen real-estate
- Simple nav
- Bold logos
- Bigger text
- Bold text introductions
- Strong colours
- Rich surfaces
- Gradients
- Reflections
- Cute icons
- 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…
