It all begins with the word “blogging” by blogger.com. The web started to become even more transparent, visitors gain more controls on where they visit.
Websites went more individual than corporate sheets, communities had more features and usable functions to bring together more people.
We had AJAX technologies, script libraries and frameworks to present better and more functional websites.
It is all good, all amazing and will be like that as long as Internet enables us and our visitors to have more abilities when surfing, getting everyone closer online.
Though, this article is not about the features of what we call “web 2.0″, but the visual effects of this trend.
I mean, what happened to the creativity?
When surfing those css designed galleries, I come by a lot of well designed websites. But there’s one thing common with all of them lately.
- Excessive use of gradients
- Striped backgrounds or headers (I am really sick of seeing them)
- Big rounded everything
- Glassy everything
Web 2.0 design trend made websites like one big same DNA family. Itâ is very rarely I come by a unique style or a trend maker layout. Like this has made the web’s graphical interfaces being more standardized than creative structures.
People started to design their logos with web 2.0 stylr, made backgrounds for websites with stripe generator, some even design with web 2.0 design generator, and even having names for the company with web 2.0 name generator.
God, somebody stop this.
Guys; when we do design, it has purposes
Let me tell you the reasons for the visual trend changes(which are not made for web 2.0 design but considered as the main common features of web 2.0 style designs):
- Rounded corners on boxes and logos are for “closer to you, younger” image(consider the baby ped package designs), where sharp edges and contrast dark color schemes mean corporate.
- Glassy buttons and shiny effects are the good visual elements because they pick the eye effectively. You catch it when you see “click here” with a shiny and contrast background behind it.
- Gradients are good when used effectively, because they separate the visual alignment and content divisions.
Web design is the child of graphic design. So the ground rules of graphic design also applies to web design. Which means if you do gradient, it has to be on purpose. If you do glassy and shiny stuff, it has to be on purpose. Not because they look good and it is the trend. Besides, if you know what visual elements to use in where and how, you might even get the chance to determine what the upcoming trend is going to be.
Forgive me if I went too harsh on the matter, the subject has been bothering me a lot.
Please let me know your thoughts
Good day!
Tags: graphics, web 2.0, web design
nice and useful article thanks..