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’s 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’m really sick of seeing them)
- Big rounded everything
- Glassy everything
Web 2.0 design trend made websites like one big same DNA family. It’s 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
I’m not saying making designs using these effects are bad, actually they’re good; but 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’s 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!
I don’t know how this post got so popular but from what I’ve seen around the web about this post, I had some fantastically absurd reactions. Like being called ironic and ranting about the matter, like I hate Web 2.0 and some other funny feedbacks.
I don’t believe how they miss the point. Me love Web 2.0! All I wanted was to underline the lack of creativity with this trend and wished designers to be more productive, not only standard loving developers.
Thank you
Oh and, please also check out Elliot Jay Stocks’ “Destroy the Web 2.0 Look” presentation at Future of Web Design, New York. He explains tons of times better than what I briefly tried to explain.
Tags: web 2.0, web design
Taking a look at the top half of this page, tells me you’ve been bitten by the “web2.0″ trend yourself. everything is rounded, including your search text input, glassy icons, including your logo mark on the bottom right and everything has a gradient.
so whats your point? it’s ok to do it if you can give an excuse for it?
Mitch, exactly!
And no it’s not about having an excuse for it. The point is you don’t do design to look good or trendy. You do it for your purposes. I did mine for that case.
The footer logo is glassy and light contrast, because it picks the eye in front of a dark transition and it does the job, right? The same goes for all the elements, they have a purpose.
What is the purpose for making a blind text for the comment.
A i have to blink my eyes to read the text…
Alvin,
It was on my revision list for the site, I just ignored at this time among other issues I guess. You’re right, thanks for reminding the trouble.
hi,
This is the most charming style I’ve ever seen in wordpress. Be proud. =)
(just one minor point : these little lighter areas under tutorial and comment rss bar is confusing. esp. the one under tutuorials.)
Design is like music or fashion. It changes with the time because of the state that the society is in. Just accept it that this is the style today and it will eventually change as the people’s beliefs, lifestyle, etc change over time.
I believe Dennison has nailed it for you: IT IS FASHION!
We’ve got to follow the fashion in a way or another whether we accept it or not.
I wonder why nobody complained few years ago when everybody was exploring the possibility of FLASH 4 and publishing all those nonsense noisy websites…maybe because they were not given any label such as Web 2.0 - Don’t take me wrong, I am one of those guys who experimented with flash as well - however, that was the fashion then!
With all respect Onour, I love your site…but you cannot deny that it is following the fashion as well. Maybe your debate should have been:
“WHEN IS A NEW WEB FASHION/STYLE COMING?”
Keep creating!
~PEACE~
PS. By the way, my website has one of those striped background-header that you hate, SORRY :)
Well im glad that you have changed the font color…
So first i argue with you that web 2.0 style is some time abused. But this is a general style or a trend we as designers can not do anything about it.
Web 2.0 for me has this benefits:
- Big and clear font.
- A lot of white space.
- The Main Big Feature of Web 2.0 is, Usability and Accessibility, used in mass, Thats the first time that i ever a see a web trend follow this.
Thank you all for your constructive comments. You already got me with the Web 2.0 style being a design trend, which is not the real issue.
What I mean is when design is made using common styles and design element generators, I just can’t call them products of a creative mind. That’s the problem.
Other than that, it’s never crime to use gradients, rounded corners or stripes or whatever comes with Web 2.0 design practice. They are at the end the pieces of ground design elements, and we need them (when needed).
Besides, Web 2.0 is the most user friendly trend people ever experienced. Just, I don’t like it when everyone can “do design” with generator tools and call it design.
I knew those who ever at least once used these styles would not like what I mentioned, but no worries there’s nothing related to using graphic styles.
Hear me out. Thank you everyone
Ps:
CAMBRIDGE WEB DESIGN : your stripes look hot.
Onur, I’ve shared the same exact feelings with you. It occurred to me the design has standardized and many ‘designers’ followed this whilst losing the core of design; concept.
The example you used above is fair enough but the thing about designing for web standards as well is; function. So a web designer not only has to have concept but ability to design something functional too. :)
Thus, I would have to say the example above is a great example of 2 functional designs. Just that one is in the creative line and the other an application.
This is what I’ve learnt desiging during the Web 2.0 trend.
elliotjaystocks.com/blog/archive/2007/destroy-the-web-20-look-future-of-web-design-new-york :)
Omfg Elliot! Hah! Now that’s what I’m talking about! Great over great presentation
Danny,
I’m glad you’re with me on this =)
I totally agree with you… Creativity has more or less diminished these days. However, it is not the result of people being less creative. In my opinion, many websites lacks any preliminary analysis so the desiner have to count on his own opinion and taste how should elements on pages look like and also on common trend.
I have to work very often only with poor content and no case study, no concept study. If I had some like that before I started designing, the design would be 100% different. I am sure.
[…] just finished reading the article; How Web 2.0 Style designs disturb me. The article by Onur Oztaskiran gave me this inspiration to write a continuity to it because I once […]
Hi - nice topic. Been seeing more of this on the web lately, the Web 2.0 look debate. I just noticed though… on your form at the bottom of the page… your text inputs are “closer to me, and younger”, but the text area is “sharp edged and corporate”. :~) Nice though!
Thank you,
Jim Summer
http://tentonweb.com/
Jacksonville Web Design TenTonWeb.com
Jacksonville, Florida USA
Ahhaha Jim, nice catch! Thank you =)
Martin, that’s what I’m bubbling about. It was demanded, so was called popular. I even have had a client that specifically asked for a web 2.0ized header for his community website and the exact line was “do some glossy there, and there and you know stylize the site in web 2.0 look”.
What good is having someone designed the site if it will look like any other website? Is it going to have the aspect of aesthetics?
That’s what I’m questioning.
Good point. I agree with you! I love the web2.0 style. But there are so many website designs look alike these days, and no originality…
Oh, by the way, your site looks nice!
Graphics For Web Design…
Extremely interesting post. A little bit different from my point of view but neverless an interesting opinion….
And in the late 90’s it was 45 degree angles, and then it was random 3d explosion/shapes, and then it was…
etc, etc. It’ll always be something, that’s why it’s called a trend :)
I don’t disagree with you - I’m just sayin’, is all!
good point but who ever said the web was about design? it was conceived as a simple way to publicly post information in a timely fashion. the rest is the design nazis who want to think that web “design” is a requirement. give me back my html 1.0