Having looked at the various design contests going on in the Trading Post I was getting curious to know what my webmaster collegues consider a trend in webdesign these days.
To give a few examples:
Using frames was really cool a couple of years ago. Then all of a sudden I came accross sites with these 'tv scanlines' background images. And last but not least rounded table corners seemed and seem to be very cool.
I think Flash and interactive Interfaces/Banners will be a big deal as Internet connectivity speeds increase. They add such a great deal of hands-on'ness to a website, and visitors love to interact!
Remember when those 3D-looking tables were the 'in' style?
Sparkie
[This message has been edited by Sparkie (edited June 28, 2000).]
I think 'trends' are very bad for any art. To copy an idea you don't need creativity... But to come up with a new idea, a new cool thing is much more difficult.
OK you can say there will be more use of Flash4. I was one of the first to use it as my logo on a 200 pages big site and I'm sure now there are already several other sites using it that way.
Just be creative and DON'T copy an idea from another site.
I have said this before and I will say it again. In the next five years you will see a merging of Television, Radio, Telecommunications and the computer. Your starting to see that now but it will become more seamless. There will not be multiple devices in your home but one device with multiple Interfaces.
This will effect the web as well. Your already starting to see some of it but it will become more prevalent. With products like Dreamcast, PSX2, WebTV, DishPlayer (satellite receiver, video capture, webtv in one), AOLTV and others, entertainment becomes more pervasive. Small independant developers will be squeezed out or absorbed by larger companies. Content will still reign supreme but you will have video, audio and communications included.
The only way smaller developers will survive is freelancing for larger companies, partnerships and building smart businesses.
My father has been saying the exact same things...we'll have "communications/info" devices all over the house...most of them capable of checking email, bank transactions, watching television, listening to the radio, surfing the net, and talking on the phone.
As for "learning" from other sites...it's unavoidable and ever experienced designer has done it at some point or another...whether they realize it or not. I'm not promoting blatant stealing or copying of an idea...but if you see certain aspects of several sites that you find attractive, I find nothing wrong with trying to enhance them and put the pieces together for your own layout...I never promote taking anyone's code or modifying it in any way...but we're all influenced by what we see...
You should never blatantly copy someone else's work, but its fine to learn from it. A few years ago, you never heard of frames on anyone's website, and then they were suddenly everywhere.
One person does something unique or different, and then everyone else learns from it, adapts it (or copies it!)
Another big trend I think will be the PC->phone call over the internet. I know we've had the technology for a long time, but a lot of people are talking about it..
If someone visits Freesources.net and likes the Flash logo, they should have every right to create their own...let's face it, everything's been done, most of it just hasn't become popular yet...if someone comes to a site I've created with a bunch of rounded corners, and they go and load theirs up with rounded corners, too...I couldn't care less...every designer is inspired and influenced by other sites.
I'd like to think that there's nothing wrong with learning from other peoples design and use it in your own work. Further developing other peoples ideas or even improving them is very creative too!
Does anybody remember those slow loading navigation Java applets which provides you with a mouse over effect and even sound when clicked?
- ok, someone can adapt the flash movie and even put it at the top, but not with the same animations (fades,...) I'm sure there are just people out there who take different colors, put theanimations in a different period of time , etc.
- you can take rounded corners, but that's something everyone could think of and could make in no time. Rounded corners are not really new..
- Java is definately OUT
- never 'learn' from a site, because at the ned you'll see you just made a copy just with other fonts and colors.
This may seem hard... But remind the NETIQUETTE...
I think more graphic intense websites are almost the norm now. I might even go as far as saying that sites w/ only graphics are the norm. I think high speed connections is what brought this about.
Frames, Java Applets, and scrolling text are definately outdated. So are most free web space providers. I hardly see any sites nowadays w/o a domain name of some sort.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote/font><HR>Originally posted by Justin S:
I hardly see any sites nowadays w/o a domain name of some sort. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
This has to do with falling domain prices. Back in the days of $70 domains, not everyone was willing to purchase a few domains at a time, but this has changed thanks to the new domain registrars.
This is great for the web surfer - it brings more sites to them, and now things can be much more competitive.
Free hosts already seem to only have a place for personal pages and sites without a real value. Yes, there are some quality sites without domains, but this number is shrinking very rapidly.
inspiration is the reason behind such sites as coolhomepages.com and others. i don't imagine they were created to allow other designers to copy, but rather to showcase good and interesting design and to allow other designers to break through the occasional bout of "designers-block". i, for one, see nothing wrong with learning from others, just so long as you don't cross the plagerism (sp?) line.
Some of you mad remarks about sites with more and bigger graphics becoming a trend since more and more users have broadband access.
I think we should not forget that the average Joe still uses a 33k6 modem. In my opinion this is one of the reasons of the faillure of Boo.com They had this great site but a nightmare to load through a regular modem.
Personally I think that the main trend nowadays is user interaction and personalisation towards each user. More and more sites are being developed so when the user firsts accesses the site they are prompted for info about themselves and when they return the site it recognises the users info.
I think that's why more database driven sites are being developed.
Regards,
------------------
Keith McLaughlin
Soon to come,
www.webmasterswork.com
/font><HR>Originally posted by Justin S:
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