03/21/07

Another view on Web 3.0

Web 2.0 revolved around social interaction, communities, and discussion. It also started some widely replicated design trends (e.g. rounded corners, speech bubbles, "Beta" badges, reflections, etc) Now that so many sites have gone 2.0 to stay with the times, how many communities can users join and actually be active in? With so many such communities, its virtually impossible to remain active in all of them and most cliche 2.0 sites don't fare too well as a result. Regardless of how many jumped on and fell off the band wagon, there are certainly elements of Web 2.0 that will be here to stay for a while. There are indeed areas where such enhanced user collaboration is necessary and we do have Web 2.0 to thank for that.

Web 3.0 & shifting priorities

No one really knows what the next set of trends in the web experience will bring, but the following is all speculation on my part given what I've seen.

Social interaction is not always condusive to productivity, and given Web 2.0's emphasis on interaction it's very possible that productivity will start to take a more important seat. GTD "Getting things done" is a euphamism that is starting to make its way into real web apps today. Many of the web applications developed by 37 Signals help paint a picture of what Web 3.0 could really be like. They still incorporate user interaction & collaboration, but are very task oriented and focus on organization and management. With the release of Windows Vista, the resurgence of organization seems to be something that isnt limited to the web either. For those that currently use/have used Vista, note the inclusion of a new program called Windows Calendar. With such organizational applications being included with Windows and not an additonally priced product like Office, it sends the message that organization should be a basic feature in modern Operating Systems today.

How this will affect design

Although I believe most of the changes Web 3.0 will bring are based mainly on the backend and application, designing for Web 3.0 will also require some changes. If Web 3.0 is more purpose oriented, desiging will also have to shift to meet that orientation as well. Rounded corners were nice, but come Web 3.0 don't be surprised to see more rectangular, grid-like content organization with softer colors to enhance the text and direct the eye to items of importance.

Whitespace is another design practice that may gain more followers as Web 3.0 begins to take over. Reading pure content can be pretty tiresome on the eyes and spacing content out with meaningful tidbits on the side improves readibility and encourages the reader to stay on the site. Don't forget to take your audience into account here either, larger monitors and the adoption of widescreen for computing can also begin to play a role during the design process depending on your target audience. If you're attracting the technically proficient, You may want to look more at fluid layouts to help accomodate widescreens too. Giving the eyes "room" is a principle adopted in video (leading with the camera in the direction the subject is facing is one example) and the same holds true on the web.

We all have our own interpretations as to what Web 3.0 will hold, but the shift away from applications based on PC's to the Internet is one that is starting to pick up steam (and could also be classified as web 2.0 depending on who you talk to). One thing is certain though, Web 3.0 is not too far off.

02/08/07

More and more projects

It's been pretty busy here at Fegul for the last month as I get settled in and start getting the wheels turning. I've started to take on a couple more projects and may be hiring in the future. I've already done a little scouting and fielded some questions regarding new opportunities so once final decisions are made, you'll be contacted.

New Projects

With that out of the way, I've taken on a couple more projects and have another proposal being worked out. One of the projects regards the site design for a mid-sized internet radio station I've started and will feature exclusive weekly mixes by local DJs. The setup has been tested and the development has been started to make this dream a reality.

Another new project is a slightly larger undertaking and may encompass a 4 year span if all goes smoothly. It involves the maintenance, content structure, and design of the web arm of one of the top 5 college newspapers in the country. It's one of the larger projects that I plan on undertaking, thankfully the current designer has done an excellent job and it will be a pleasure working with him.

01/18/07

The first steps in design

Design is a lot like writing in the sense that those who do design often get "designers" block and its rarely ever as perfect as the designer would like. When you're suffering from designers block, a good way to get past it is to analyze what it is that your design should be achieving.

Purpose

The first step to finding the perfect design is finding what the purpose for your design is. What is it that you're designing for and the demographics you're trying to attract play a large role in what the final design will eventually look like. When it comes to print, the web, graphics, etc., the first question that needs to be asked is "what am I designing for?" are you trying to encourage people to go somewhere? buy something? Once you gain a better understanding of what it is that you're designing for you can move on to the next step.

Content

The content that you will be designing for should ALWAYS be the first priority in a design. Envision a movie with great CG but no plot or a terrible script (some of the newer Star Wars movies may come to mind) and see if the visuals really make the movie that much greater. The purpose of a design is largely based on the content that the design needs to convey and is something that should always be at the forefront in any design process. Following the analogy of the great-looking yet terribly written movie, the people that view your design expect to glean something from it, after all designing means taking raw content and displaying it in an aesthetically pleasing manner.

Style

Once you know what you're designing around, it's time to figure out how you're going to present it. Firefox at getfirefox.com, the content revolves around the product that the site advertises and a download link is prominently located on the front page. The relevance of content on the site helps determine its emphasis & prominence in the design. On Youtube, the content revolves around user submissions and ratings and due to the sheer number of submissions, the design places many such elements on the front page.

Wrapping it up

Purpose and content relevancy help determine the general look of any design and from there it becomes the artists vision. Later on I'll be discussing the importance of a good color scheme and elaborate more on the nuances of style in design.