Web 2.0 vs Design

A quick aside from information architecture articles. Something I've been thinking about the past few days.

When I began designing for the web back in '95, I remember how all us 'new media designers' (as we called ourselves back then) thought we had it all figured out. We were ready to throw out all design conventions that came before us as we felt our medium was unique and didn't need to conform to stogy old design standards. Fortunately, for myself, I worked under an art director with 34 years experience in the print world, his name was Jon. Jon, I felt, was unique for an 'old timer'. He didn't feel threatened by us youngsters and even went so far as to want to learn about the web and it's implications on design. So, Jon and I spent the next 8 years working together and I learned the lessons of the past can be applied to current trends. During that time period, throughout the industry, a new design paradigm was created. One which combined the old with the new so to speak.

I think that the Web 2.0 design movement, in some ways, suffers from a similar blindness to the past in regards to design. It suffers from 'me too' sorts of conventions (reflecting, shiny buttons, bright palettes, puffy logos, rounded corners, etc.). It's a badge of honor, and a sort of back office joke, to have a Web 2.0 style site. I do appreciate many of the interface and layout conventions that Web 2.0 has given us. But, I think a lack of vision within the design community, the belief that form should be sacrificed in the name of functionality, and the limitations of CSS2 have caused us to sort of stall in our advancement of web design.

Let's leave behind the notion of what a web 2.0 site must look like. When I do a new layout, whenever adding an element, I always ask, "Why?" Does it serve a purpose of clarifying, advancing brand or adding functionality. If the answer is no, or "cause it looks cool or cause these sites are doing it", then it probably doesn't belong there.

Regarding form vs functionality, I am not advocating making pretty sites in lieu of usable sites. I leave that to the fine artists. But, a concept that is often over looked nowadays is the aesthetic usability effect. The notion that a user is more likely to spend the time to learn a new interface if it is pleasant to look at.

CSS2 has boxed is into a corner, both figuratively and literally. I'm hoping CSS3 allows us to break from some of the compromises needed for web design in the name of cross browser compatibility. Although, I'm not holding my breath on this one.

So, let's move forward ... I'll admit I fell prey to the siren song of Web 2.0 ... it's smooth rounded corners, fun palettes and sexy reflecting logos. Web 2.0 has given us some great new standards in both graphic and interface design, so let's take those standards and move on to the next level.