The great thing about the Internet is that it is always evolving. In the early days, the web was mainly textual and lacked any real colour or imagery. Then Macromedia Flash entered the market and websites suddenly became vibrant and interactive to the extreme. When people realised that Flash-based websites weren’t that great when trying to rank with search engines the focus changed and designers started going back to basics.
Over the last couple of years there has been a general trend to what the web industry calls the Web 2.0 look. Graphic designers have been creating simple looking websites, with bold logos and bigger text that puts useability at the forefront of the online experience.
There is a great blog post over at Web Designs from Scratch that goes into a great deal of depth about the current Web 2.0 fashion styling for websites. If you have time if it is well worth the read.
But here is a precis of some of the top graphic design styles for Web 2.0 :-
- Simplicity - Keeping your website objectives at the heart of your design and using as few features as are necessary to achieve what you need to achieve.
- Central layout and Fewer columns - a site that sits straight front & centred on the page with fewer columns, feels more simple, bold and honest.
- Separate top section with Simple Navigation - creating a clear space at the top of your website allows you to position your logo and navigation boldy on the page.
Differentiating
the top of your page from the rest of the site helps the user to focus on the important elements. - Bold logos and Bigger text - A clear, bold, strong brand - incorporating attitude, tone of voice, and first impression - is helped by a bold logo. A strong brand says who we are and what we believe. Larger text not only helps reading but reinforces the message.
- Strong colours and Rich surfaces - Strong colours and rich surfaces help draw the eye and making distinctions between real estate on teh page and what the user should take notice of.
- Gradients and Reflections - the epitome of Web 2.0 graphic design. Apple were probably the first mainstream brand to push the reflection idea on website graphics.
- Cute icons and Star flashes - Icons play an important role in Web 2.0 design. They can be useful when they’re easily recognisable and carry a clear meaning.
Our Graphic Designers at Sattom Media love the new Web 2.0 trend and are always keen to get involved with projects that push them creatively. If you are looking for a Graphic Designer in Winchester that can create a look that really will make your customers go “WOW” then give one of the Sattom team a call on 01962 670155 or email info@sattom.co.uk .
