Web 2.0 Design: Simplicity as Art

Perfection is not achieved when there is nothing moreadd, but when nothing can be taken away (Antoine de Saint-Exupery. “Planet of the people”, 1939)

In the distant fall of 2005, with the light hand of publisher Tim O Reilly, the term Web 2.0 became firmly established in the lecture of web developers. Like any new term, it still remains the subject of lively discussion, during which the main feature is determined, which is no longer questioned. Replacing the “old” Web 1.0, Web 2.0 has become a new model for the existence of the Internet community, where an ordinary user becomes a direct participant and creator of site content. From now on, the priority tasks for developers have become a user-friendly interface and a simple, but at the same time stylish design, which determined the characteristic features of Web 2.0 design.

Let s consider what design techniques are used most often when developing sites in the style of Web 2.0, so to speak, the main features of the style.

Nothing extra… Simplicity becomes a top design priority. The rejection of additional decorative elements radically simplifies navigation and concentrates the user s attention.

Attention to the center. Now, on the vast majority of sites, the bulk of information is located in the center of the screen. This not only allows you to see the familiar layout in any browser, but also simplifies the perception at the expense of visual ease.

Three columns is the limit. If a few years ago the placement of material in three or four columns was the norm, then in Web 2.0 design the developer will have to keep within the minimum number of columns without cluttering the screen to the edges.

According to Senka and a hat. Of course, a separate horizontal section at the top of the page, separated from the rest of the content, has been used before. But now you can t do without it, because it essentially becomes the main navigational reference point.

Red – stop, green – go. Functional areas highlighted in different colors help the user to quickly navigate in navigation, main content, reference array or other material.

Simple navigation. Each page of the site displays a clear, simple, clear and at the same time fairly large navigation menu. The same recommendation applies to the reflection of hyperlinks, they should distinguish well with the rest of the content on the page.

Clear logo and original icons. In Web 2.0 design, a noticeable, vivid and memorable logo is very effective, inscribed in the minimalist environment of the page content. Also of great importance are easily recognizable icons for the most important elements of the site, this improves the navigation and usability of the site. We have already written about Web 2.0 logos of various projects in the blog – we advise you to read, or even better, look at the whole picture in the article.

We write in capital letters. Web 2.0 sites tend to use a fairly large font size. Large size allows you to keep the design simple and functional, as small print is more difficult to perceive, especially when swiping quickly or on LCD monitors in bright sunlight.

Large-text inserts. Web 2.0 s democratic design allows for very large headers and other text boxes. This technique is most often implemented in the form of a graphic object and makes it easy to grab the user s attention even with a cursory glance at the page.

Bright colors. Green, muted orange, blue, pink – these light juicy tones are most often used in Web 2.0 design, and allow you to draw the visitor s attention to important elements of the page.

3D effects. Because very little photographic material is used in this type of design, designers often use simple, pixelated graphics, and a moderate use of shadows, gradients, reflections, reflections, etc. help to make the interface more real and pleasant to the perception.

Star flashes. These small flashing star tags help the visitor to draw attention to important sections of the site, such as sale price tags, etc. We also recommend taking a look at the article on web 2.0 style badges for a site, where we have collected a couple of pertinent examples.

We hope our recommendations will help the developer to take into account the main design features in the Web 2.0 style, which today remains not only a manifestation of fashion, but also a testament to the popularity of Web 2.0 technologies. As for examples, there are now very, very many services on the Internet that can not only boast of an appropriate design, but also offer us functionality within the framework of the famous Web 2.0. Many examples of similar sites can be found on my blog. WebDanal Noteswhere I collect reviews of internet services and sites useful to people. There you will definitely find many sites with Web 2.0 design. By the way, if we talk about designs and examples, then something can be found in the collection of web design trends (in 2009, there are 3 parts), but in general, if you are an active Internet user, then finding such solutions is not so difficult:

In most cases, by the way, this style is typical for the English-speaking Internet. Our developers are not always ready to take such risks and be afraid that users will not understand the “free and open” concept, but there is a positive trend in this direction, and this is good news.

PS A useful site for working on the Internet – WebMoney Help Service – information and advice on WebMoney.
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