The
term “Web 2.0? has clearly taken hold but there are
still disagreements about just what Web 2.0 means, with some
people decrying it as a meaningless marketing buzzword, and
others accepting it as the new conventional wisdom.
The concept of “Web 2.0? began with a conference brainstorming
session between O’Reilly and MediaLive International.
During their discussion, they noted that far from having “crashed”,
the web was more important than ever, with exciting new applications
and sites popping up with surprising regularity. What’s
more, the companies that had survived the dot-com collapse
seemed to have some things in common. Could it be that the
dot-com collapse marked some kind of turning point for the
web, such that a call to action such as “Web 2.0? might
make sense? O’Reilly and MediaLive believed so and
therefore, Web 2.0 was born.
What is Web 2.0?
According to O’Reilly himself, the compact definition
of Web 2.0 is:
“Web 2.0 is the network as platform, spanning all
connected devices; Web 2.0 applications are those that make
the most of the intrinsic advantages of that platform: delivering
software as a continually-updated service that gets better
the more people use it, consuming and remixing data from
multiple sources, including individual users, while providing
their own data and services in a form that allows remixing
by others, creating network effects through an “architecture
of participation,” and going beyond the page metaphor
of Web 1.0 to deliver rich user experiences.”
Web 2.0 has been described as “the Web as platform”;
for corporate people, the Web is a platform for business.
For marketers, the Web is a platform for communications.
For journalists, the Web is a platform for new media. For
geeks, the Web is a platform for software development and
so on. Web 2.0 refers to a supposed second-generation of
Internet-based services that let people collaborate and share
information online in previously unavailable ways to become
a much more interactive Web.
Web 2.0 is a term referring to the ongoing transition to
a full participatory Web, with participation including both
humans and machines. Weblogs, linklogs, wikis, podcasts,
RSS feeds, social software, Web APIs (Application Programming
Interfaces), Web standards, online Web services, and others
are all recently-developed concepts and technologies as contributing
to Web 2.0. Specific examples are eBay, Craigslist, Wikipedia,
Del.icio.us, Flickr, Skype, Dodgeball, Amazon reviews and
Adsense.
It is important to recognise that “Web 2.0? is not
anything other than the evolving Web as it exists today.
It is the same Web that we’ve had all along. But the
problems, issues, and technologies we’re dealing with
are in many ways different, and so using the term “Web
2.0? is recognition that the Web is in a constant state of
change, and that we have entered a new era of networked participation.
Visual Elements
Now we are done with the definition, let’s talk about
designing your Website for Web 2.0. Designing has essentially
become one of the key competitive advantages. Why has design
become so important - all of a sudden? Or was it always important?
Many Web 2.0 websites assert priority to their visual design
and aesthetics, with the intention of providing a clear,
well-organized and visually appealing site.
Your Website can be so much more than an information resource.
Your web presence is a place. Today’s web designers
are rapidly moving away from boxy designs to flexible curves.
When designing for today’s Internet, the common design
techniques include gradient backgrounds, rounded designs,
nice big text, glassy effects, and bright colours. I also
included some links below on tutorials that will help you
create your own design.
- Gradient Backgrounds
Many use solid background colours. But what if you want to use patterned
or gradient backgrounds? Perhaps the most notable trend for Web 2.0 websites
is the use of fading two colours together to make a gradient background.
This technique is often applied to the background of the site as well as
being used behind individual articles, posts, and even behind the logo.
Tutorials on creating gradient backgrounds:
http://9rules.com/blog/2006/08/a-gradient-tutorial/
http://www.ndesign-studio.com/resources/tutorials/abstract-background/
http://www.loriswebs.com/tutorials/gradientbackground.html
- Large Colourful Icons
Sticking with the big theme, many Web 2.0 sites utilise a large colourful
icon that often looks like a seal. These are used often to denote “beta” status
or to emphasise a certain feature of a website.
- Mirrored Logos
A common trend with Web 2.0 logos is to mirror the text upside down below
the original text while, at the same time, fading it into nothingness.
This often makes the logo look like it has a reflection below it and is
usually considered a staple of Web 2.0 designs.
Tutorials on creating mirrored logos:
http://www.photoshoplab.com/web20-design-kit.html
http://graphicssoft.about.com/library/uc/tring/mirror/uctring_mirror.htm
- Nice Big Text
With the increased popularity of blogs, using large fonts for titles has
become a cornerstone of the Web 2.0 visual movement. You can start using
plenty of oversised text to make important messages stand out. Of course,
you do not want all of the text on your web site to be super sized, but
make sure that the most important text on the page is bigger than normal
text.
Other common design characteristics include the use of tabs,
reflections, glassy effects, large buttons, and big text
boxes for submission forms. Some people often mistakenly
identify this particular visual style of elements as the
web 2.0 style. The visual elements of the site do not determine
its web 2.0 status, rather the technologies used determine
the web 2.0 status.
Although we have discussed many of the design elements associated
with Web 2.0, this change is much more than just an aesthetic
transition. Web 2.0 is essentially about a transition in
the way we experience the Internet. The new Ajax programming
base allows web masters to create an architecture of participation
for their users. Web 2.0 refers to the ongoing transition
to full participation on the Web.
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Just like any business,
your domain name is your identity. Think of it as your online
business card. If you are serious about marketing your products
and services on the internet, do it right from the start.