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Is Modern Web Design Too Formulaic?

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Re: Is Modern Web Design Too Formulaic?

#21

Post by camus2 »

abraxasz wrote: post #11

I think a more relevant question should be: is a certain degree of "formulaicity" desirable or not? I believe that it is, yes. When I browse a website for the first time, I like it when it's clean and unoriginal in its presentation. First, I can find my way quickly, and second (maybe it's just an illusion) I find it less mentality taxing. A lot of startups adopt a layout similar to that presented in the article for t…

The issue is the mobile first approach where webdesigners forget to "enhance" non mobile experience.

Mobile First is not the problem, lazyness it.

And i agree about brand, and design in general, if i have to chose between 2 products with the same spec/ prices/user support:

- I will chose the one with a design I can remember. Not the one which look like a generic bootstrap design with POMO colors.

Webdesigners , used to seek experimentation , uniqueness , wow effect. While i dont care about the wow effect of a dashboard in a CRUD admin, seems to me that today's web is mostly boring and developpers are today's designers, and marketing is in charge of ergonomy( a forgotten word these days ).

About worrydream , while i'm not a fan of the design, I visited the website a few years ago and still remember it !

HOWEVER

Lot of wow and experimentation on mobile platerforms like IOS or Android,in native apps, with innovative touch interfaces, and risky designs , i like it.

Re: Is Modern Web Design Too Formulaic?

#22

Post by drawkbox »

Web design is a communication art. When norms/formulas are created they convey a message users understand. It is easier to default on the norms so that prevails for most situations. Sometimes new norms are created with new platforms, i.e. touch, scroll changes. But in the end you are trying to communicate a message and being too different is a certain kind of message.

Re: Is Modern Web Design Too Formulaic?

#23

Post by camus2 »

ThomPete wrote: post #10

It doesn't really matter. As a web-designer your job is not to invent a new aesthetic but to communicate a companys message in whatever way is most beneficial to that specific customer whether thats flat, 3d, contemporary, ugly, typographic and so on. Spend some years doing this and you can follow any trend. You are like a carpenter and 98% of you will stay carpenters, which is great as long as there is a need for ca…

> It doesn't really matter. As a web-designer your job is not to invent a new aesthetic

Generic ,dull webdesigns hurt new brands by making them forgetable. I chosed Heroku years ago , partly because i liked the japanese / monsters /robot design , and i though it was cool and risky, now it just look like Bootstrap though their brand is well established.

Dont under estimate the power of aesthetic.

Re: Is Modern Web Design Too Formulaic?

#24

Post by ThomPete »

camus2 wrote: post #23
ThomPete wrote: post #10

It doesn't really matter. As a web-designer your job is not to invent a new aesthetic but to communicate a companys message in whatever way is most beneficial to that specific customer whether thats flat, 3d, contemporary, ugly, typographic and so on. Spend some years doing this and you can follow any trend. You are like a carpenter and 98% of you will stay carpenters, which is great as long as there is a need for ca…

> It doesn't really matter. As a web-designer your job is not to invent a new aesthetic Generic ,dull webdesigns hurt new brands by making them forgetable. I chosed Heroku years ago , partly because i liked the japanese / monsters /robot design , and i though it was cool and risky, now it just look like Bootstrap though their brand is well established. Dont under estimate the power of aesthetic.

I am not. Please keep in mind that Google even early google was aesthetical.

Don't confuse personal aesthetic with what sell in general.

Re: Is Modern Web Design Too Formulaic?

#25

Post by woah »

Whatever, I used to try to come up with really new, original stuff visually until I realized it doesn't really matter.

Most people see trendy visual design as good visual design. And why shouldn't they? For me, the important part is what a service or company allows people to do. I'm not trying push some new trailblazing thing onto people in the visual department.

I would rather follow a formula that allows me to work quickly and gets people to say "ooh that's pretty", instead of putting a bunch of thought into visual design innovation, only to have people misunderstand it.

This allows me to focus on the interaction and the content, which are the things that really matter.

Re: Is Modern Web Design Too Formulaic?

#26

Post by hnriot »

null_ptr wrote: post #19

Oh, this is not modern web design. This is just the web design pushed by San Francisco hipsters onto their brethren. None of the web sites average people visit as part of their normal life look like that nor will they ever.

I know you're just trolling, but I think "normal" people visit google quite often, and that's an example of modern web design.

Re: Is Modern Web Design Too Formulaic?

#27

Post by camus2 »

sarreph wrote: post #4

This is very true. I remember the days when poorly-built flash websites were the norm; they may have sucked from a usability standpoint, but they sure had the edge in originality!

Flash is also that kind of website :

http://awaytools.com/awaybuilder/live-tool

which sets high standards in web development.

Fortunately with languages like Typescript and the right abstraction ,like webgl, things are going to get easier, to build complex desktop like apps like that ,which dont care about HTML semantics or SEO while still using web standards and being usable on tablets without going native.

I'm a bit tired of hearing people saying their latest AngularJS "fairly large" CRUD app is the paragon of web development,it is not.

Also relevant artice :

http://www.thefwa.com/article/10-reasons-why-flash-cannot-di...

Though i think in 3/4 years when the whole HTML5 migration is done , we'll start seeing creatives taking risks again in plain HTML.

Re: Is Modern Web Design Too Formulaic?

#28

Post by benjash »

I think part of the problem with web design at the moment is the overuse of themes and frameworks. Where people really add no creativity to the design.

I've just spent the last 3 months trying to design a site that is original, follows conventions and is responsive.

And there is a point where your just trying to be different for different sake. We are currently ironing out problems. http://whatson.ae/

I did however try to avoid looking formulaic, but certain things just work. The layouts we have are simple and have flexibility. We are letting the content and visuals have the creativity.

I suppose that sums up my oppionion on the matter. The website design itself shouldn't be the message. Its the message your trying to pass on or the content.

I'm personally glad we are moving away from gimmicky elements. I hated having to create big shiny buttons with flashy animations because my boss thought they where exciting.

In fact - some times changing a design is detrimental to a website in massive ways. I left my old job because my previous employer wanted to change the website. After they did, the conversion rates for the site plummeted and eventually they lost a lot of traffic.

Even though the new designs where perceived as more appealing and exciting.

Certains things just work really well, thats why there more abundant.

Re: Is Modern Web Design Too Formulaic?

#29

Post by VintageCool »

joeblau wrote: post #16
vezzy-fnord wrote: post #15

In my mind, the main issue with modern web design is people slapping on generic Bootstrap themes without any effort.

That's what I did for http://xo9.us . Although I did change a few things, but it's basically a theme which I've seen on a few other sites.

Thank you for the arrow at the bottom of the screen.

Re: Is Modern Web Design Too Formulaic?

#30

Post by nnq »

abraxasz wrote: post #11

I think a more relevant question should be: is a certain degree of "formulaicity" desirable or not? I believe that it is, yes. When I browse a website for the first time, I like it when it's clean and unoriginal in its presentation. First, I can find my way quickly, and second (maybe it's just an illusion) I find it less mentality taxing. A lot of startups adopt a layout similar to that presented in the article for t…

worrydream.com is basically impossible to scroll on Chrome on Windows. This is basically unforgivable for an UX/I guy and together with other peculiarities this makes it basically unusable.

If I could afford to hire this guy (note: I don't, even if he were available :) ), I wouldn't do it just because of his website.

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