Tweet

Dissecting Web 2.0 Design

Guest post by: michelle crossley

Article Overview: In the last 15 years the Web has grown from a group work tool for scientists at CERN into a global information space with more than a billion users. These trends have led to a feeling that the Web is entering a ‘second phase’-a new, ‘improved’ Web version 2.0.

Dissecting Web 2.0 Design

What is web 2.0? In the last 15 years the Web has grown from a group work tool for scientists at CERN into a global information space with more than a billion users. These trends have led to a feeling that the Web is entering a ‘second phase’—a new, ‘improved’ Web version 2.0. The world is using Web 2.0 as the cool and new technologies and services to make their websites to be more attractive, simple, usable, bright and sharable by designing it with web 2.0 standards.

How to design using web 2.0

This tutorial will help you create a web 2.0 site, design a web 2.0 logo, make your site rich in contents, publish your site and distribute it.

Certain design elements which are frequently implemented on Web 2.0 themes are:

Simplicity: Remove unnecessary components, without sacrificing effectiveness. Minimalism has become a popular website design style for years. Minimalist sites load faster, take fewer server resources, and are often faster to develop than more graphically complicated designs. Plus, they give a professional, clean impression to visitors. Whenever you're designing, take it as a discipline consciously to remove all unnecessary visual elements.

These images will help you to imagine what simplicity in design is.



The Somme site is rich, interesting and appealing. It uses a range of visual techniques to draw your attention, make you interested and to give you a warm feeling about the quality of work. Use visual detail - whether lines, words, shapes, color - to communicate the relevant information, not.

Central layout: Left-oriented and liquid layouts are out. The "2.0" style is straightforward and direct. Sites that sit up-front feel uncomplicated and direct. The common idea in the past was to cram as much of the information as possible within the viewing area of the page and the liquid design style was an effective method of achieving this. However in recent times this has given way to using less to say more, so we can be a bit more free and easy with the amount of space used.



3d effects: Making your website visually appealing is extremely important. WEB 2.0 designs uses reflections, fades, transparencies and drop-shadow effects to add an element of depth to a rather flat medium. Used sparingly, these can have excellent results.



There are a number of ways to bring attention to certain pieces of content. To enhance attention to crucial layout components, investigate the following possibilities:

Strong Color: Colors are a great medium for communicating brand values! Web 2.0 design also employs the use of strong vibrant colors to give a punchy crisper feel to the design of the website. Strong colors and tonal contrast are great for drawing the eye to the more important elements on the page e.g. buttons, icons or even small graphics to act as accents to the web page.



Clear large distinctive text: large text makes it easy to convey your message to the visitor. Clearly defined titles and sub categories and properly organized content is the essence WEB 2.0. Not only does big text stand out, but it's also more accessible to more people. That's not just people with visual impairments, but also people looking on LCD screens in sunlight, people sitting a little further from the screen, and people just skimming the page. If you think about it, that could be quite a lot of people!



Make the most important text on the page bigger than normal text. Use bigger text to help your visitors see quickly what the page is about. Larger than usual form fields are also very popular in 2.0 design. Like the other design techniques we've seen, it works when used in moderation.

Plenty of white space: White gives a cool, neutral, soft base against which you can flash strong colour to draw the eye. Use of spacious design and clean white space gives design the distinctive new feel. White simple backgrounds are extremely popular in WEB 2.0. design.



Cute icon: Icons can be useful when they're easily recognizable and carry a clear meaning. In lots of other cases, a simple word is more effective. The common principle in WEB 2.0 is not to use too many attractive or eye catching elements within a page. The same applies to the cute icons. Appealing icons and buttons can add that bit of polish to help give a page a high-quality feel. But used too much, they'll have the counter effect, cluttering the page and confusing the user.



For example, Problogger uses a contrasting color to bring attention to the subscribe button.



The areas that has large font, catches the eyes of the visitors towards it. On top, the brand is given importance by its location and excess white space. Headings are also highlighted by contrasting colors.

Neutral, soft to the eye background colors: White simple backgrounds have become extremely popular in the WEB 2.0 design concept overtaking the more common intense designs of the past.

Related Articles
  Things to do before you hire a web design company
  All you need to do before hiring a web design company
  Get a Custom Logo Design and watch your Business Grow
  How to get the best web design company?
  4 Cool Website Design Ideas
  Franchising is a Design-Build Program
  Before you start a web site re-design...
  When Graphic Design Takes Over Web Design
  A Good Mascot Design leads to Effective Advertising
  Web Design - Little Things Make a Big Difference
  The Importance of a Logo Design for a Company
  Why You Want Your Design Layout to Look Like CRAP!
  Graphic designing vs. Web designing
  How Has Website Design Influenced the Graphic Design Industry?
  Get Graphic Design done for your Website
  Ways to Design Business Cards
  Why you should Select a Good Logo Designer
  Choosing the Right Website Design Company
  When Is the Right Time to Redesign
  How To Identify A Quality Website Design Company

Home > SEO > michelle crossley > Dissecting Web 20 Design > Google +

Article Tags:

About the Author: michelle crossley RSS for michelle's articles - Visit michelle's website I own studio1c, one point of contact for all website development, SEO, internet marketing, logo design, graphic design needs. Most recently, I have been starting to post blogs pertaining to increasing sales and internet traffic for your business. I provide website development, SEO, internet marketing, logo design, graphic design needs, print design services. Click here to visit michelle's website More from michelle crossley Recent Twitter Trends for Internet Marketers QR Codes 5 Useful Applications in eCommerce Top 5 White Hat Techniques in SEO Using Google Analytics to Optimize and Market Your Site How to Choose Who to Link With

Related Forum Posts
Re: Top Banner Help - [quote:35xjo6uq]Good job on the banners BennyBoy![/quote:35xjo6uq] No probs:) I agree Online Marketing and Publicity Search Engine Optimization - Web Design and Programming Blogging also may be... Web Design Tutorials Looking to Hire - jobs section Interesting Articles / websites
Re: what position to request? - Hi Michael, Great suggestion from David, or you could try something around a design consultancy, How about Website Design Consultant, Design and Development Manager, Website Support and Development Manager or maybe Internet Business Development Consultant. Ultimately whatever you are comfortable with and good luck for the future, Mal.
Elevator Pitch in 10 Words - "Winning Business Design For Aspiring Entrepreneurs Based On Their Idea"
Fashion Designers Needed - My name is Blake and I am also starting a clothing line (to some extent)and I think that maybe I could help us both. I am a Graphic Design major from the University of Central Oklahoma and I would like to provide you with some ideas and designs...and all I ask in return is some feedback (positive or negative). If this sounds beneficial please contact me and describe what it is specifically would help you.
Re: Top Banner Help - The more popular ones that I've seen: Online Marketing and Publicity Search Engine Optimization Web Design and Programming Blogging Re: the poll, I think there was enough response to warrant the new category. These are very popular search terms. I agree that too many niche categories is not a good idea, maybe keep it to a minimum 2-3 internet related topics. Good job on the banners BennyBoy!

Recommended Article for You close

  Things to do before you hire a web design company

Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

How To Be Happy at Work? Acknowledge Yourself

Looking for an Easy Online Business Opportunity?

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.