Modern Design and Reflections - from African Masks to Web 2.0
A rather mystique phrase is used over the internet world for the last few years. Web 2.0 - the miracle?? Could be. Lets have a critical look on it before following the mass… and this is meant in the true sense.. In my opinion it is more the design, the fonts, the appearance which developed in the so called Web 2.0 sites.
Look at the Roots in African Masks What do have african masks to do with this question? Lets take a short glimps to history of art. No, not the history of the web, but the development of design. We had a similar change in the world of design a bit more than hundred years ago, when “modern art” started to boom. Up to the end of 19th century, the known art was “boring” - nice but not attractive in our view. A great development took place when a modern simplicity of design, created in view of african masks and african figures, became famous in Europe. Actually the old african tribes had carved their african masks in a abstract, simple and clear style, that even nowadays you can put african masks on top of a magazine. What is their special juice?? It is the abstract form of the african masks, with items like ears “unusual” in size, the natural colour worn by many years of use, and the careful carving really resembling to the pictures of modern web designers.
So lets draw the first important conclusion: it is simplicity, which is a key factor. And it might well be, that this is the strongest factor. Simple layout, simple fonts.Combined with the freedom to do the things like you want: strong and colourful.
But let us have a closer look at some typical examples of Web 2.0 design. One nice example is a site about fonts. Yes, one of these boring places with piles of fonts - or not? Well, have a look yourself how one can make a font site a great experience. A pretty example for such a uptodate design site with fonts depicts the combination of a simple but unsual design, strong colours, great visuals … and the best fonts you may find.
A very different item is a health site about hair loss. Health sites tend to be clean white, boring one could say. This site about hair loss is looking different. But who blames? Web 2.0 gives you the freedom to show it the way you like - whether its about fonts or hair loss. Certainly one can not take only photos for such a serious item, but even a hair loss site can beginn with something astounding.
Both sites - the site with fonts and the web directory - are rather puristic in concept. Indeed you don´t need too many colours. But you can use them if you have the right site. In contrast to a web directory anime sites are in most cases colourful - too much indeed in most anime sites. Anyhow, noone would like an anime website where only grey shades can be seen. So this nice example of an anime website draws its attractiveness from the simplicity. No text, just one picture to start. Only if you use your mouse, you come to the menu this anime site offers.
So, whether you take fonts, anime, web directory or african masks - you can come from history and will look into the possibilities.