A quite mystique word is used over the internet world for the last few years. Web 2.0 - the miracle?? Interactivity and involving users are there since the internet started. In my believe it is more the design, the fonts, the visual 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. We had a comparable 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, traditional art was “boring”. A great change took place when a modern simplicity of design, developed based on african masks and african figures, became famous in Europe. Actually the old african artists had carved their african masks in a puristic, simple and valuable style, that even today you can put african masks on top of a magazine. What is their secret?? It is the abstract form of the african masks, with details like mouth “unusual” in size, the natural colour worn by long use, and the clean carving really resembling to the art objects of todays web designers.
So lets focus on the first important conclusion: it is simplicity, which is a key factor. And it could well be the case, that this is the strongest factor. Puristic construction, simple fonts.If you add some great colours you are nearly done.
But let us watch at some examples of Web 2.0 design. One of the most prominent example is a site about fonts. Yes, one of these boring places with piles of fonts - or not? Well, have a look yourself to a font site a great experience. A good example for such a modern design place with fonts depicts the combination of a simple but unsual design, strong colours, great visuals … and the best fonts you may find.
Another interesting example 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 possibilities to show it the way you prefer - 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 websites - the website with fonts and the web directory - are quite puristic in style. Indeed you don´t need too many colours. But you can play with them if you like. In contrast to a web directory anime sites are usually colourful - too much indeed in most anime sites. Anyhow, noone would like an anime website where only grey shades can be seen. So this unusual anime website draws its attraction from the simplicity. No text, just one picture to see. Only if you go accross the picture with your mouse, you come to the menu this anime site offers.
So, whether looking at fonts, anime, web directory or african masks - you can come from history and will glimpse into the possible development.