Destroy The “Web 2.0 Look”
by Elliot Jay Stocks
elliotjaystocks.com/fowd

We have a problem... or two

We have a problem... or two
Problem 01: a design problem

What do people consider to
be the “Web 2.0 Look”?

What do people consider to
be the “Web 2.0 Look”?
Vibrant, high contrast colours

What do people consider to
be the “Web 2.0 Look”?
Vibrant, high contrast colours
‘Special offer’ badges

What do people consider to
be the “Web 2.0 Look”?
Vibrant, high contrast colours
‘Special offer’ badges
Gloss / sheen

What do people consider to
be the “Web 2.0 Look”?
Vibrant, high contrast colours
‘Special offer’ badges
Gloss / sheen
Bevelled edges

What do people consider to
be the “Web 2.0 Look”?
Vibrant, high contrast colours
‘Special offer’ badges
Gloss / sheen
Bevelled edges
Gradients

What do people consider to
be the “Web 2.0 Look”?
Vibrant, high contrast colours
‘Special offer’ badges
Gloss / sheen
Bevelled edges
Gradients
Diagonal lines

What do people consider to
be the “Web 2.0 Look”?
Vibrant, high contrast colours
‘Special offer’ badges
Gloss / sheen
Bevelled edges
Gradients
Diagonal lines
Soft-focus effects (subtle outer glow)

What do people consider to
be the “Web 2.0 Look”?
Vibrant, high contrast colours
‘Special offer’ badges
Gloss / sheen
Bevelled edges
Gradients
Diagonal lines
Soft-focus effects (subtle outer glow)
REFLECTED LOGO!!!

From now on:

From now on:
You’re only allowed
to use a logo reflection
if your company name
has the word ‘reflect’ in it.

Where did it come from?

Where did it come from?
The undisputed shiny kings of sheen:

Where did it come from?
The undisputed shiny kings of sheen: Apple.

Where did it come from?
The undisputed shiny kings of sheen: Apple.
Apple have used this look with subtlety and its
portrayal is always in a constant state of evolution.

Where did it come from?
The undisputed shiny kings of sheen: Apple.
Apple have used this look with subtlety and its
portrayal is always in a constant state of evolution.
Tweaking and modifying popular design aesthetics is the
only way to avoid cliche.

Where did it come from?
The undisputed shiny kings of sheen: Apple.
Apple have used this look with subtlety and its
portrayal is always in a constant state of evolution.
Tweaking and modifying popular design aesthetics is the
only way to avoid cliche.
In time, even the best ideas will become cliched when
over-used.

Big name designers...

Big name designers...

Big name designers...
... are not bowing down to trends.

Big name designers...
... are not bowing down to trends.
Take note: if the world’s best and most original
designers are avoiding cliches, there is

Big name designers...
... are not bowing down to trends.
Take note: if the world’s best and most original
designers are avoiding cliches, there is a) a reason

Big name designers...
... are not bowing down to trends.
Take note: if the world’s best and most original
designers are avoiding cliches, there is a) a reason, and
b) a technique.

‘Make My Logo Bigger’
cream makemylogobiggercream.com

‘Make My Logo Bigger’
cream makemylogobiggercream.com
It highlights the serious issue that non-creative clients
often have too much power over designers.

‘Make My Logo Bigger’
cream makemylogobiggercream.com
It highlights the serious issue that non-creative clients
often have too much power over designers.
It’s up to designers to assert their role in a project.

We have a problem... or two
Problem 01: a design problem
Problem 02: a conceptual problem

The web design
recruitment industry

“We’re looking for a great
Web 2.0 designer!”

“Our client is after a designer
who can make sites look
Web 2.0.”

“We want a designer who can
design to current trends.”

The web design
recruitment industry

The web design
recruitment industry,
senior management

The web design
recruitment industry,
senior management,
and marketers

The web design
recruitment industry,
senior management,
and marketers
If Web 2.0 translates as successful business, who cares
what it really means?

The web design
recruitment industry,
senior management,
and marketers
If Web 2.0 translates as successful business, who cares
what it really means?
Following trends is often profitable.

The web design
recruitment industry,
senior management,
and marketers
If Web 2.0 translates as successful business, who cares
what it really means?
Following trends is often profitable.
Misunderstanding arrives because of the removal from
the ‘doing’ process.

Tim O’Reilly’s article about
Web 2.0 tinyurl.com/y3uhod
Web 1.0 Web 2.0
DoubleClick Google AdSense
Ofoto Flickr
Akamai BitTorrent
mp3.com Napster
Britannica Online Wikipedia
personal websites blogging
evite upcoming.org and EVDB
domain name speculation search engine optimization
page views cost per click
screen scraping web services
publishing participation
content management systems wikis
directories (taxonomy) tagging (\"folksonomy\")
stickiness syndication

Jesse James Garrett’s article
about AJAX tinyurl.com/29nlsm
“Ajax isn’t a technology. It’s really several technologies,
each flourishing in its own right, coming together in
powerful new ways. Ajax incorporates:
• standards-based presentation using XHTML and CSS;
• dynamic display and interaction using the Document Object Model;
• data interchange and manipulation using XML and XSLT;
• asynchronous data retrieval using XMLHttpRequest;
• and JavaScript binding everything together.”

Web 2.0 on Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2
Web 2.0 refers to a perceived second generation of
web-based communities and hosted services which aim
to facilitate collaboration and sharing between users.
Although the term suggests a new version of the World
Wide Web, it does not refer to an update to any
technical specifications, but to changes in the ways
software developers and end-users use the internet.

When was design
mentioned?

When was design
mentioned?
It wasn’t.

Web 2.0 is not a design
aesthetic

Web 2.0 is not a design
aesthetic is not a design
aesthetic is not a design
aesthetic is not a design
aesthetic is not a design
aesthetic is not a design
aesthetic is not a design
aesthetic is not a design
aesthetic.

Or is it?

Or is it?
There are some benefits to referring to it as an
aesthetic rather than a concept.

Or is it?
There are some benefits to referring to it as an
aesthetic rather than a concept.
But ultimately this leads to false understanding.

Conclusion

Conclusion
Design cliches will always exist. Understand why the
exist, for whom they exist, and how to avoid them.

Conclusion
Design cliches will always exist. Understand why the
exist, for whom they exist, and how to avoid them.
Incorporating current trends into your work can be a
very good move, but add a dash of originality too.

Conclusion
Design cliches will always exist. Understand why the
exist, for whom they exist, and how to avoid them.
Incorporating current trends into your work can be a
very good move, but add a dash of originality too.
Learn from the best - don’t rely on the flock to provide
inspiration. Adapt continuously.

Conclusion
Design cliches will always exist. Understand why the
exist, for whom they exist, and how to avoid them.
Incorporating current trends into your work can be a
very good move, but add a dash of originality too.
Learn from the best - don’t rely on the flock to provide
inspiration. Adapt continuously.
Educate the masses that the “Web 2.0 Look” is a
meaningless term. Web 2.0 is a concept...
... not a design aesthetic.

Thank you
elliotjaystocks.com/fowd