There are a lot of things I love about the web. Take for instance the availability of information or the relative ease of communication. I’m a web designer after all, so it’s only natural that I have an unhealthy obsession with all things world wide web. But even though I love the web like [insert whitty comparison], I come across a few things that really annoy me. Here’s one.
Obtrusive Advertising
Image from Engague Blog
I’ve been around the web long enough to remember a time before pop-up blockers. You’d go to a website and BAM! a bunch of windows would pop-up (or under) with advertisements for anything and everything. Sure, pop-up’s are still around but not nearly as prevalent as they were in 1997 thanks to the aforementioned blockers. I for one was happy to see them go. Nothing is more annoying to me than wanting to read a site and having something get in the way.
Of course, you and I both knew those crafty marketers would find a way to make their ads even more annoying. Case in point:
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Personal homepages. That’s right, before your WordPresses or Blogspots people learned a little HTML (usually very little) and signed up for a free website. Places like Tripod, Angelfire, and Geocities offered an outlet for the online masses. I learned today that Geocities was being put out to pasture (I know, I’m behind the times.). That prompted me to find some of the best material these once proud services have to offer. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, let’s go way back to a time called the 90’s and see how the web used to be.
First up is a classic. White background, bright text, animated GIFs, you simply can’t beat it. Michelle claims to have seen a lot of movies, but only offers four reviews (only one of which is viewable). Also offered is a reminder of what to bring with you to the movies. Don’t forget your sweater!
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As a web designer and a musician, I am inclined to appreciate a good band website. There are a great many cookie-cutter band sites out there. The majority are either completely flash based (not saying that’s a bad thing) or are extremely crammed full of crap, making for a confusing experience. I visited a number of sites where I thought the only thing original was the band name. Having said that, here are 10 band sites that are unique and well designed.
The Decemberists
I’m a huge fan of the minimalistic approach to this design. The design is clean and easy to navigate. The illustration on the left puts it over the top
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