Web 2.0 Design Principles

There has been much discussion and debate in regards to Web 2.0 and what it is. Some say it's merely a buzz word, but others who know realize it is much more. Web 2.0 was released in 2004, not as a new version of the web or even a new technology, but as a set of technical specifications to increase a web site's usability, visibility and overall success on the internet.

Web 2.0 itself (not just the design aspects) goes much deeper. The original use of the term "Web 2.0" came about in 1999 with an article written by Darcy DiNucci. In her article, she predicted that the web would be fragmenting and that designers would have to evolve their programming and design techniques for future web venues such as TV and cell phones. Looking back, she was dead on in her predictions about web use and its need for standardization. Add to that the explosion of social media and iphone applications that are such a big part of day-to-day living and the need for Web 2.0 is clear.

Visualize Web 2.0 design as a set of principles and practices that work together create uniformity for web developers. Web 2.0 is a list of primary web standards that increases web site visibility as well as the overall success of the web site.

Web 2.0 Design Practices

Web 2.0 design leads to higher click-through and conversion rates with longer usability time from the user. The point of Web 2.0 design is to not have a standard home page layout where the end-user relies strictly on the main navigation, but to have other areas of interest with thumbnails and brief descriptions to display the site's primary contents without guessing what the main navigation will take you to. Another Web 2.0 design technique is quick drag-and-drop interactivity. Web 2.0 is all about simplicity and ease of use. It encourages designers to use a few, well-chosen visual elements to guide the visitor's eye through the site. It's not minimalism. The goal of Web 2.0 design is to help users to find what they want (or to notice what the site wants them to notice) as quickly as possible.

We now use less copy but communicate more through carefully selected imagery. In addition, we use a more centralized layout as opposed to the old left align "liquid" layouts. This allows us to take advantage of the screens pixels and center the layout directly in front of the end user. We are also using fewer columns now. Where web designs used to have as many as four, we are now using stacked rows of only two to three columns, leaving room for more white space underneath. The top area of the page can be centered or span across the center to separate the site's corporate name and logo from its content, much like a masthead. The creative use of color completes the effect.

All of these principles are basic components of Web 2.0 design. Another major advantage to the effective usage of screen real estate is the ability to make your site function properly between various browsers. By following a strict set of guidelines and the proper use of screen real estate, the programming will conform to most recent browsers.

Basic thumbnails of web 2.0 are below. Notice two to three columns and mast head corporate identity.

Other Web 2.0 Featured Guidelines

In addition, Web 2.0 draws together the capabilities of client- and server-side software, content syndication and the use of network protocols. Standards-oriented web browsers may use plug-ins and software extensions to handle the content and the user interactions. Web 2.0 sites provide users with information storage, creation, and dissemination capabilities that were not possible in the environment now known as "Web 1.0". These techniques were the stepping-stones and developmental grounds for Ajax, jQuery, Adobe Flex, flash and other frameworks. On the server side, we use technologies such as PHP, Coldfusion or jsp to dynamically output the data. Web 2.0 also dictates how developers relate and tie these technologies together properly.

In short, web 2.0 is both a series of design practices as well as programming guidelines.

What is Web 3.0?

Web 3.0 is still not officially completed or used, although we are already anticipating its release. Web 2.0 is about mass collaboration techniques where as Web 3.0 will be more about creating intelligent applications using API and other global technologies. Web 3.0 will continue to utilize Web 2.0 design principles but will focus more on application usages. Read next month's article on what to expect from Web 3.0.

Contact Leif at lfifer@praxisagency.com.