10 years of web design: what has changed?

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Context

Sitelicon, father of Contrabase and this blog, is on the anniversary. It’s 10 years old, and we want to take stock of what we’ve learned and improved at this time. In 2005, web design had come to a certain maturity and was no longer the horror of the beginning, but still, many things have continued to evolve to get to this day and we have been adapting to it. We tell you some of the most significant changes of the last 10 years in web design:

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PANTALLA TAMAGE

1024px vs multiscreen

2005  We were just connecting from the computer, with a screen that would probably have 1024 px wide or similar, and all the websites were designed to fit in that standard size.

2015  Now we can connect to the Internet from a [wide variety of devices] (http: / / www.contrabase.com / diseno-web / type-resolves -mass-extended /) large or small: from home TV to the mobile we carry in our pocket. Even more recently, from the applications of the new smart bracelet watches. Probably this great change has influenced the most when designing.

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STRUCTURE

Fixed width vs responsive design

2005  Almost all the websites were designed with a fixed width. There was also the fluid design, which allowed the content to expand according to the width of the screen, but it was somewhat minority and not valid for any design.

2015  the proliferation of different devices and sizes, the [responsivity design] (http: / / www.contrabase.com / diseno-web / google-penalize -the -webs-no-adapts-a-dispositions-mobiles /), which adapts or replaces the content of the web to ensure that it always looks good from any screen.

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APPLICATIONS

Classical web vs app

2005  We were connecting to the Internet to visit websites.

2015  In addition to browsing traditional websites, with the generalization of the mobile world (smartphones, tablets…), we also perform Internet tasks through apps. These are designed differently from a web and have set new standards when designing.

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ANIMATIONS

Fash vs HTML5 & CSS3, jQuery

2005  Flash was a great resource for designers. It allowed to introduce visually very attractive animations, interactive content and other effects on the web. However, this was fundamentally ornamental and presented many problems: flash was not displayed on any device, and the content in this format was not indexed by search engines.

2015  HTML5, CSS3 and jQuery open new possibilities. Not only has it changed the technology, much more friendly to search engines and to improve the user experience. The style of the animations has changed, they no longer seek effectism without more, but support usability and improve the user experience in a subtle and practical way.

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APPROQUE

Aesthetic vs UX

2005  At this time, the design possibilities were expanding enormously. There were fewer and less limits in the use of colors, typographs, images, etc., and the interest in creating visually professional and aesthetic websites was growing.

2015  Today we have more technical design resources than ever and the concern to create attractive websites continues. However, usability and user experience are the highest priority in the design process.

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INITIAL PAGE

Home-direct inside page vs home

2005  Not all the websites were like that, but the intro pages were in fashion. They were kind of a prepresentation, often in flash, that you should “jump” if you wanted to go directly to the content of the web.

2015  Design the home page is vital, both for the user and for search engines. This means that the home must be attractive, but also contain the main information.

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SCROLL

Short pages vs parallax

2005  In general, too long pages that required much to be done were avoided. scrollThe user could be upset or bored if he had to go down too much to find the information he wanted, and in the face of search engines, the infinite pages were not optimal either. This made the content a little “apulotonate” sometimes when it had a lot of volume.

2015  With the variety of screen sizes, the scroll panic has almost turned around. Now it is almost a necessary resource, especially to navigate comfortably from the mobile. It has even given rise to creativity, such as the effects parallax that have proliferated lately.

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ICONOS

Image vs source

2005  When we wanted to include icons on the web, they were usually png or jpg images.

2015  We can now insert the icons as a typography. Advantages?: they are scalable and not pixelan, they can be added styles by CSS and the requests are reduced to the server.

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IMAGENES

Ornament vs content

2005  At this time, good quality photos and graphics were used to accompany texts or support the identity of the web. There are fewer and less restrictions on the making up, but images are still a complementary or ornamental element.

2015  The images have total starring and there are multiple options for use: full-screen photos, animated graphics, modernized gifs, galleries of all kinds… The images bring value.

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VIDEO

Incorporated player vs total integration

2005  It was born Youtube and was able to insert videos on websites and blogs, and it was a revolution. In the beginning the video player was based on Flash.

2015  The video takes on the role of the web. It is a very valuable type of content and is also attractive to the user. The technology and style of the players has evolved enormously and even videos can be inserted as a design element, as a web background, for example.

BALANCE

The Internet is evolving and becoming faster. What will be the next challenges of web design? Wearable They will mark the next trends. Cocks and smart glasses, increased reality, greater interactivity… What do you think? We keep learning!