Web Design Museum

Here Lies Flash » Mike Industries

Flash, from the very beginning, was a transitional technology. It was a language that compiled into a binary executable. This made it consistent and performant, but was in conflict with how most of the web works. It was designed for a desktop world which wasn’t compatible with the emerging mobile web. Perhaps most importantly, it was developed by a single company. This allowed it to evolve more quickly for awhile, but goes against the very spirit of the entire internet. Long-term, we never want single companies — no matter who they may be — controlling the very building blocks of the web.

Dark Ages of the Web

Notes on the old internet, its design and frontend.

The history of ‘this website is well-crafted’ hints | Holovaty.com

Adrian runs through the history of well-crafted websites:

• 1990s: Dynamic websites
• 2002: All-CSS layouts
• 2003: Nice URLs
• 2005: Ajax
• 2009: Custom web fonts
• 2010: Responsive web design

I think he’s absolutely right with his crystal ball too:

What’s a big hint that a site is crafted by forward-looking web developers? I’d say it’s service workers, the most interesting thing happening in web development.

But leaving trends aside, Adrian reminds us:

Some things never go out of style. None of the following is tied to a particular time or event, but each is a sign a website was made by people who care about their craft:

• Making sure the site works without JavaScript
• Semantic markup
• Following accessibility standards

And They All Look Just the Same

Greg isn’t just lamenting a perceived “sameness” in web design here. He’s taking a long-zoom view and pointing out that there’s always a sameness …and you can choose to go along with it or you can choose to differentiate.

Airbag Intl. / Archives

Greg says:

We need a web design museum.

I am, unsurprisingly, in complete agreement. And let’s make lots of copies while we’re at it.