The Evolution of Web Design

Web design has come along way within the past 20 years. In fact, there have been so many advances with technology within the past decade, it is obvious that web design would also continue to expand and change over the years.

History of Web Design

The very first website was designed in 1991 and was a far cry from the types of websites you would see today two decades later. The interesting thing is that this website was nothing special, but it was still usable.

In 1991, no one really cared about HTML and all the unique tricks that make a website stand out and look good. When more people started creating websites for their companies and businesses, they didn’t go all out like how they do now. Most of these companies were using simple text with no picture or clip-art. Things have definitely changed within the past twenty years.

The first major change was the use of templates. Templates were designed to add a specific color design or theme to a website. Businesses and companies flocked to this because it made their websites look more organized and neat. Templates were free and easy to use, which is why people didn’t mind using them. Templates are still used for websites these days as well, but templates have come a long way and are much better looking.

Changes Being Made

Many different changes that were made have attributed to the way web design is today. Over a period of time, computer design programs were made available for users. Users could purchase and download these programs and create unique designs and graphics for their websites or for their own personal use.

Some of these programs include Adobe Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro and many others. People who started using these programs learned the basics on creating graphics and how important that could be to a website. Graphics look good on a website and add something extra besides just plain text. Being able to use these programs allowed web design to continue and advance. Businesses and companies liked having something extra on their website that would really catch the viewers’ eyes.

Giving Credit To Apple

The Apple incorporation deserves a lot of credit for the advances that have been made to web design and technology in general. In 1996, the Apple website looked fairly basic, just like most websites did at the time. The website appeared in black print on a white background with a clip art image of the Apple logo. Anyone who views what the website looked like today would have a hard time believing that the site for Apple.com ever looked so, well, ridiculous. However, it proves that technology and web design have not always been what they are now. Even prestigious companies, such as Apple, started from the very beginning with their web design basics.

Right before the millennium, Apple.com made some changes to the website. It looked more futuristic than before. It still wasn’t what it is today, but it was definitely better than it looked in 1996 with all plain text. In 1999, the website for Apple had nicer pictures with less text. The text that was displayed was more organized and didn’t look so awkward.

In 2000, the website changed for the better and displayed pictures of the new iMac that was produced by Apple. In 2001, the iPod was introduced and at that time, the web design changed again. This time, the web design focused solely on the iPod. In 2004, the main focus of the web design was still on the iPod, but this time it was all about the changes and advances that had been made to the iPod over the span of three years.

The web design for Apple.com continued to change and grow. Each year, changes were made and the website looked better and better. What people found out and learned from Apple.com is that simple web design was better than over the top craziness. Simple web design that looked decent and was organized would catch the eyes of Internet users.

The reason that Apple deserves such credit is because they opened the doors to other businesses and companies and their websites. Many of these companies chose to follow the direction that Apple.com too with their web design, which has taught people a lot about how their website should look.

How Has Web Design Changed?

Web design has changed in so many different ways. Primarily, it has changed in the way that it is set up. What most have learned along the way is that less is definitely more with web design. In the beginning, companies would display tons of information in text and packed it directly on a web page but now, the less is more feature is so much better for viewers.

Web design has also changed because it is much more organized than it was in 1991 and it is even more organized than it was five years ago. It seems as though web design advances each year, so who knows how web design will be in 10 or 20 years. It will continue to progress each year and that has been proven already.

Another change that has been made to web design is companies that are selling a product typically display a picture of each product being sold. The picture allows viewers to know what they are buying before they actually pay for it. Viewers can look at the picture and read product information before deciding whether it is right for them.

Overall, quality web design is essential for any business or person who wants to spread the word about something and get their point across. Web design has come along way and with advances being made with technology, it will continue to grow and expand. Website owners will have to keep up with their web design on a regular basis if they want to be successful.

Make sure to check out this cool infographic by Sean Work from KISSmetrics.