Google – Launched 2001

The beauty of Google is the simplicity of its design and the understanding that users want access to information quickly and easily. The design is very simple but deliberate, although recognisable, this example shows that simple changes, such as fonts can make all the difference to your design.

FaceBook – Launched 2004

FaceBook or Thefacebook is one of the successes of recent times. What we can learn though is that it is important to have a clear target audience in mind. Thefacebook was designed to connect people at colleges but it has taken over work places, schools and social settings. Meet your core user’s needs and then expand!

MySpace – Launched 2003

MySpace may have fallen behind FaceBook in recent times but I think this one is very interesting. The design looks very corporate but they must have realised that this design wouldn’t appeal to the people who were using the site. If a web designer mis-judges the users of a site it is important to change tact and keep them interested.

Twitter – Launched 2006

Few sites have polarised opinion like Twitter has. That is a whole new debate for another time but this image clearly shows what its original intent was…..”What are you doing?”

BBC news – Launched 1997

Finally I have included the BBC website. This design was way back in 1997 and it reminds us what we often forget. When we are thinking about just when to cut the gradient off, whether the icons are understandable or should we use rounded corners or not, as that is so last year, always remember this…content is king!

There you have it. If you want to see more read the article or use the Wayback Machine and if you find any good ones, let us know.

Are there any sites that were built way back that are still available? I found the answer in an unlikely place – the Telegraph.co.uk. You can read the full article but to give you a flavour I have posted some right here!

CNN Time Warner’s 1996 Year in Review

NCAR About Temperature

I am Jackie Chan

Next week we will look at the origins of popular sites and how they looked when they first started…..now where did I put that Wayback Machine?