Why do so many websites look the same? In order to answer this question, we’ll first look at trends in web design over its short history, and examine how modern tools and practises have contributed to a more homogenous-looking internet. We’ll examine the web design process from two perspectives—the designer’s and the developer’s—and discuss how the blurring of those roles impacts design. Along the way, we’ll discuss the various merits of following or bucking trends. Finally, we’ll offer some constructive advice to help you—whether you’re a designer or not—add an individual touch to your design work.

1. @sarahsemark · triggersandsparks.com

3. do websites look the same?
why

9. anyway?
how did we get here
A HISTORY OF WEB DESIGN

10. the dark
ages

14. tables
to infinity!

21. rescue
CSS to the

24. lookin’good
web design starts

29. where
are we now?

33. designvs development

38. It’s easy
to build a website
that looks good…

39. great
…but it’s hard
to build a website
that looks

41. the designer-developer
CONTINUUM

42. constraintsare holding us back

43. should we
follow?

44. HECK YES!
• established patterns
• increased usability
• aesthetics are temporal

45. HECK NO!
• doesn’t account for needs
• hard to distinguish
• aesthetics are temporal
• drive new trends
• meaning disappears

46. how do we
soFIX THE PROBLEM?

47. with pattern & texture
play

52. get creative with
typography

57. break
out of the grid

62. add dynamism with
movement

65. inspiration
shop around for

70. experiment!
go forth and

71. thanks
• Geocities screenshots: oneterabyteofkilobyteage.tumblr.com
• Internet archives: waybackmachine.org
• Designer vs developer infographic: Shane Snow, sixrevisions.com/infographics/web-
designers-vs-web-developers-infographic
• Icons from thenounproject.com
• Packaging design from lovelypackage.com
• Lettering work by Tobias Saul, tobiassaul.de
• Bloomberg Businessweek layouts by Braulio Amado itsnicethat.com/articles/braulio-
amado-bloomberg
@sarahsemark · triggersandsparks.com