History of Web Design

 

1. The articles describe various milestones when the Internet experienced breakthroughs in design and development. During which of these milestones did you first start using the Internet? And what are your first memories of using the Internet? 

My first memories of the internet are mainly of YouTube. I remember my friends telling me about how they listened to their music on a website called "Youtube", they even made fun of me for not knowing what it was. I spent a lot of time watching music videos and makeup tutorials from "beauty gurus" since elementary school, 2008 I believe. In elementary school, we had computer class as one of our "specials", there I remember using educational websites such as fcatexplorer.com and coolmathforkids.com where we played games. I remember when school transitioned to technology based learning in 7th grade. Then, all of our homework and assignments were online, and we turned homework in on a website called Edmodo. 

1. During which time frame do you think there was the biggest jump in advancement? Please explain. 

The biggest time frame where there was the biggest jump in advancement in web design was 2006-2010 because it was when the iPhone was first launched in 2007, causing web designers to tailor their website for mobile usage. Web designers in this time frame were also working with top quality hardware and software, giving them much more artistic freedom and choice when designing. The rise of social media is a huge factor in web design, as the internet was becoming standard for everyone to have, as well as a smart phone. This time frame kicked off the exploration of "responsive web design" in 2010, which became the standard of all websites. 

1. At the end of the article, “A nostalgic journey through the evolution of web design” under the heading “The future...”, a site called the Wayback Machine is mentioned. Visit that site and plug in the URL of a company that can been established for a long time (e.g., Amazon, Nike, Disney, University of Tampa, etc.). Click on a screenshot of the company’s site from at least 10 years ago, then open a new Internet window and view the company’s current website for comparison. How has the design changed over time? Please explain.

I looked at YouTube's website from 2012. In the 2012 website, the background is a light gray color as opposed to white like it is now. The YouTube logo has also changed from having a red square inside "Tube", but now the red square is next to the word "Youtube". The shade of red has gone from a dark, almost burgundy red, to a bright red. Everything is much smaller on the website in 2012, the font, the size of the thumbnails, even the video square itself. The one thing I noticed that has minimized in size is the number of likes a video has, the 2012 website has a bigger font for the number, whereas now you have to really look for it in the bottom left corner in a small font. On Youtube's website today there is a 3 line navigation icon that when clicked on shows a list of several options. On their website 10 years ago, there was a taskbar at the top that includes only three options. 

How would you describe the style of modern web design?

What do web designers need to consider when designing sites for mobile use? 

How do you think web design will continue to change in the future?