The Changes in Web Design & The Importance of Research

27th May 2011 :: Author: Andrew Cope, Managing Director, Evergreen

For those under 20 it must seem that the 'Web' has always been there, it being simply unimaginable for it not to exist. Even for those older (I'm in my mid-40's now) the Internet has become an integral part of our daily lives and one that we would be hard pressed to do without.

What we should bear in mind however is just how far the Web has come and more importantly (for Web Designers) just how much it has changed. Our friends at KissMetrics have created an easily understood 'family tree' showing the progression from those early days of Text Based sites, through the rise of Flash and the arrival of CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and on to the rise of Javascript, Web 2.0 and not least, the Mobile Web.

For the web designer however these changes mean more than just how things look, they have to 'look under the bonnet' so that they can use to the full these technologies for the benefit of their customers. Plus, and this is important, they have to keep an eye on what people want and expect from websites, all the while keeping in the forefront of their minds the customers of their customers, for it is this group that the site is really being designed to impress.

The latter is a vital point, it being essential to match the design of the site to the type of visitor and the type of business. The importance of this area is not lost at Evergreen, which is why we ask so many questions (and do so much research) before we put electronic pen to the electronic paper of the web.

Again a big Thanks to KissMetrics for the 'Family Tree' (or 'infographic' - yes another buzz word for you) below:-