Web design has come a long way since 1991 when the first ever website was published. It has evolved, and it's better than ever. Let's take a stroll down memory lane and look at how web design has evolved (for better and for worse) over the past two decades.
The Birth of the World Wide Web
In the early 1990s, Tim Berners-Lee took the bold step of creating the first browser. Yes, the World Wide Web was born. It was the start of a revolution. There were no images, just reams of text that was transmitted across the world. While design was not at the heart of websites during the onset of the 1990s, functionality was. The "pretty" aspect of web design came a little while later.
During the onset of the mid-1990s, going into the new millennium, the tide turned for web development and design. Aesthetics were beginning to take prominence. Now, websites had images, animations and buttons within their layout. With this complex nature came a need for companies who solely specialised in the creation of websites.
Going into the New Millennium
In the year 2000, there appeared to be something of a crash when it comes to web businesses. But, this wasn't for long. From 2004, the design standards were raised once more. Now, web developers and designers could edit their online creations with ease. And so, complexity alongside design becomes prevalent once more.
2004 and Beyond
In 2004, Web 2.0 was born. This ensured that websites were bigger, and better than ever before. Now, web design was at the forefront of the internet. Everything became more functional, but websites also became more aesthetically pleasing. Aside from this, sites required systems integration. This resulted in social media and other sites working in conjunction with one another. Accessibility was also became an important factor and with the onset of WordPress and other blogging sites, everyone could have an easy-to-use website of their own.
Mobile Internet
When Apple launched the iPhone, they revolutionised internet use and the face of websites. With everyone having the internet at their fingertips, there came a need for mobile-friendly websites. The evolution of web design resulted in responsive design. Websites have become big business and it seems that with the advent of mobile internet, more and more people want readily available information. Web design has evolved from simple, plain text to a world of images and animations. All of which can be retrieved at the user's fingertips.
Want to know more? Call us on +44 (0) 28 9045 5554 or drop us an email [email protected], we'd love to hear from you.