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Cool web design by N - Web Design

The essence of cool, in web design...

I'm not too sure what a cool web design is?

I know what I like (which I firmly accept may differ from your tastes), and I know some cool style icons, but as to what constitutes a cool web design, I'm not so sure.

I am a firm believer in the original nature of the internet, as a means for the communication and distribution of information. I treat all my work on the internet as, fundamentally, a means by which to transmit a message. The easiest way to do this is by writing it (or typing it in this case) on a web page.

Now this is where it all gets a little abstract. As anyone familiar with UML will tell you, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Now I'm really confused? Do words or pictures add more value to a web site or is it a good balance of the two? And where does cool come in to all this? Have we even decided what cool is yet? Read on, Mon Brave....

Nailing 'cool' to the web design door

Right, lets get to the bottom of cool. Let's define what it means and how it applies to a web site, if at all.

Cool is generally accepted as something that is iconic, attractive, aloof, fashionable, stylish, timeless, awe-inspiring, expressive or generally quite contemporary or good.

I think some, if not all of these definitions can be applied to web sites and web designs. That's good so far. I'm a little worried about the timelessness of something when it is associated with fashions and trends, but I think something iconic will naturally have a timeless appeal and will not age.

The lack of cool in web design so far

Whilst there are many web sites that fit the definition of 'cool', as I have set it out, it is clear that recent history on the world wide web has left us with very little that we can identify as something that embodies the essence.

There are many examples of great use of form, colour, art, design, angle and juxtaposition we see on the internet every day, but it this going to leave us with a timeless legacy of cool that we can look back on in ten years time, like we do now on so many other classic 'cool' things in the world?

Defining cool in web design

My opinion is that 'cool' is not necessarily just an image or design thing. Cool is also a lifestyle, attitude and usability thing. The internet itself is, in my opinion, the coolest thing ever, so whatever is in it, is surely by definition also cool? I think some things that people do with technology itself, in Flash movies, Java Applets and (Sorry the Geek in me takes over here!) Programming can be classed as Uber Cool.

So, separate all the cool things about the internet, its technology and content, brush away all the added little extras and content additions, and look at the bare, basic simple design. What is a cool design for a web site or web page?

For me, a cool web site is one that expresses the essence of the content in such a way as to communicate a clear andconcises message about the site, what it stands for and what it is trying to say.

This is a pretty simple expectation for someone so seemingly entrenched in the world of the internet, web deign and technology to have but I always like to see web site that tell me something. Whether that's a 10,000 word explanation of a new technology or simply a nicely designed, thoughtfully constructedweb sitee with someone's Blog, contact details or holiday snaps, it is all 'cool'

A cool summary

I believe that the whole internet andweb siteephenomenonn is cool. Being part of this whole cool thing is also really, really cool. The ease at which I can tell the world about anything I like, is really cool.