The history of web design covers many different aspects of how people have designed websites for decades. Since websites are so commonplace now, it can be difficult to look back and think about what websites were like originally. The history of web design goes back to the late 1980s, and has changed significantly since then. Here is an overview of what has changed since web design first began.
The History of Web Design Up Through the End of the Millennium
Prior to the year 2000, the history of web design involved a lot of changes to get the media out to the masses in a way that was easy to see. In the initial phases of web design, the pages were simply text-based. Back in 1989, Tim Berners-Lee suggested that a global hypertext project come to life. This became the backbone of bringing text to the masses and was later called the World Wide Web by 1993. The first browser to see the hypertext combined with graphics and sound was Mosaic, created by Eric Bina and Marc Andreessen. All of the other browsers were text heavy, and had little or no image capability.
As of 1994, the W3C was formed, creating a set of standards for websites to follow so that no one company could monopolize the internet. These standards came forth as JavaScript, which is still used in web design today. Also in 1994, Andreessen set up a company known as Communications Corp., which later became Netscape Communications, and they launched Netscape 0.9 as their first browser. By using HTML tags, they were able to create additional viewing opportunities for viewers. By Netscape 1.1, colors and text that could include tables was an option.
From there, Microsoft entered the picture, creating what is commonly referred to as the browser wars. This allowed JavaScript to mature, plus brought forth new technologies like CSS and Dynamic HTML. Open sourcing allowed a lot of developers to enter the picture, helping to advance the different technologies further. By the end of the 1990s, GIFs were the image of choice, and Flash was also instituted. This allowed for motion graphics, animation, and more intense graphics to grace the pages of websites. Want some website design tips?
The History of Web Design from 2000 to 2012
The history of web design has taken a dramatic turn since the new Millennium. People during this time were able to visualize something and make most of those visualizations come to life. Pictures could be edited to show up differently, which was something new that hadn’t been successful in the past. New forms of HTML and JavaScript were released regularly during this phase of the history of web design.
The point of web design during this time changed as well. Originally, the point of web design was to get text and information to people all around the world. As this part of the history of web design progressed, the point changed to enhancing the user’s experience. Instead of just providing information, web designers wanted to provide an experience. The better the experience, the more users would return to the website. This became the universal sign of a successful website.
The layout became huge during this part of the history of web design. Web designers wanted to make the pages look great, as that attracted more viewers. This meant using fluid designs, changing around fonts, and using colors and blank spaces effectively. Once the pages were attracting larger audiences, marketing came into play. This became a lucrative experience for many, as this was before SEO came into play, and any keyword could be ranked, no matter how useful or informative it was.
The History of Web Design Since 2012
Since 2012, the history of web design has evolved even more. Now, web design works only when several factors work together. These factors need to include the user’s experience, the keywords used in the text, how informative each page of the website is, and the type of images and graphics the site offers. Graphics are a very large part of what goes into today’s websites. There is far more that goes into a creating a website than there was during most of the history of web design. Today, you must meet the very demanding needs of the audience. If you don’t meet their needs, they will not come back to your website.
Using the History of Web Design to Show Off What You Want the World to See
When you want to show what you have to offer to the world, then get professional help building the perfect website. We have used what we learned throughout the history of web design and put it to good use. Not only can we help you come up with the perfect way of showing off your products and services, but we can do it with the type of flare your audience wants and deserves.