Photographic Web Nightmare

I know this sample may look extreme for most of you; however, I just wanted to show you not only a sample of a bad photographic website, but instead the worst representation in this category ever created. Since anyone who learns the ins and outs of html or CSS feels pretty much entitled to publish anything in the browser, It is not hard to find poor samples of web site designs. However, the chances to find a site that violates all the basic rules of design, orchestrating the most unspeakable visual solution ever seen in the history of Internet can only be found in http://yvettesbridalformal.com/ . As you can see, there is a lot to work to do. The first thing I will change on this site is the background-image; a pattern that has nothing to do with this theme or any other. What were they thinking? Next immediate step is to reduce the typographic elements to one or two typefaces, styles, sizes, weights, colors, etc, etc. Take out all the background for text, and God! Create a navigation bar, which has not been established. I don’t know if the designer was under the influence while working on this but the repetitive, colorful, non-sense, text has to go, and the new content needs to be arranged in paragraphs and edited closely. The excessive use of underlined links are a pain to watch along with the photography all over the place show. The imagery could have been organized in slide shows or in separate windows for demonstrations purposes. Taking away some of the silly comments and greetings would not hurt as well. The only reason I took the time to write about it is to show some samples of some disturbing design that can be found out there.

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MINIMALISM design

As I was learning how to identify the different design solutions used for web, I found the Minimalist style, term that I have heard before in another art context. Minimalism is a form of art that reduces design elements to the basics, leaving only the most fundamental features. This art style became very popular in the 60’s and late 70’s mostly in the category of sculpture and painting. Although minimalism was primarily popular in the United States, it was also followed by European artists, who later continued the trend of the American school. Today, minimalism has been applied towards web design, an art form that depends entirely on the size of its audience; which makes the execution of this approach, a real challenge. For instance, there is a short list of successful samples. However, I noticed that most of them were created in Europe. Consequently, I found http://www.weyhoven.de/ a graphic artist website from Germany, which I believe, becomes a good sample of an effective design solution in a minimalism style.

On this site colors are limited to black and green for text. The content information is minimum and simplified by the use of san-serif typography. The geometric structure of the layout is emphasized by the arrangement of four text blocks framed by windows that display after clicking on the WER/WAS/WEISO/WO WHO/WHAT/WHY/WHERE navigation bar; which I bothered to translate to ease up the adventure. The artist extends its design in the WHAT window to show his portfolio in an interactive slide show. A simple layout that uses math elements (-, +, x.) or computer symbols, if you will, generating a language that he keeps consistently throughout the site. The Minimalism design of this site was not arbitrarily apply instead this representation contributes to the overall style that is also the trade mark of his own art.
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Oskar