This is the truth: many people have heard about Web 2.0 but in reality, how many of them really understand what the term means?

A common misconception people develop about Web 2.0 is that Web 2.0 refers to a new “wave” of designs, to simply put it. Many people think that Web 2.0 is all about glossy, sleek designs with lots of gradient effects and shadows. Thus, many web designers are trapped within this range of style, thinking that “this is the Web 2.0!” But it isn’t.

According to Wikipedia, Web 2.0 refers to a change in the use of World Wide Web technology and web design. The Web 2.0 aims to facilitate collaboration among the users, enhance creativity and helps information sharing. It does mean that there is an update to any technical specifications, but rather suggests a change in the way the software developers and end-users use the Web.

So what does it mean for web designers? Well, to put it simply, Web 2.0 is not only a matter of making a website look good, but also effective. And by effective, it means that the web site users enjoy the experience of visiting it. If the user enjoys a web site and thinks of it as useful, then it means that the web site sells.

You should know that there are three things that matter the most about the Web 2.0: collaboration, information sharing and creativity. Undisputedly, there are many new creative sites emerging out there. Unfortunately, there are also many that aren’t as creative. Again, this is because many web designers are stuck with a false concept of Web 2.0. If you noticed, many of these sites follow the same trend over and over again: the glossy tab buttons and overuse of gradients. It does not mean that sites that have these features aren’t beautiful –in fact, most of them are stunning - but there are so many sites that are designed similarly, they do not really stand out from the rest.

Creativity, as previously mentioned, is something that the Web 2.0 encourages. If you are a web designer, do not feel pressured to do the same thing as everybody is doing. It can be tempting to follow the crowd (after all, they have beautiful sites), but think about it. If you want to stand out, why not experiment and create a new trend on your own? You should remember that good designers do not follow trends. They create their own special appeal.

Photoshop was not invented only to make glossy logos. It is a powerful image editor that can do beyond that. So why waste a good image editor? You need to get creative. Think out of the box and create your own designs. Remember, Web 2.0 is not about design aesthetics. It’s about collaboration, information sharing and yes, creativity! It’s not a crime to create web sites that look different from others, yet still maintain the standards of the Web 2.0.

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M.A.H.

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