The Evolution of the Web

The author presents the evolution or "growth" of the web in a very engaging manner, comparing it to the growth of a human being. As infants, we struggle with tasks like taking our first steps or saying our first words; things that we do without thinking as adults. Like any new innovation, the web has gone through many stages, each presumably better and more effective than the last.

As many people know, the web began simply as a way to share information and it was strictly text based. It was not a mainstream tool. Only those who were in the know were able to use it.

The web became more attractive to the general public in 1993 when the use of tables was implemented in order to combine text and images on a page.

With the new ability to text with visual elements, graphic designers began to experiment with web design. Having grown up with the internet, I can't imagine being a graphic designer suddenly introdeced to digital design with the option of interactivity. As mentioned in the text, they did have difficulty with it. Designers were able to create nice presentations but the pages did not allow for a clear and easy interaction with the user.

The next stage of was a disaster that I remember well. New elements like Flash and many other plugins were introduced and web designers just went tech crazy, creating sites that were all bells and whistles with very little substance. It's like getting a new toy when you are a kid and you want to play with it all the time. We have realized now that it is important to understand the context of the page and what contributes to the experience and what simply detracts from the experience.

Today we are in what the author calls the usability era in which web designers are very conscious of who will be using their website. There are three main elements that must come together in order to make an effective, user-friendly website: presentation, organization, and interaction. The challenge for the web designer is to take these elements into consideration to create an experience for the user that is intuitive, informative, and evocative of the right kind of mood and emotions to fit the subject matter.