The recent buzz about the mystical "Web 2.0" (whether you agree it exists or not) and other web dazzle effects such as AJAX; really makes me question whether web design is loosing the essence. With anything you really can’t put on the flashy things whilst ignoring the simple basics. The way I see it with regards to the web, these include web standards and usability (which sort of follows suit). Whilst I am happy that boundaries are being pushed, I am concerned that a lot of people are focusing on the glittery leotards rather than on the building blocks.
I have been looking at a lot of the different things you can do with say AJAX, and whilst I see value in the point; I really think a great deal of it goes against the standards and usability basics. I know there will be people who disagree with me on this, it is only my opinion after all. My opinion stems from a conclusion during a recent project I am working on. As part of this I found myself chucking AJAX and other so labelled "Web 2.0" technologies at it. Whilst I was doing this I took a step back and realised that most if not all of what I was doing could either be done through clever application of CSS or was not needed at all.
It comes down to personal choice but if given it myself, I will always go for a way to do something without sacrificing accessibility or standards. I openly admit that the vast majority of projects I do really fall shy of the standards in some ways. For me, it is about a goal and aiming whilst getting as close as I can. There are so many factors that it does become a bit of an ideal rather than a firm. So, why if I feel this way and admit that sometimes projects don’t achieve; am I harping on about these technologies in a negative light?
The thing for me really is that age old thing of understanding something before you move onto another bright shiny thing. With the pace of web design and development and the rapid influx of new stuff, you can find yourself constantly half understanding something but using it too look like you are up to date. I think that using things in this way is detrimental to any project. If you do not have a firm base then your website will do the old house built on sand demolition scene.
I guess what I am really saying is that despite their purpose it is a case of looking to your web toolbox and seeing if you have something in there already that does the job, before going and buying the super-duper-latest-greatest-shiny-object to do the job. You also have to take stock and think of the new fancy functionality and whether there is really any purpose to it bar getting put on a showcase and having your peers go oh and ah. It is a practical choice which should be paramount if you are infact in the web for business. I am not saying ignore what it looks like, more focus the functionality with the look. Becoming master of anything is not a matter of grabbing code from a website and plonking it onto your site. I often wander how many websites in showcases are understood by the designers or developers and how many actually prove their worth in the market place. It’s a jungle out there and wearing a shiny leotard just makes you more visable to the lions.
