One of the most noticeable things about a lot of sites done in the after glow of the brand name web 2.0 is the virus of the tabs. If it’s navigation it seems nowadays if it’s not ‘tabbed’ it’s just not hip with the kids. However, just with any samey trend the reverse effect is reached of mind numbing clones. Somewhere along the hype and band wagon jumping tabs came to mean the same rounded gloss or not gloss (you get a choice in gloss at least) boredom.
The word ‘tabs’ can be applied to most navigations though and this assumed format is just something now most people think of when the word is used. Utter ‘tabbed navigation’ at a designer and invariably you’ll get the rounded variety. Tabs aren’t to blame though, taken literally tabbing in navigation means:
“In computing, tabbing navigation is the ability to navigate between focusable elements (such as hyperlinks and form controls) within a structured document or user interface (such as HTML) with the tab key of a computer keyboard.”
- Wikipedia
Odd that it literally meaning ‘tabbing’. As far as design goes for ages tabbed navigation meant just that as in navigation which could look like tabs but this didn’t automatically mean rounded corners and web 2.argh. It’s often the case that the true meaning is lost and a new one more powerful as it’s visual is replaced by a design fad.
I know I’m possibly rather sensitive to anything band wagon jumped by web 2.0 but really this tabbed assumption and sameness has to stop. Think of the tabs! Once a good technique that done right looked amazing is now being bleed dry by clones. You can trust a design fad to kill a good thing you really can. It’s got so bad someone even mentions tabs to me I instantly recoil in dread of having to do a clone myself. I had this the other day and the vision of yet more rounded tabs with a shine on them gave me a shudder or two. Once using this technique had some shining examples which are now soiled by the attack of the copy cats. It seems there is so much that web 2.0 killed. Of course there is still a great difference between a back alley tab job by a butcher designer or a fine crafted set of tabs from a CSS surgeon – sadly the most visible seem the first type.
I was writing an article on this subject myself, and I think we’re only about a year away from this fad returning to a practically used choice rather than a must-have fad. I just get frustrated that even if I WANTED to use tabs, I would be seen (by some) as an unoriginal hack, because they’re so “in” right now. I don’t think they should go away, I think of them like tables. Use them when they are appropriate, not because they are easy. If content is king, appropriateness is prince (or queen… or princess… whichever you like)
I hear you on the ‘Web2.0′ thing. Tabs have been murdered over the last year or so. On the bright side though, there is still plenty of opportunity to create original tabs (patterned/textured) if all the rest are round and shiny.
I think the rounded tab thing really took off back when Douglas Bowman wrote the sliding doors articles on alistapart. From that point on everyone could have a set of rounded tabs by simply lifting his images from that article. My point being I’m not sure that this is a web 2.0 thing…
@J Bradford: Jinx! I agree like with all fads (it’s in their nature) it will pass. I think I’ve reached the annoying ‘tipping point’.
@Andrew: Of course, anything can be done well and it will get noticed, it’s more the sorting good from noise of clones. That gets harder the more and more you see – it’s like some design desensitization.
@Mike: I agree the technique came at that point, it’s more the widespread use and adopting of a particular style in regards to the tabbing. I guess the web 2.0 thing I really mean is that particular style I think we all know only too well and have had requested too many times.