Web 2.0 is a term that is now over 10 years old, having first been coined in 1999 but becoming popular after a conference in 2004 called “Web 2.0”. In some ways the term is already so dated that it’s often used mockingly to describe websites that look like stylistic clones of other contemporary sites.
Interestingly, the term is used a lot between designers to refer to popular stylistic approaches to web design but “Web 2.0” is about function more than design.
A “Web 2.0” website is no longer a collection of static HTML pages as was popular in the early internet. Now a website is more like an application, with search, database-indexed content, social sharing & integration, dynamic interactive features and network protocols that connect or stream content from other parts of the internet.
Although “Web 2.0” really does refer to the maturation of website technology for these features, designers will still use the term to describe that mid-2000 to 2010 kind of design ethos. The technology itself is far more important though, and design styles will come and go. It’s 2012 now, so take everything we learned from Web 2.0 and thinking about what’s coming next.
| Web 2.0 Features | Web 2.0 Design | |
| Database Storage Searchable Content RSS Feed(s) XML data transport Embedded Remote Content AJAX Content Loading Social Sharing & Authentication User-customized Content or Layout |
Transparency Rounded Corners “Letterpress” Font Style Subtle Drop Shadows Subtle Textured Backgrounds Use of Negative Space Large Fonts & Headlines Increased Line Height |
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i used to like an earlier version of this video, tho i can’t find it now, only this ‘final version’, to explain Web 2.0 several years ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gmP4nk0EOE
then there’s this ‘It’s all happened, the future has arrived and we love it, but what comes next?’:
http://m.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/12/04/the-jig-is-up-time-to-get-past-facebook-and-invent-a-new-future/256046/
to be fair, that Atlantic article is coming from the perspective of ‘Where is the next bleeding edge?’, whereas there’s a sea of SMEs who have yet to discover Web2.0, and they’re the people who pay people like you (and to a much lesser extent, I) to lead them into Web2.0’s mainstream phase.
but i’d be interested to hear your thoughts – if you have any “predictions” you’re willing to commit to the bitosphere 😉 – on what is next for not just web *technologies*, but the interface between society & tech in general.
p.s. can we puhlease have a comment text input box taller than 3 lines? :p