A New Book

I just recently purchased this book because of its high recommendation on online design blogs. On first impressions it didn't disappoint, it is such a beautifully crafted book from the colours to the type and choice of paper stock.

The book is written by Mark Boulton who originally trained as a graphic designer but has now applied his trade to web design. He offers an interesting perspective to the world of web design coming from an aesthetic background rather than a technical one. I feel that a graphical background makes people far better web designers. Don't get me wrong, you cannot make a beautiful website without technical knowledge of fundamental coding and user interaction but there are far too many cowboy web-builders out there making hideous sites. If all the wannabe web designers just understood a little about colour combinations and layouts the internet would we a much more beautiful place.

I feel that the main reason for this lack of visual quality is the lack of standards. Obviously there are certain existing standards for online safety, accessibility etc. but there is no quality control. Anyone can pick up some basic software, a bit of knowledge and squeeze out a turd of a website. It won't be of a professional standard but the internet is a leveler and allows absolute amateurs to publish their work on the same platform as seasoned pros. Although this is great for the amateurs the creation of crappy websites is significantly reducing the browsing experience of others.

I do realise that the beauty of the internet can be found in its ability to be an unregulated entity where everyone can escape reality and rationality but just take a second to consider what the internet would be like if it was aesthetically regulated. You could browse safe in the knowledge that with the click of that next hyperlink your retinas wouldn't be burned out of your skull. If you fancy a look at some hideous sites why not check out this:

20 of the worst websites ever designed