Top 5 Websites that Should Never be Redesigned
In case you haven’t noticed, Geekscape’s got a brand new website. I mean, just smell the wet paint on this baby! I think that the one thing we Scapists can all agree on (besides the fact that Han shot first) is this new website is a vast improvement over the old one. This got me thinking…when it comes to the internet, visual change is usually a good thing. Heck, Facebook practically redesigns itself every five minutes. But, what about the sites that shouldn’t change? The ones that are comforting in their simplicity and familiarity—much like a puppy or that ex-girlfriend who still comes over to bang once a month. The following list is of the top five websites that should never be redesigned.
Google Search
Google is a company that keeps on releasing new products as often as Lindsay Lohan does coke (i.e. a lot). I mean, have you ever tried Google Wave? Or, Google Buzz? Me neither. But, the fact is that Google is a continuously evolving company that is always trying to reinvent the way in which we interact with each other on the web. One thing, however, that has thankfully resisted change is the ole’ fashioned google search. With just a basic search bar and those two convenient buttons (regular search and the other one that nobody uses) Google is the perfect search engine that has visually more or less stayed the same since its inception. Don’t ever change, Google. I like you this way. Kudos, on the nifty Super Bowl commercial as well.
Wikipedia
Hated by college professors everywhere and loved by lazy students, Wikpedia is the internet’s encyclopedia. And, while I hope it continues to provide up-to-date knowledge about a cornucopia of various topics from nuclear physics to anime porn, I also pray it retains its simple, no-nonsense visual style. Basic and easy to use, I love you Wikipedia—historical inaccuracies and all.
TimeandDate.com
Like the name suggests, timeanddate.com gives just that—the time and date. It doesn’t have flashy pictures or sexy web 3.0 aesthetics, but gosh-darn-it, that’s why I like it so much! When I wake up on the floor of my apartment in a drunken stupor (as I often do), sometimes I just want to know what’s the day and what time zone I’m in. And, if I’m feeling frisky, I can also check the status of the lunar cycle and the month of the Chinese Zodiac. Time and date gives me so much! Too bad it just can’t give me back my dignity.
*In a related story, I just found out that TimeandDate gave itself a visual “makeover.” Damn, you marketing fat cats!
Apple Trailers
While Apple can redesign its products and change Justin Long’s hipster wardrobe all it wants, I certainly hope it doesn’t change its awesome movie trailer site. Simple layout, impeccable design, and thankfully not a single flash-player to be found, Apple trailers gives me exactly what I want in a format that I like. I mean, how else am I going to see the Shutter Island trailer in crisp HD?
*turns on TV and watches Ben Kingsley move his hands aprart*
Okay, bad example. But, you get what I’m saying.
Craigslist
Whether I’m trying to sell my couch, find a roommate or have a sleazy one-night stand with a long-haired, short-skirted, and full-lipped dude, Craigslist has got my back. And, it does all this with basic blue text on a white background. Say what you want about the powers of flashy graphics, Craigslist is always easy to use and navigate, despite being completely void of visual pizazz. And, that’s why I like it. As a motion designer by trade, over-design is equally offensive to me as just plain bad design. So, next time you surf craigslist in search of a seedy casual encounter, reflect on the its brilliantly designed simplicity. Just don’t blame me when you get an STD.
