Abstract
Since the appearance of the world wide web during the early 1990s, the interface of the internet has undergone a radical metamorphosis. From being a primitive, text–based medium, it has become an advanced and complex hyper-media representing multiple forms of design. Initially, the web was mainly a playground for private experiments. However, as increasingly culturally sensitive companies and organisations entered the scene, it became more professionalized and a certain degree of standardisation took place. The development of webdesign converged into particular groups and genres based on similarity of content and style and structured according to cultural taxonomies created by professionals producing and mediating particular forms of identity, brands and tastes. With this, an increased interest for differentiating aspects of style became an integral part of the internet, and a basis for the appearance of new identities and subcultures. The paper represents an interdisciplinary approach to webdesign. The authors apply design-historical and ethnographical perspectives on webdesign and on the function and use of webpages. Based on examples from two genres; banking and designer portfolio sites, the authors focus on the cultural and esthetical conceptual representational systems which are expressed through genres and styles on the net. The authors argue that during the short history of the web the internet has become one of many significant, contemporary cultural sites for the negotiation and expression of different design norms and forms of social distinction. Discussing the cultural and esthetical signals of the selected examples of genres and styles, the authors introduce a critical conceptual framework for the analysis of webdesign and the expression of identity and taste through webdesign.
Citation
Engholm, I., and Salamon, K. (2004) Websites and Values - Genres and Styles as Socio-Cultural Indicators., in Redmond, J., Durling, D. and de Bono, A (eds.), Futureground - DRS International Conference 2004, 17-21 November, Melbourne, Australia. https://dl.designresearchsociety.org/drs-conference-papers/drs2004/researchpapers/194
Websites and Values - Genres and Styles as Socio-Cultural Indicators.
Since the appearance of the world wide web during the early 1990s, the interface of the internet has undergone a radical metamorphosis. From being a primitive, text–based medium, it has become an advanced and complex hyper-media representing multiple forms of design. Initially, the web was mainly a playground for private experiments. However, as increasingly culturally sensitive companies and organisations entered the scene, it became more professionalized and a certain degree of standardisation took place. The development of webdesign converged into particular groups and genres based on similarity of content and style and structured according to cultural taxonomies created by professionals producing and mediating particular forms of identity, brands and tastes. With this, an increased interest for differentiating aspects of style became an integral part of the internet, and a basis for the appearance of new identities and subcultures. The paper represents an interdisciplinary approach to webdesign. The authors apply design-historical and ethnographical perspectives on webdesign and on the function and use of webpages. Based on examples from two genres; banking and designer portfolio sites, the authors focus on the cultural and esthetical conceptual representational systems which are expressed through genres and styles on the net. The authors argue that during the short history of the web the internet has become one of many significant, contemporary cultural sites for the negotiation and expression of different design norms and forms of social distinction. Discussing the cultural and esthetical signals of the selected examples of genres and styles, the authors introduce a critical conceptual framework for the analysis of webdesign and the expression of identity and taste through webdesign.