Well, it’s finally here \u2014 a brand new design of my website!<\/p>\n
It’s interesting to look back and think how much has changed since I designed the last version of my website in 2003. Facebook and Twitter didn’t exist, there were no iPhones or iPads, Google was pretty much just a search engine, and decent computer monitors took up at least 2’x2′ of desk space.<\/p>\n
And the web has changed a lot too. In 2003, I nearly put on my website “Designed for Internet Explorer 6.” Remember when sites did that?<\/p>\n
This time around, IE was the last browser I tested on. In fact, it was the only time I used a Windows machine during the design and development of the site since I’ve been Mac-only for a few years now. I don’t even own a PC \u2014 another change from 2003 when my personal and professional projects revolved solely around Windows, and I followed what Microsoft did with bated breath.<\/p>\n
Interestingly enough, from an engineering point of view the old site did hang on well considering it was made with the best layout technology of its time: tables and slices of many tiny images. Browsers have maintained pretty decent backwards compatibility in this regard, and the site rendered well on modern desktop browsers, tablets and phones.<\/p>\n
But from a design perspective it was pretty old looking. It was time not only for a new coat of paint, but a completely new design that would be simple, modern and elegant. By focusing on the content itself, I could remove a lot of chrome and reduce visual clutter. Typography plays a strong role on the site, and graphical effects and embellishments are minimized to keep the design simple.<\/p>\n
And by using modern web development techniques, the site can be much more easily changed in the future. If 10 years ago we didn’t have Facebook, Twitter, iPhones and iPads, I can’t even imagine what will be here in 2023.<\/p>\n
Let’s see if this design lasts that long!<\/p>\n
Still to come: better support for phones and other devices with small screens.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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