The Dawn of Simplicity: Text-Based Websites
In the early ’90s, websites were primarily text-based, with hyperlinks serving as the primary means of navigation. The first webpage ever created, Tim Berners-Lee’s “Info.CERN.CH,” is a testament to this minimalist approach (Berners-Lee, 1991).
The Rise of Graphics: GIFs and Tables
As technology advanced, so did web design. The introduction of graphics, primarily in the form of GIFs and tables, revolutionized the web. Notable examples include Angelfire’s customizable homepages and GeoCities’ community-driven sites (Yahoo!, 1994; GeoCities, 1995).
The Age of Frames: Navigation Redefined
Frames, a technique that allowed multiple web pages to be displayed simultaneously within a single browser window, were the next big thing. However, their overuse led to cluttered and confusing designs (Netscape Navigator, 1996).
The Dawn of Usability: The Birth of CSS
The late ’90s saw the advent of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), which separated content from presentation. This revolutionized web design by making sites more user-friendly and accessible (W3C, 1996).
The Emergence of E-commerce: The Amazon Effect
Amazon’s launch in 1995 marked the birth of e-commerce. Its simple, intuitive design paved the way for future online shopping experiences (Amazon, 1995).
FAQs:
1. What were the early web pages like?
Early web pages were primarily text-based with hyperlinks for navigation.
2. When did graphics start being used in web design?
Graphics, primarily GIFs and tables, started being used in web design in the mid-’90s.
3. What was the impact of frames on web design?
Frames allowed multiple web pages to be displayed simultaneously within a single browser window but were often overused, leading to cluttered and confusing designs.
4. When was CSS introduced?
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) was introduced in 1996 by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
5. How did Amazon influence web design?
Amazon’s simple, intuitive design paved the way for future online shopping experiences and influenced the evolution of e-commerce web design.
