April 21, 2004 | View Comments (29) | Category: Design
Summary: It is beginning to seem like everyone is using the "blog" two column layout for any kind of site they make.
This could be one of those post where I am wrong (sort of like the other 99% of the posts here), but I have noticed a disturbing trend that has been occurring. Even more so since I am the gatekeeper of the Vault. Two column sites have been around for a long time. However, it seems that more and more sites are starting to look like blogs and follow the blog format. I don't mean actual blogs, but software sites and ecommerce sites that would probably fit better in a different layout.
Many times I can understand how product pages would work well with the conventional blog format, but homepages? Don't you think the homepage could use a little more creative design then just a two column layout assuming the content dictates it?
I am starting to get worried that designers are cramming the content into a layout instead of letting the content dictate the layout. Again though, since I see these kinds of sites constantly through Vault submissions my vision is a little jaded.
One knock against last month's Version 2 winner, Jeremy Johnson, was that his site was too "blog" like. You know we are in trouble when we start associating two column layouts as coming from a certain genre of the web (blogs).
If the site is nice and it works for the content there is obviously no problems, but it just seems that many people are settling for two column layouts without even thinking of alternatives. Its like the grid has moved from 16x16 (or whatever you like) to 2x1 (assuming equal column lengths of course).
The 2 column layout I have here is effectively useless because the only purpose it serves is to send you to the dedicated servers page where you are encouraged to “read” the info in the boxes. So in the end it will probably disappear.
A recent example are the pages for the Apple Pro Digital Production Suite. All I can think of is how similar it looks to other blogs and I have to remind myself that it is not a blog, but an actual product page. Oh well, that's what happens when you look at this stuff everyday I suppose.
Fortunately, all the entries so far for April Version 2 do not use two column layouts with the exception of one, and this person's use of it looks nothing like a blog.
Again though, I am sure all of this is wrong and I am just being silly. Continue with your work.
Trackback URL: http://9rules.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/214
Yeah I know they have used it on pretty much all their product pages. I was just amazed to catch myself initally thinking that it was a blog simply based on its layout.
Scrivs (http://www.9rules.com/whitespace/)
I think it's a bit of a misnomer to equate a 2 column layout with a blog. Since the first use of tables to format text, or the first use of frames, two column layouts have been one of the most popular options. It lets you have your navigation in an easy to access place, while the content is apart from it, and you can have as much of it as you want, without being limited by the width of the page as you would with a navbar across the top of the page.
Now, two column sites with boxes around everything, yeah, those look like blogs. And 3 column sites with boxes around everything look like news sites/portals (eg, PHP Nuke)
Of course, the esteemed Jakob would likely love to see *all* sites designed in a blog-like format, and the closer to identical, the better. (something he expounded on in an early alertbox).
It really comes down to logical display of information. when you strip away the details and only consider the very basic layout, there are only a few possible basic designs, and for most situations, a wide column with the body and a narrow one with navigation and searchbox and whatever else doesn't fit in the body is simply the most useful form to choose. And the fact that it's so widely used only makes it better, because people won't have to do any excess thinking to determine how it works.
But I agree, usually the homepage of a site should have a little more impact than a standard text-heavy bloggish layout provides.
JC (http://thelionsweb.com/weblog)
I think it goes back to the fact that people are used to vertical scrolling, and due to the line length of the lowest common denominator screen, the two column layout is often chosen.
Michael Nutt (http://nuttnet.net)
Also, the two column layout is often used as a means to control the look of content. If you ever read about the print layout rules governed by the old grid system methodologies, you will notice that is and has been common practices to condense the width of your text to insure a comfortable reading format.
As the rules generally state, a column width of 7-9 words has been deemed the best width for comfortable reading. Personally I love the use of columns to separate data it provides more information to be seen right off the bat when you enter the page, instead of the what is in the second column to be thrown down at the bottom of the site.
I know, I know, it is wrong to follow rules for the way design is carried out, but the grid system is more about the comfort and accessibility of information rather than the design per-say.
But then again you do need an impact point somewhere on the site to show that is actually a consumer site and not a joe citizen blog page.
mezza (http://www.mezza.ca)
wow, there are a lot of grammar mistakes in my last post... don't mind me I am in my pre-sleep/post-work state. You get the gest of it though...right?
mezza (http://www.mezza.ca)
I understand where you're coming from, Scrivs, though I would also have to say that two columns doesn't really equal blog in my mind.
It just seems that web design in general is settling from what we have now. I've not seen very many trend-breaking designs. Of course, I'm not saying that web design is in a bad state; the work being produced is in fact increasingly more usable, with more and more thought being put into the people accessing the site rather than what the executives want flashing around (many thanks to Keith for reminding us: the web is about people).
However, from the creative part of design, it seems everyone has been going with light colors, navigation bars with miniature tabs, drop shadows, etc. None of these are bad. They just show us that we're starting to all think the same when we go to design a website.
This has been said before, though I'd like to point out that I have seen some very unique ideas come out as of late, so nobody can say we're doomed. :)
Chris Vincent (http://dris.dyndns.org:8080/)
I'm afraid you're not wrong. The Apple site isn't in that category I think, but I can definately see your point.
If I was to take a guess on how this had come to happen, I would suggest that since a lot of the redesigns at the moment are happening in the CSS-concerned blog world, it really reflects the underlying technology rather than thoughts on design. Jason Fried touched on the subject somewhere by stating that while the whole XHTML/CSS craze wasn't exactly a bad thing, it tended to move the focus from designing to coding - which as I see it is a big part of the fact that a lot of blogs - and other sites - share the same look and feel.
People want to do the right (CSS) thing but think inside the box; using documented ways of achieving visual effects (thsi is where the dropshadow, color scheme, mouseovers etc. come in).
And when looking through the vault, the majority are blogs... And as they share a basic format, well...you get my point...
More CSS'ified commercial (or other) sites, less focus on CSS hacks of the day...
pollas (http://pollas.dk)
Maybe the popularity of blogs is being reflected more - after all what better way of making someone feel 'at home' on your site than making it familiar?
Gordon (http://www.snowgoon.co.uk)
Just for kicks, I went over to The Weekly Standards Project. They highlight one 'non-blog' standards complient site each week. Just viewing their screenshots for the last 6 entries only one does not have the 'blog' look. True, a couple containes recent news, which is a blog of sorts and I didn't view the actual site (my web access has slowed to a crawl this morning) to see if the blog-like layout was used throughout the site, but I see your point. I don't, however, know if it is a big deal. I would say it only makes the few that don't follow the 'blog model' to stand out (and maybe above) the rest.
waylman (http://achinghead.com)
Not to throw my own site around in the conversation, but changing the layout to something that is totally different than what a lot of people are currently doing was a major reason I redesigned my blog. I wanted to be recognized, to be remembered, and for that to happen I realized I needed to step outside the current world of blog design for a little bit.
Only time will tell me if it worked.
Mike (http://phark.typepad.com)
waylman, you are right in that the non-blog sites will be the ones that standout, assuming they look decent. Don't want to stand out for all the wrong reasons now.
Mike, one column design is hardly stepping "outside" of the blog design world :-P Just looks like all the other one column blogs now (Mike is a friend of mine everyone).
Uhoh, blogs are taking over the one column format as well. Damn.
Scrivs (http://www.9rules.com/whitespace/)
It was either one-column, or 7-columns, so after extensive user testing, one-column proved to be the best idea ;)
And even if we weren't friends, I'm sure you'd still bust my balls just as much lol.
Mike (http://phark.typepad.com)
Ooooooooo, 7-columns would be sweet. Tufte would be pleased for sure.
Scrivs (http://www.9rules.com/whitespace/)
I hate to say it but the 2 column format is boring.
It's fine to say people expect ease of use and others expect a standard of some kind, but visually ...*yaaaaawwnn*
It's like grabbing a template in quark or microsoft word and making the Arial font Comic sans. Same shit different smell.
The repetitiveness of this templete also looks like a % of the web has graduated from some nasty 2 month intensive design course.
Isn't it still possible to build a site using w3c standards and simple navigation without it looking like another toy off the production line?
RickyJ (http://www.9rules.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-comments.cgi)
Odeon cinemas UK are actively shutting down the webpages of
disabled people in the UK. Any pages that mention or link
to the Odeon website are being targetted.
One disabled boy (Matthew Somerville) developed a special film
website for the disabled. It linked to Odeon UK as a courtesy
but they demanded it be shut down and taken from the web due
to illegal copyrights.
BASTARDS! And they are only targetting the disabled, not
normal people who can fight for themselves. That is why
we are sending this message...
It's time to start an internet campaign, we must correct this
injustice! We demand the following...
b) Luke Veteres resignation
b) Odeon to publically apologise to the disabled boy
Mattew Somerville for their insulting behaviour.
c) Odeon to immediately fix their website so it works
with all browsers such as Mozilla (and all Gecko based),
Netscape 3/4, Safari, Lynx, HotJava, WebTV, Wap and Mosaic.
What should you do?
a) Mail Luke Vetere at [email protected] and tell him he's a
fucking bastard. A template letter might be
Dear Luke Vetere,
You are a fucking bastard. You have no right to shut down
the homepage of the disabled boy Matthew Somerville. I
demand you re upload his site immediately. Until you do
I will not visit Odeon cinemas UK
b) Send this mail to everybody you know (several times so they
get the message) and ask them to do the same
Together we can beat the bastards!
anti odeon campaign
Odeon's actions are shocking, I'm surprised that they actually have the legal power to get a disabled boys computer project unloaded from the worldwide internet system. I read elsewhere that he was made to put all his work in the recycle bin as well. Did it have a virus on it or something?
Anyway, to pick on the disabled simply isn't on.
Judy Hipkiss
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#1
In regards to the Apple Pro Digital Production Suite page, it follows basically the same format as all the other Apple product pages. That format has been around for quite a while: 1999 via the The Wayback Machine.
Daniel