Type the phrase "Web 2.0 design" into Google. What do you get? A bunch of tutorials on how to use Photoshop to create shiny, shiny buttons.

Does that mean that you can enter the land of Web 2.0 by taking your existing website and adding glossy buttons, rounded corners, gradient backgrounds, and graphics that look like they are reflecting on a wet surface?

Not exactly.

The term "Web 2.0" was coined for a conference in 2005 as a catch-all to describe post-2001 trends in web development.

It is easy for people to latch onto surface texture - like shiny buttons - but the reality is that many web design trends of the past few years are the result of underlying changes in how the web works and how it is used. Greater browser support for CSS design standards has expanded what kinds of designs can be implemented. The trend toward dynamic and interactive websites has pushed designs to be more flexible and to have clearly defined sections. And, as people increasingly use the web as a platform for social connections, business collaboration, and research, websites that are functional and easy to use become more important.

Shiny buttons aside, here are some design concepts that might be considered Web 2.0:

1. Simplicity

Minimalistic Google sets the tone for this concept, but many other sites have followed suit. Simplicity doesn’t mean bare-bones, although it can. It means that site elements are organized logically and obviously, so that it is easy for a casual visitor to instantly grasp what the site is about.

Modern websites have a lot more going on than websites of the past, and it’s crucial to corral all that visual activity in such a way that it doesn’t turn into a big mess.

2. Personality

For a while back in 1997, web designers seemed to have the idea that being cold and a little dull was the best way for a small company to communicate professionalism. (Don’t forget the stock photographs of serious-looking people in business attire!)

The best modern websites have a strong design personality and communicate a sense of fun. Bold icons, humor, splashes of bright color, cartoons, distinctive visual textures or illustrations — all of these have a place.

3. Attractive calls to action

A "call to action" is a marketing concept: essentially it means telling people in no uncertain terms what exactly it is that you want them to do. In marketing, of course, the thing that you want people to do is something that directly gets you money. "Buy now!" or "Call us today!"

Calls to action on the web include not only standard marketing, but also how to use elements that are free to the user — "Watch kittens frolic" or "Download our free software" are both calls to action.

The best calls to action feature both a visual iconic element, and a text element. These two aspects work together for instant recognition.

And yes, calls to action can include shiny buttons.

I continue to encounter this same issue over and over with clients. When times are good for a company they do not feel the need to market their business, the wave can never end. So when I approach them about search engine optimization or online marketing they look at me like I am crazy and typically elect not to market their site/business online. Then when times are tough companies come out of the wood work to have us do online marketing for them. This is fine for us, as we are then like Pizza, something people use more when the economy is down, but why is it that way?

Internet marketing, search engine marketing, and online marketing; no matter what you call it takes time. It also costs money, so when times are good, you would think companies would put more money into marketing so that you can avoid the downturns all together? Is there really such a thing as too much business?

I recently started working with a family member on their website Black Rock Charters, a website devoted to charter fishing in Alaska. Three years ago when we first put up the website I asked if they wanted to do search engine marketing, they elected to put minimal effort/funds into marketing (which is more than most busy companies), they had more business then they could manage. In fact times were so good they added two additional boats to their fleet. For two years the boats were all full 80-90% for the entire season, then came 2008 and the boats were only full 70% of the time, now looking forward to 2009 the boats are below average bookings for this time of year.

So now, the owner/family comes to me and is ready to work towards online marketing, which is wonderful but a little late. If I had started 3 years ago, organic online marketing would have had more then enough time to get grounded and the rankings would be here. Now we have to work twice as hard in a shorter period of time in order to get similar results.

What I hope is that others take this into consideration when budgeting for marketing. Business always runs in a cycle, up one day, week, year and down the next. Marketing allows you to make the highs higher, and the lows easier to endure. If you plan for the future, by establishing a budget for online marketing today you will be one step closer to business success.

One of the challenges of graphic design is that it can be very difficult to express visual concepts precisely in words. It’s hard enough for designers to talk to each other, when they already have a shared background of terminology and concepts – for designers and non-designers, trying to communicate can be incredibly frustrating.

Number one tip:  Use a standard color reference (more…)

Creating a contact us page is essential when building an online presence through a website or a blog. It tends to be the page on your website with the least content, but is one of the most highly visited by your clients. Internet users have become accustomed to looking for a contact us page when searching for contact details like a phone number or address. Many website owners don’t give a second thought to the contact us page after it’s built. We ask you to give your contact us page a second glance with these best practices in mind. 

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