I’m pretty sure we all know, that when done right, social networking can be incredibly useful for making new contacts in your field of work, finding creative people, or just meeting new friends. It’s a good idea, and a tool that we should probably all be using.

So what’s the problem?

Well, any problems that occur within a social network almost always come from (gasp!) the users themselves. Let’s face it, humanity is very efficient at taking a good idea and turning it into something ugly. Take, for example, the infamous MySpace:

Well, letting non-designers hack at the markup of their pages is a bad idea in my opinion, but the real problem comes from the people you find on the site. It’s so hard to get around all the twelve-year-old emo kids, spammers, stalkers, and Amway representatives these days that it takes the fun out of the whole thing. To say it plainly, social networks are getting less useful, even as they get more popular. I could go on, but I’m sure you’ve all experienced these things for yourselves.

Alright, alright… solution?

There may be a few:

Give the entire network a single focus:
Humblevoice has a good model going. If you make a social network centered around one thing (in this case creative arts) then it’s much easier to see and root out spammers and the like. Conversely, it’s much easier to find the creative talent you’re looking for.

Relentless, ruthless moderators:
It’s hard to find enough people to help you manage your site, especially if your site is as big as MySpace, or Tagged, but you have to do it. Some (if not most) of us will not push that little “report button”. We’ll just move on.

Friends only:
Not all social networks are about creativity. The most popular ones seem to be just about meeting people, and it can sometimes be a little harder to distinguish between the regular users, and the undesirable ones. Hi5 uses the “friends only” model, where only people you invite can actually see your profile, and many people tell me it works. I believe it can, if implemented right, and if the users (gulp!) don’t screw it up themselves.

Artificial intelligence is no match for artificial stupidity. - Author Unknown

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Got anything to say on the matter? Got any suggestions as to how we can improve the state of social networks?

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The List

• Adobe Creative Suite CS3 on Linux - Think of it now, the best of the design industry on a speedy and secure operating system. I know that already exists for Mac users, but for people that prefer Linux (or that just don’t have enough cash for a Mac), it would be nice to have these programs.What about the Open Source alternatives?The GIMP’s major flaw (in my own opinion) is that it was designed by programmers, not artists/designers. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen some great stuff made with the GIMP, but I personally think it lacks in the usability department. Not to mention it’s very, very bad type support. But all the same, props to the guys who put their time into it.

  As for Inkscape, Scribus, and other software alternatives to the CS3 suite, well, I can’t wait to see what they come up with, but it’s clear that Adobe has the cutting edge.

• text-align-vertical: center; - This is a CSS property that I’d really like to see. Who wouldn’t want an easy way to vertically center the content of a div, or just about any other block level element for that matter?

• font: url(path/to/font.ttf); - Recently, typography has become more and more important to me. As I learn more about it, the more frustrated I become at the lack of good typography support in modern browsers. SIFR is nice, alright, but we shouldn’t have to rely on Javascript and Flash for something that should be built into our browsers.

• height: fill-available; - And lastly, another inventive CSS property. This one would simplify so many layouts, remove the need to use background images as faux columns, and much more.

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Alright, I know my list was rather short, but I’ll bet you guys can think of plenty more. Help me add to the list.

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I have decided to write something up for you guys once a week. The goal is to improve my writing skills, and to contribute more to Fadtastic. Enjoy.

The Thought

On just about every design blog, you will find at least one post that attempts to define “Web 2.0″, and what it’s made of. All the “hip” sites claim to be “Web 2.0″, and companies now put out job bulletins requesting that designers have “Web 2.0″ skills. I personally think all the hype has gone too far.

The History

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe that for a site to be “Web 2.0″ used to mean that its creator had used good design sense combined with new technologies or new ways of implementing old technologies (ie. AJAX). When “Web 2.0″ first emerged it was touted as the future because it was based on solid, common sense ideas. This has changed drastically.

The problem with any good idea is that it can be taken completely out of context. “Web 2.0″ became a popular buzzword almost overnight and people thought “That’s where the money is.” The unfortunate result is that many people have completely forgotten the original concepts behind the buzzword, and you can see the disastrous effects (ie. MySpace) all around the net.

AJAX has become synonymous with drag ‘n’ drop functionality. Usability is about big fonts. “Web 2.0″ itself has been relegated to a system of gradients, shiny graphics (see Ultimate Web 2.0 Layer Styles), and blingblingpuddapuddasha. I see this as a major problem.

What Can We Do?

I’m afraid it’s up to us as designers to change things. “Web 2.0″ for the public is synonymous with a lot of hype. For us designers, it’s an abused buzzword. I think it’s time for us to break out of the mold again. Constant revolution is the only thing that keeps this world turning (pardon the pun), and some one’s got to push the big red button.

The best start would probably be to promote the values behind “Web 2.0″, and forget the buzzwords entirely. But what are these values? Let’s go over the list.

• Following Good Design Principles - KISS, non-confusing navigation, grid systems, basic color theory, and the list goes on
• Follow The Standards - Make things validate.
• Making Sites Accessible - Know your audience; if your site’s users use screen readers, text browsers, or the like, is your information there for them? (There is, of course, more to this, but you get the drift.)
• Push The Boundaries - While keeping the above points in mind, try out new web technologies, or implement old technologies in a brand new way.

Please feel free to add to the list.

Keeping with these values is a key part of good design. These are the ideas that need to stay with us, even when a new generation of web technologies arrive and someone shouts, “Web 3.0!”

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What do you think? Who else is tired of “Web 2.0″? What base values do you think make up Web 2.0? Should we just drop the Web 2.0 tag and promote these values in their own right?

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We’ve all been there

So you’re in a meeting with a client, and it’s all going well. He looks like the smart type, a real businessman. He tells you what features he wants the website to have, and his demands are reasonable. You give him a quote, and he’s satisfied with the price.

But then he pulls the switch. He leans forward, looks you in the eye, and says, “Our company wants to stand out from the crowd. Could you do the site in purple and yellow?

Yep, we’ve been there:

• I want to use the Laker’s colors. (This one happened to me, but not exactly as described above…)
  How about Comic Sans? In fact let’s use it everywhere…
  Are you going to make it in Frontpage? I want it made in Frontpage.
  My ten-year old son is a designer too, and he says…
  But it’s so easy in Powerpoint! This Flash stuff sucks.
  Can you do that cool text stuff like you can in Word?
  It needs more, I dunno, it just needs something.
  I’d like every navigation button to be a different [bright and flashy] color. And I want each page to match the color of the button that links to it. (This also happened to me…)
  But I don’t want whitespace.
  Etc.

So very, very sad.

Why are they like this?

I blame Microsoft. No, seriously, it’s not the Linux fanboy in me talking. Frontpage, Word, Powerpoint, and any number of other WYSIWYG programs have skewed our customer’s view of the design world. Good design is seen by many as something that “anyone can do”.

If they can do animation in Powerpoint, than it should work the same for the website, right? And it doesn’t end there. Many people believe that we designers are gods, and can do miracles, such as taking that fuzzy 300×250 picture of their chihuahua-crossed-with-a-pitbull-and-a-daschund, and creating a poster out of it. Or a website. If we don’t deliver according to their tastes, we are branded as a waste of their time and money.

(Of course, there are probably many other reasons as well, but that would take too long to write.)

Fortunately, not all clients are like this.

What’s the solution?

Well, here’s a few thoughts:

1. Client Education

This is a tough one, at least for me. Then again, I’m not a very smooth talker when I’ve just been presented with any of the ideas listed above. I’ve found that some people trust you just because “you’re the designer”, and will follow your suggestions. Some won’t.

2. Client Finds Solution

This did actually happen to me once. Again, thanks to the “you’re the designer” phenomenon, sometimes the client will automatically retract his suggestion, and present you with something workable.

3. Dump The Client

A last resort, because frankly, it means dumping money as well. It could also be hard if you’re in a binding contract. If you can dump them, do so as nicely as possible, without lying.

Something like, “I’m sorry, but the project just doesn’t match with my design style.” will usually work. Offer to suggest some other designers.

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So tell me your stories. Did you succeed in educating the client? Did you give them what they wanted? Did you dump them? How do you deal with troublesome clients?

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“If you don’t get famous, how do you make money?”

Now, there are different ways to become known to the clients, including job search sites, word of mouth, and more, but that isn’t the issue. Sure, it’s necessary to make money, but what if you’re one of those people who only designs as a hobby? Why do we do it?

We could take the easy way out and say, “Because it’s fun.” That’s true. Design is great fun, but there has to be more than that. Something that inspires and motivates the good designers out there?

Accomplishment

Frankly, I design because every time I complete a project I get that warm, tingly feeling of accomplishment. I get satisfaction out of knowing that I have created something that will serve a purpose. I don’t care, really if the the world knows I did it or not, I just like to see my work being used.

It’s not about making money. In fact, I don’t even do commercial design nowadays. And it’s not about fame. Sure, it’s nice to be recognized, but I’d do it anonymously as long as my work was used for something.

So come on, tell me what inspires and motivates you to design, would you?

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