Web Design standards: too many newbie
I was wondering on facebook until an adv get my attention. I clicked.
minispace.com - mini space design competition #4 “always open”.
A design contest by Mini Cooper.
I read the briefing and realized that they want you to create a background for the minispace website.
The main topic is “CREATIVE USE OF SPACE” and according to it the brief says: <<think creatively, but also logically [...]. Keep in mind that the left side of each uploaded background will always be covered up by MINI Space content. Think about how your design can work with the format of the site and fit with the content that is already there. We want your designs to be seen clearly by all our users>>.
After that, looking the backgrounds already submitted from other users, I break out: “Are they able to understand what covered up by mini content means?”.
In addition I pick up on the background: (repeat-x:none, background-color:#000). I guess 80% of them didn’t know what a wide-screen monitor is.
Ok, let’s have some fun! I signed up.
I opened up Photoshop, Firefox and IE7. Left click on Firebug and a quick look at the source code and here we go.
Too many restrictions to be creative in a “always open” way. That’s not minispace.com web-designers’ fault. Of course they made a great job. BUT… to be creative in that kind of space, you must understand the layout and the way your background will be visible to other users.
Here it comes my joke about it. (Roll-over)
(click here to see the full size wallpaper)
IN SUMMARY: Most designs of that contest are cool. ON PAPER. Let webdesigner design the web. Or if you are a “PAPER-DESIGNER” learn mark-up basis and usability basics! I’m sick of unnavigable websites.
