Making your site look Web 2.0

Web 2.0 has become an Internet genre of it's own. Not only is it based on a social networking paradigm and, dare I say, synonomous with free, it has also commanded a particular look and feel. Almost like the fashion industry, to be Web 2.0, you almost have to conform to particular design patterns. Much of it has to do with the use of colors, logos, navigation, use of gradients, cuteness, etc. So if you're interested in finding out whether your site qualifies, take a tour at WebDesignFromScratch. Ben Hunt does a terrific job covering what he thinks is Web 2.0. The best part is there are visual examples of what he describes.

A lot of what he teaches is just good old common sense but also shows how the web has evolved over time in sync with the our cultural and modern preferences. On that note, Microsoft's XBox came out in white (I guess because iPod started the trend that white gadgets where cool, note that the Wii is white too). They have now announced XBox Elite which is black. With their Windows Media Player standard skin in dark tones and Playstation 3 in black, perhaps we're moving from a light theme/fun to a more sexy dark tone, mystique era. Time will tell.