We think of the W3C as the absolute pinnacle of innovation and implementation on the Internet. We go to them to validate our XHTML and CSS and to learn about new specifications, and yet, the further we advance because of them, the more the W3C seems to slip into the ever-present dilemma that is usable...but not beautiful design. The W3C is not alone. Avalonstar's live redesign (which I'm hoping is unfinished) has the potential to be beautiful. That, and Bryan Veloso does not create ugly sites. It's anathema to even think it. So what went wrong? Why have we been subjected to seeing something so raw when the finished product is seldom anything but sleek and self-assured? Both of these examples lead me to believe that I have actually been blinded by the glory of next-generation designs, and that the scores of sites I've seen over the past few years misguided me as to where true beauty should lie. Beauty isn't about Web 2.0 or valid code. Beauty is about what makes the site work, not what it appears to represent. Hopefully, the following analysis should make this difference clear.

The conservative consortium

Listen closely: if you're a well-respected and prestigious organization, excessive use of bright colors is not for you. Keep listening: neither are completely dull neutral colors. Beautiful as they might be, the use of too many bright colors lends the impression that your identity is bubbly and spirited in an alarming (and easily misinterpreted) "Look-At-Me-I'm-Sandra-Dee" fashion. However, making your site completely devoid of bright colors isn't the answer either. Bright colors capture attention where neutral colors can only balance them. Be sure to balance color and calmness. Designs need contrast to stay interesting and it's very hard to make a palette work when it delves into either (or both sides) without purchase. Let's put it this way: the W3C's site is by no means pretty. It's hard to read, it's absolutely boring. There have been numerous attempts to add some class to the website, but it's still sorely lacking. We can't rebrand the W3C. It's been around long enough that people have become accustomed to it with all its faults. However, the constant spirit of innovation has not been forgotten. The CSS validator has a brand new face, although it's significantly worse than it was. In fact, I liked the way it was (see the HTML validator for a comparison). So if even simple redesigns aren't working, what options does the Consortium (don't you love saying that? Consortium. Con-sort-ee-um!) have?

What I think would be beautiful:

• The structure of the site looks too similar to using tables. Cleaner columns without that terrible cat-vomit color in the background would be impressive.
• Prominent links to the HTML and CSS validators
• More padding! The "introduction" test flows almost entirely across my window.
• The navigation feels so lackluster. It just does. To remedy this, a cleaner and more consistent
• The news could be implemented so much better than it is currently. The date is hidden in the text, there are no permalinks (which you'd think would be important on a site like this), the typography is hideous...blegh

Things that cannot happen:

• No Web 2.0. The W3C is the human face of the Internet. If it takes on Corporal Gloss-And-Gradients, it will lose both appeal and professionalism. But who said that neatness hinged upon looking "Web 2.0"?
• By accessibility standards, the site is fairly well done. It has to be. If the W3C defied standards, it wouldn't look particularly good, would it?

Melting point

Where's my padding, Bryan? Why is there so much extra space? Why is it so dark? So many questions and a disparate amount of answers. When Bryan first announced that he was going to perform a "swift design kick in the ass", I was thrilled. I remember the eggrolls, the soft cream, the beautiful blue, and then the Aries project with blips of Azumanga Daioh (a hilarious anime series) and lovely Silk icons. I remember the closeups of the Avalonstar coat-of-arms, and I must have thought then that phoenixes were the absolute coolest things ever. I still do.

So where did it all go?

The most probably reason for the site being the way it is is that it's likely unfinished. But the last post on that topic was from December 13th. It's been more than a month and nothing has really changed. If I'm being impatient, let me know. I just hold Bryan Veloso in high regard and I feel he can do a better job than this. I love the implementation of the sword, but you can barely see it. I can't turn my monitor's brightness up all the way just for one site. Additionally, the navigation simply looks like it's there. The search bar is tiny and unaethestically crammed into the right part of the bar. That's it. Here're your links, have a good day!

Then, there's the issue of the giant gap between the "header" and the information about the redesign. More appropriate, however, would be information about the design being unfinished (which again, is likely true, since several pages are empty/broken), so I wouldn't have to write posts like this. Judging from the whiteboard sketch that Bryan displayed in his December 13th post, the site is well on its way to becoming something very well executed. In short, Avalonstar is almost worthy of Bryan Veloso's street cred. I truly have faith in this design and I feel it might end up better than the Aries Project. It just needs a little time...and a little color wouldn't hurt!

For those of you who are interested, this is my second post written using DarkRoom — the Windows equivalent of WriteRoom (Mac). To anyone who is distracted by writing within Word or a blog's text editor, I definitely advocate this software.

However, I'm not sure I like the person who made it. I'll have to write about this later. Maybe I can borrow a page from Ronalfy and start up a Pet Peeves Week!

Read 6 comments (Leave a comment?)

Rohit said:

Bryan Veloso is one of my favourite designers too. I just think he is waiting for a sudden burst of inspiration to complete the header. I think he is going to add somekind of random art to it. The previous avalonstar was so beautifull and made my blog feel soo BORING. :P I hope he repeats that effect…

Anyway, I am not sure if this is a error or not but - “…Be sure to Designs need contrast to stay…” Something feels wrong there :(.

Posted on January 19, 2007 1:13 AM; Permalink

Thought Hacker said:

Pooor old Bryan seems to be completely stuck with his site currently. Which is a complete shame because it’s pretty crap but has LOADS of potential.

Posted on January 19, 2007 2:28 PM; Permalink

Kilian Valkhof said:

It’s true, we’ve grown horribly accustomed with the w3 design. (I like to keep cons-ort-ee-uhm out of it, to avoid the possible confusion of fellow Dutchmen).

The front page I can’t really be bothered about, but the recommendations pages could sure use an update. I particulary like (parts of) Simon Pieters’s way of showing them

I actually like the new css validator layout. it’s very clean and concise.

About Avalonstar, I’m not going to judge untill Bryan slaps a big “Guys, it’s finished!” on it. :)

Posted on January 19, 2007 5:00 PM; Permalink

Ranjani said:

Rohit: I think that’s what it is too. I’ve gone through phases like that before, but it seems so unlike Bryan. Thanks! I fixed the error! I was jumping back and forth between sentences in an effort to complete the post, and I must have forgotten to finish that.

Nick: He can do beautiful things! I want to see that happen, but yeah, as I’m saying to Rohit, it’s so unlike Bryan to just… be stuck. Do you know what I mean?

Kilian: I visit the front page out of curiosity. I found an age old article stating that they’d redesigned…and I found that, because it was so old, I was staring at the “redesign” anyway. Lucky me, right?

Yeah, I’m trying not to be too harsh on Bryan, but considering how fast the other live redesigns have gone, you’d think his would be the fastest among all of them. If he ever tries a redesign again, he might not do it live. The support is nice, but the stress and pressure of delivering it is rough. I still can’t wait to see it.

Posted on January 19, 2007 8:28 PM; Permalink

Rohit said:

Some more news on Bryan! He says he won’t complete the redesign till he makes a ‘switch’, possiblly to a new blogging engine away from wordpress.

Someday I hope even I am discussed about by other people! :P

Posted on January 20, 2007 10:10 AM; Permalink

Ranjani said:

Rohit: He recently switched back to Aries as well until he’s ready to start again. Good luck, Bryan! I want to see something beautiful again :D

I’m sure you’ll be written about! But remember, press dwells on infamy as well as fame :P

Posted on January 27, 2007 5:49 PM; Permalink