Fives years from the year 2008, it’s hard to tell what the web will be like. By web, I’m referring to the internet and all the interactivity it has to offer. By interactivity, I mean the endless links that allow us, as test dummies, to browse content. To think that 10 years ago the internet would blossom into what it has become, one would have been labeled crazy, or at best good at fantasizing. Today, we have the ability to view nearly any video you can think of, download any song ever created, and find information that no one/everyone cares about. It’s no wonder that web 2.0 was conceived, because it would be elementary to say that what we can do on the internet in 2008 is even remotely comparative to what could be done two years before the new millennium.
New and improved search engine sites make it almost effortless to find any information that one may need. Google has become such a powerhouse that a verb was created in its shadow. Hosting sites, too, have become an efficient means of webology. [Yes, I do believe I just created that word] Image hosting sites such as photobucket, tinypic, and imageshack all allow users to easily upload their photographs and share them with anyone on the net. [I googled webology, and it turns out I did not create the word] Sites such as rapidshare and megaupload allow its users to easily share video and audio files. All of these examples, although the interface isn’t too expansive, are vital to the new era of internet that surrounds us.
Some sites rely heavily on layout. Imagine that you’re a graphic design student interested in web design. It would be extremely important for you to be able to create a webpage that is representative of your passion and of you. With the internet becoming such a powerful tool, it is necessary as designers to be able to adapt to the changes that may arise. Right now, nearly everything that isn’t internet based still has a connection to the internet through its website. The businesses recognize the importance of the internet and the excellent marketing opportunities that it possesses. For example, all television companies have websites that advertise the shows that they have. If someone were to hear about a new show and want to find out more, it’s only a few clicks away. Within the last couple years, television companies are even allowing viewers to watch their shows via the internet. This makes it extremely convenient for viewers who may have missed the airing of the show on television. Soon, I’m willing to bet that most all television programming will be moved to the internet. When this occurs, there will be no more need for television or cable companies. Even sports games and award shows can be sent to monitors via live stream. It is crucial that websites are up to date in their design and interactive appeal. There is also a high competition on having a sleek design that is continuously exemplified through the creation and renovation of websites.
This expansion of the web’s capabilities introduced us to web 2.0. Simply put, 2.0 is the second generation, if you will, of the internet. While originally, it consisted of simple sites aimed at getting information across, more so than attracting viewers, 2.0 embodies all of the types of sites and ideas previously mentioned in this article. With my prediction of television being streamed live from computer monitors, comes the idea that soon web design will evolve into something so interactive that perhaps a monitor would not even be needed. Maybe the future of the computers we grew up learning, exploring, and altering will shed away from its shell and become something beyond a keyboard and mouse. An idea that comes to mind is one in which websites are three dimensional and are presented using projectors. Imagine a type of interface that allows typefaces, images, and themes to move seamlessly upon our desks. Although I doubt this structure would be labeled web 3.0 [I’d say more like 5.0], I do know that it will be ground breaking in the way that designers work. It will open up an entire new genre of design that combines web coding and three dimensional design. It seems almost ridiculous to think about a computer that would offer such capabilities. But what is even more astounding is the fact that when that happens, it will only be a matter of time before something even more innovative is born.
