When was the pinnacle of web design?

[FuckedUp]

I'd say 2005-08: sites were aesthetically fine while not sacrificing any features, nor sacrificing convenience for extra gay JS styling

 

[BingBong]

The Gradient/Comic Sans Era

 

[Thumb Butler]

I agree. More and more sites look like shit on a computer now. It's all made for tablets and phones.

 

[BlueSpark]

Whatever was the last year before web designers decided that control bar overlays that scroll with the page content were a good idea.

 

[MrTroll]

1998.

 

[Red Hood]

The golden age of MySpace, with the eye bleeding, blinking font and the auto-play of your friend's screamo band.

 

[crocodilian]

Neopets.

 

[He Who Points And Laughs]

Pre social media.

 

[Maskull]

Don't think there was a Golden Age. If there was it would have been just before mass advent of touchscreen technology.

 

[The Mass Shooter Ron Soye]

I would tie it to the browser. Firefox 1.0-1.5 hit the scene in 2004-2005. Everything was fast, you had tabs, built-in live bookmarks, etc. Everything derailed later, maybe with the iPhone and mobile Safari in 2007.

 

[ToroidalBoat]

The days of counters, animated "e-mail me" GIFs, "sign my guestbook," "member of the X webring," and space backgrounds.

 

[Yotsubaaa]

The days of counters, animated "e-mail me" GIFs, "sign my guestbook," "member of the X webring," and space backgrounds.

Yeah! Remember back when everyone and their dog had a Geocities (or Angelfire) web page?

It truly was a simpler, better time.

 

[A Logging Company]

 

[Dom Cruise]

I'd agree with 2005-08.

 

[Slav Power]

I'd say this.

 

[Lil Yahtzee]

I'd have to agree with you. My high school years of '05-'09 were probably the best years of web design, although stuff began to falter around 2008. It's not that the pages were that notable or aesthetically appealing, it's that they were non-intrusive and you could focus on the intended subject matter without being sold free iPhones or fake insurance or being asked to donate to some gay-ass blogging site.

 

[AirdropShitposts]

https://www.spacejam.com/

 

[Trigger Me Timbers]

I think right before social media. Or better yet right before companies all wanted a fucking comment section

 

[FuckedUp]

I'd have to agree with you. My high school years of '05-'09 were probably the best years of web design, although stuff began to falter around 2008. It's not that the pages were that notable or aesthetically appealing, it's that they were non-intrusive and you could focus on the intended subject matter without being sold free iPhones or fake insurance or being asked to donate to some gay-ass blogging site.

To be fair, there were all those flashing "congratulations, you're the 1 millionth visitor" ads back then.

 

[XYZpdq]

Ah, the menu bar in the left frame. So functional, so perfect.