templatedata

A couple of days ago I noticed a post on YourTotalSite about the argument that templates are killing creativity on the web.

I am so absolutely sick of hearing, "It's nice, but it still looks like a blog." I can understand everybody's desire to see the limits pushed, but let's be logical about this. Have you ever said, "I love all these new books being published, but they all look like books." Or maybe, "That's a beautiful car, but why does it have 4 round wheels?" How about, "It's so boring to always have the door knob on the outside edge of the door about waist high.

Admittedly this may sound like a pretty flippant start but I don't think it's that far off the mark. There has been grumbling around the Uni that the templates that have been adopted and that Web Services advocates, are stifling the creativity of web designers. Basically I think this is a load of bollocks. Web design isn't about trying to recreate the wheel every time you build a site. The websites you design should not be considered as an extension of your personality or talent, or an outlet for your expression. If you feel this way perhaps you should turn your hand to designing something else, or pouring all your 'expression' into your own, personal site.

People need to use websites. People need to get information from websites. Websites are unique in that they are a lot like newspapers but they're also a lot like software. The SMH doesn't let it's layout people change the layout everyday, nor do software companies allow their interface people to change the colours and positions of icons every time they schedule a new release. Perhaps the word "allow" is not the right one here. It's not a matter of the 'management' telling the 'creatives' that they can't strut their stuff, it's a matter of providing a paper or piece of software that people can use. The same goes for websites. Enforcing the use of templates and styles isn't done because someone gets a kick out of telling people what to do, it's done so that University websites are easily identified as belonging to the Uni, so that they are professional, and most of all, so that they are EASY TO USE.

There will always be a place for Flash, for weird layouts and unconventional colour and font types, but it is identifying these places that makes all the difference. Sites that conduct basic University business are not the place.

Addition: Why Practical Web Design magazine is not. A quick anecdote concerning how the world sees Web design.