Please, Create a Unique Site and Avoid the Crap.

Well said, really good advice for anyone interested in creating original, engaging and insightful content.

Are you starting a web revolution

Phil Mckeith

I agree. My least favorite thing is stock themes. I love WP, but not the reused monotony. They make it so easy to design from scratch, so why not!? Plus, its really fun!!!
Thanks, cool words to take in.

uh right, like if everyone started using handwritten fonts, yah, that’s the ticket. I dont think so

you forgot to put flash under things to avoid

You have a typo under “The Same Old Content”. It should say “you have bookmarked” not “your have bookmarked”.

Awsome web page and awsomes concepts, xcelent!

The Amiga computer of the mid-late 80’s inspired innovation. I remember a program that fit on a floppy and it allowed anyone to play instruments on projected images. Would like to see graphic programs of that caliber, helping non-artists create webpages off computer. I imagine edge detection program with music, projected on a screen. I move shapes with large arm-body movements instead of small jerky pen/pencil or mouse movements. It would allow people to think big and feel what they are creating… like thinking outside-the-computer-box.

Thanks for all of your comments!

@rick: At this point, Flash goes without saying even though there plenty of well-suited uses for it.

well said, friend… I agree ! cheers

Awesome, thanks for the freshness

I really like this nifty form I’m filling out right now. Nice work!

I totally agree. My Wordpress template makes me feel guilty.

Time for something new. Something fresh.

Cheers,
Mike

well said, i like you guys.

100 true (Y)

I’m really digging this whole site. This form is sweet. Way to break outside the box. Great execution. Fresh. Nice work!

This is a lovely website! Special enough…
I like the concept and simple drawing

This is stunning.

Please create a unique website & make sure it is crossbrowser compatible

Great statement have to agree with you totally.

Hello Everyone!!
I love simple website design. Something out of the box fresh. I like your site concept.

Syed Ariful Haque
Art Director

Absolutely true.

It’s weird that you can read ten design blogs and the content is pretty much the same – “Top 15 this” and “30 Best Ways that”. It’s monotone and boring.

Design should extent the content – the writing and information – of the site. It’s like someone wiser said: good design without good content is decoration.

Jamie,

I concur with your thesis. Though, it should be a kind of a “duh” if you asked me. Our job (as designers) is understanding one’s expectation/perception and then subverting it to accomplish a communication objective.

Your preaching is good, though. Your hands have web-callouses.

Question: Is your site all hand-coded?

@All: I truly appreciate the kind words. Thanks!

@M. Joshua: Thanks! Yes, all hand-coded with the exception of Wordpress pushing around my pages.

@Luuk: I decided to target modern browsers only, but made certain that older ones, and IE8, were covered. Perhaps not flawlessly, but working nonetheless. Users running IE will have a slightly different layout – it shouldn’t affect their experience. I have yet to include an ‘IE warning’ of sorts, but eventually will.

holy shit, this commenting design looks amazing!

This site is trite.

An interesting idea but I think there are some usability problems. On a large monitor you really lose sight of the tiny previous button on the bottom right, you’d think this one page was the whole site. A back to top or use the 72nd Ave logo as one, would be a nice way of getting back to the top of the page, there is a lot of scrolling.

The calendar is an interesting idea but I don’t understand why info and comments are listed there with it.

Not trying to be mean, I think you have a really nice thing going here, just a few of my first impressions.

That’s right! I agree with you in almost everything! But for beginners pick someone’s, like a theme or something, switch it, change it, make it theirs maybe is a good way to begin. Time to time u’ll be able to come up with some craps! Not that i believe in web revolution but creating things that you can identify with its very important for an artist!

Hi, I just found your blog from one of my inspiration blogs on my blog list-haha
Anyway, good advice. I’m just starting to get into learning how to really design. I will start taking classes in the spring. I learn a lot on my own but I think I can learn so much more in a class and move a lot faster. Here are two of my blogs. Although not perfect in design and layout, I’m pretty happy with them(for a novice:)). I’d love to know your thoughts.
http://www.chalkaboutit.blogspot.com
http://www.photophit.blogspot.com
Thanks,
Have a great day!
Cindy

I just found your site today, and WOW!
I agree with what you are saying.
I do, however, feel that Flash has its proper place and proper use.
An instructor always told us “Just because you CAN, doesn’t mean you SHOULD.”
(specifically referencing when TO, and when NOT to use Flash.)
I have you bookmarked now, and plan to add you to my RSS feed.
Thank you very much, and please keep up your excellent work! =)

A new trend? You did nice job taking Jason Santamarias approach on this site. Nothing new. Sorry.

Unique name?
Here is my unique template for a unique name + . Dont be generic.

Something fresh? IMO — not really.

integer + any combination of letter = unique name. Familiar?

@Carlos: I completely agree. Using a stock theme is certainly a great way to learn your way around WordPress.

Great ideas only come from a great designer…

Straight and to the point, with a little humor added.

Love it.

Thanks for this post, it was so inspiring. Just one little thing, I find your site beautiful but is not usable, you know, is not easy to navigate and find what you want, sorry, I had to say it. Best wishes

With the use of the term “Interwebs”, pure “Web 2.0″ design sensibilities, and quirky, smarmy & hostile verbiage with a swear thrown in for good measure, you’re definitely one to be lecturing on originality.

Thanks. You have inspired me…. immensely.

Very well put, thanks for the inspiration.

I LIKE IT>: ooo>L

you know what would actually be great. if people stopped using the word “interwebs”. shit got played out two years ago

I like the fact you let your kid do the drawings. Kudos to you my friend.

I love some of these comments. They confirm that jealousy is alive and well.

Keep up the great work!

Nice creative site..@Rick you shouldn’t avoid flash, just put under how to use Flash appropriately.

Yeah…I’m sure Dell or Apple or any other corporation would love this style of site. You should probably specify who you are addressing. Not every site wants to look totally different than anything out there. There are categories and classifications for a reason. Yes, I agree that there is way too many mimics out there. Totally gotcha there, but not all sites with a similar layout is bad.

i get it, you’re talking about something different, it’s that simple.
it doesn’t have to be complicated. just different.

i feel the same way/agree with you…

but most clients and designers don’t care…

people tend to “follow”…ideas, concepts…

and sometimes they make “creative shortcuts”…

theatreofmiracles.net

Wow. I feel better now that someone has finally said this. What happened to originality. Everyone is posing as designers by biting off everyone elses work with the same old layout, fonts, style, trends.

If you can’t do something unique for yourself and your clients, why bother in the first place. Design does not mean replicate. It means you reach into your heart and mind and create that which was not there before. And always remember that a day in which you do not learn or try something new is not a good day.

haha. love it.

“Choose a unique name… your URL is important. It should reflect you and your content. Don’t be generic.”

72nd Avenue? Really?

Sweet type though

Great work on deleting comments you dislike! “very nice”

wow
非常可愛!

Sigh, I find this website on the night I decide to conform to a web trend. This is my first time, I swear.

beautiful and inspiring, it would be perfect if it also was standards compliant, the devil is in the details

great work.

does anybody know the name of the red trash font at the top?

thx.

@svenoO: Dutch Type Library, Elzevir, T Regular

I agree this is a fantastic way of improving people’s thoughts towards development. Well Said!

To truly do what you are proposing here, we’ll have to go back 7-8 years. Some of the people that are really who they say they are, designers, still do it the old way. The mayority of the projects nowadays have to do with interacting with a social service of any sort. I understand the theme part, for users with blogs, but designers using themes? Now we understand the warnings when the template monster started to sell themes! Sites like the surfstation and others going blogs is not helping either. When was the last time you visited Kaliber1000? What? Who is that?

“Try not to look for your next blog entry while scouring the many design and inspiration blogs you have bookmarked”, he said, whilst offering easy ways to share this info in the top right corner, with links to twitter, facebook, stumbleupon, and delicious.

I have been struggling for along time with the design of my site (not yet launched) because I wanted it to be as unique as possible. Your ideas here have inspired me not to settle into an easy templated solution.

Thanks for the content.

And guys, gals, don’t hate on ‘em for trying to offer a different approach. Encourage it! Yes gently correct (emphasis on ‘gently’), but herald the move. Stop sipping on that Haterade and add some positive feedback.

‘nuf said!
Maxx

First off, I love the site! I’m a huge fan of creating a custom design for each article. Making the design fit the content. Instead of the content having to fit whatever theme is installed.

Great article. It’s great to always push the boundaries of creativity; it’s the only way to become better.

THAT IS A NICE SITE FOR THE YEAR

For all of you commenters (and the author of this post) acting like it’s some kind of mortal sin if some designs look like others, all I can say is: Really? Every design should look different? Every web page should look different? What does that do to usability?

Let’s use a remote control as an example. If every company that makes a remote control took your philosophy of design, no one would be able to use it. We wouldn’t know, for example, which icon was the “play” icon and which icon was the “stop” icon. Should the numbers be arranged differently. Because if one company had already used the default arrangement, then it would be uncreative to use that again.

Or, let’s use the music industry. Should every song really sound different? What would be the point of genres? There would be no genres because no song would sound similar to another song. You couldn’t tell your friend about a band you like that sounds like a band they like, because hey, they would sound totally different.

I understand the point of this entry. Creativity should be strived for, and websites should be unique. But get off your bloody high horse for a bit and realize that not every client is you. Not every client is a free thinker who would allow their web designer to create a blog like this. As creative as it is, most companies would say hell no. They want their layout to have a familiar look to other sites in their industry. They want to their customers to know what to expect. This post is great for that minority of websites that are design blogs, or agency websites. But for the vast majority of corporate and small business websites, this stuff is just unhelpful.

Avoid free themes and templates! That’s so true!

This looks amazing… One day I’ll be able to create the same

First off, wonderful advice. Second, I love the design of this page, it’s great and you should pat yourself on the back. A triumph of design and sound advice. Well done!

you are exactly right my friend….

come on guys.. spread the word.. let everyone atleast think for a while about their design before the start their own project…

think… that is all needed….

you can obviously use the tools & stuff available online…

but the design you make out of it…. just make sure that stays unique….

thanks for such fresh thoughts…..

aadil….

This is a wonderful design, I love the originality and the ui that is so straight forward.
I am getting very encourage here to joint the web design arena.

So by avoiding the same old crap are you suggesting that we make our sites look like crap? kind of like the way this one looks?

~kraymer

I am in the process of designing my own blogazine style site with individually designed articles as i belive it makes readers value the whole article more…

Love the comments box design!

Great job! I love this page and its message. I decided to explore and clicked on your homepage (72ave.com)…Best landing page ever! You made my day.

*clap *clap.

I love this article. Your designs are fantastic. Its short but strait to the point.

@ kraymer: Innovate.

really great. I am just starting my blog, I am trying to to be creative and make it original. This helps. Thanks.
carletoncreative.ca