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History of Web Design

Writer's picture: WDA DesignWDA Design

Web design has come a long way since the first website was launched in 1991. The early days of the web were characterised by simple, text-based websites, with little emphasis on design or aesthetics. However, as the web evolved and technology advanced, web design began to evolve as well, leading to the visually stunning and interactive websites we have today.


The first website, launched by Tim Berners-Lee in 1991, was simple and text-based, consisting of a single page with hyperlinks to other pages. At the time, the web was primarily used by scientists and academics, and the main focus was on sharing information and documents.


The first website was located at the URL http://info.cern.ch/hypertext/WWW/TheProject.html and was hosted on a NeXT computer at CERN in Switzerland.


In the early 1990s, the web began to expand beyond the realm of academia and into the mainstream. As more and more people began to use the web, the need for better design and aesthetics became increasingly important. The first graphical browsers, such as Mosaic and Netscape, were released in 1993 and 1994 respectively, which allowed for the display of images and other media on websites. This marked the beginning of the "Web 1.0" era, which was characterised by the use of basic HTML to create simple, static websites.


web design and optimisation
web design and development

As the web continued to grow in popularity, web designers began to experiment with new technologies, such as Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and JavaScript, to create more dynamic and interactive websites. This marked the beginning of the "Web 2.0" era, which was characterised by the use of more advanced technologies to create more interactive and user-friendly websites. With the introduction of Web 2.0, web designers were able to create more visually appealing websites, with features such as drop-down menus, image sliders, and more.


With the advent of Web 2.0, web design began to shift away from being primarily focused on aesthetics and towards being focused on usability and user experience. Web designers began to pay more attention to the way that users interacted with websites and began to create websites that were easy to navigate and use. This led to the introduction of concepts such as responsive design, which allows websites to automatically adapt to the size of the user's device, and mobile-first design, which prioritises the design of websites for mobile devices.

Modern era website design

In the 2010s, the rise of social media and mobile devices further changed the way that websites were designed. With the increasing popularity of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, web designers began to focus more on creating websites that integrated with these platforms, and that were optimised for sharing and engagement. This led to the introduction of features such as social media sharing buttons and "like" buttons on websites, as well as the design of mobile-optimised websites that were easy to navigate and use on small screens.




With the advent of mobile devices and the increasing popularity of mobile apps, web designers also began to focus more on creating websites that were designed for mobile devices, and that were easy to use on the go. This led to the introduction of concepts such as progressive web apps, which are websites that can be installed on a user's device and function like a mobile app, and the design of mobile-optimised websites that were easy to navigate and use on small screens.



In recent years, we have seen the emergence of new technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality, which are set to change the way that websites are designed and used. With the use of AI, web designers can create websites that are able to adapt to the needs and preferences of individual users, and that can provide personalised content and experiences. Additionally, AI can be used to improve the performance and security of websites, as well as to help with tasks such as website optimisation and analytics.


Virtual reality is also expected to have a big impact on web design, as it allows for the creation of immersive and interactive websites that can transport users to different worlds and environments. VR technology is already being used in some industries, such as real estate and travel, to create virtual tours and walkthroughs of properties and destinations.

In conclusion, web design has come a long way since the first website was launched in 1991. From simple, text-based websites to visually stunning and interactive websites, the evolution of web design has been driven by advances in technology and changes in user behaviour. As technology continues to advance, it is likely that we will see more and more innovation in the field of web design, with new technologies such as AI and VR playing a major role in shaping the future of the web.


Adobe is a software company that produces a wide range of products for creative professionals, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign for graphic design, as well as Premiere Pro and After Effects for video editing. Adobe also offers a variety of web development and design tools such as Adobe XD, Dreamweaver, and Animate. Adobe's software is widely used in the web design industry, and its products are known for their powerful features and ease of use.


WordPress is an open-source content management system (CMS) that is used to create and manage websites. It is known for its ease of use and customisation options, making it a popular choice for both professional web designers and individuals who want to create their own websites. WordPress is built on the PHP programming language and uses a MySQL database to store data. It is also highly extensible, with thousands of plugins and themes available to add new features and functionality to a website.


Drupal is another open-source CMS that is used to create and manage websites. It is known for its flexibility and scalability, making it a popular choice for large and complex websites, such as those of government organisations and educational institutions. Drupal is built on the PHP programming language and uses a MySQL or PostgreSQL database to store data. It also has a large community of developers who contribute to the project and create modules and themes for the CMS.


Jo Law is a term that refers to the use of JavaScript, HTML, and CSS in web design. This refers to the practice of using these three technologies together to create dynamic and interactive websites. JavaScript is used to add interactivity to a website, HTML is used to define the structure and content of a website, and CSS is used to control the layout and styling of a website. The combination of these three technologies allows web designers to create websites that are visually appealing and easy to use.


In summary, Adobe is a software company that offers a wide range of products for creative professionals, particularly in web design and development. WordPress, Drupal and other CMSs are open-source platforms that allow users to create, manage and customise websites with ease. Jo Law refers to the use of JavaScript, HTML, and CSS in web design and development, that allows web designers to create dynamic and interactive websites.


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