Week Seven | Part One

The Evolution of Web Design

You recall from the Week One Lecture that HTML originally started out as a means to structure text and data in order to create a logical presentation of information.

This model for logical presentation was based on the centuries-old conventions of Western culture. Rhetoric (the art of argument) demanded, and still demands, a sequential exposition of information leading to a valid conclusion.

The early Web reflected this principle in its design. Words and data were the central means to convey arguments. Occasionally images would make their way into the page for exposition.

From a designer's point of view, life on the Web was very dull indeed, but from an information standpoint it was an exciting time. Hyperlinks created the interactive, user-centered learning experience first proposed by Paul Otlet nearly a century ago.

It was not long before content writers realized just how much information they could pack on a Web page, or how important it was to organize that information. In finding the solution, the science of Web usability was born.

Please go to Week Seven Part 2 ».