WSA Winner
Friday September 30th, 2005
Remember when you were a kid and you liked to dress up and pretend that you were someone else? It doesn't really matter what you pretended to be, perhaps a fireman or a cowbody. Perhaps a superhero? (Perhaps you liked dressing up in your sister's clothes? It's OK, we won't tell.) Now, I want you to cast your mind back and do some more pretending today.
I want you to forget that you find the subtle nuances of XHTML and CSS interesting. I want you to forget that you think that you know all there is to know about markup and semantics. I even want you to forget that there is this stuff we call code underneath what you see on screen and just look in awe at a terrific design.
Poptones, one of the most distinctive site designs I have encountered in a while, and by UK based designer Simon Collison and the team of talented chaps at Agenzia.
Reviewed by Andy Clarke
#1
Yippee! Our first WSA. That deserves a drink.
Just one thing, commenting people: Please don't mention the capitalised header text in the markup - I'll be fixing that ASAP.
Otherwise, it's open season. Site's not been 100% tested, so I'm sue there are a fair few things need tweaking. Feel free to add to my list...
Posted by Colly :: September 30th, 2005 at 05:19 PM
#2
AAAGH! Media Temple is screwing with our databases! Home page and some others are viewable, but please forgive MySQL errors - it'll all be back up soon.
I hate hosts sometimes...
Posted by Colly :: September 30th, 2005 at 07:09 PM
#3
I hate it! I hate it because just as I get confident about my design skills something like this is rolled out right on cue!
This site is impossibly retro, uber modern, chic with a hint of punk and neatly bound together by the subtle thread of design craftsmanship.
Posted by Martin Smith :: September 30th, 2005 at 08:44 PM
#4
This is a perfect example of the design taking away from and overpowering the content. I have no problem with the look, in fact I think it's rather clever but it is just about impossible to focus on the content.
Posted by Dave :: September 30th, 2005 at 09:33 PM
#5
Ooh, designish, I love it, very different and unusual, although its not something I personally find "suits my taste" so to speak, I love the design for designs sake and I think you have pulled it off very well.
Nice work!
Posted by Nathan :: October 1st, 2005 at 08:04 AM
#6
Sorry but I can't say that I like it. The concept is nice but it looks like a broken layout too much.
Posted by Justin :: October 2nd, 2005 at 07:17 AM
#7
Hate to be negative but I really don't like this at all. It is far too messy for my tastes and looks like an experiment gone wrong.
Posted by Paul :: October 2nd, 2005 at 04:28 PM
#8
It hurts my eyes... and I agree that the design makes reading the content almost impossible. I read about two paragraphs before I got bored and instead focused on the pretty colors.
It does look like an experiment gone wrong... like a "how the heck to a place this box div on the left, oh wait that looks cool there." type thing.
If you want to see more sites like this, simply use Netscape 3.0 to view any valid mark up.
Posted by cpawl :: October 4th, 2005 at 03:43 PM
#9
To address the "an experiment gone wrong" comments - that's kind of the point of this design to be honest. I'd explain but it'd take too long.
If only it had been as simple as "oh, that looks cool there". We knew this design would split it's audience, and again, that's kind of the point.
Those that love it - you know what I'm on about, don't you? Bless you.
Posted by Colly :: October 4th, 2005 at 04:48 PM
#10
Hmmm.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone followed Manchester United. Wouldn't it be great if everyone ordered tea and that annoying man that wants coffe buggered off. Wouldn't it be great if all websites followed the same blueprint TIME AND TIME again.
Oh well. Back to sites that people understand.
Posted by Lee :: October 5th, 2005 at 12:11 AM
#11
I think the design is great. It has a feel and doesn't look bloody souless like many sites that end up looking like a form that you would pick up to apply for Tesco club card points. If you can't focus on the content then you should up your ritalin dosage.
Posted by Paul :: October 5th, 2005 at 12:11 PM
#12
I'd have to say I dislike it.
To a normal user the site looks extremely broke, to someone with standards and design knowledge, it still looks broken. I can't see how this would target ANY audience. Unless of course, the audience were drunk 24/7.
Posted by Trevor :: October 5th, 2005 at 05:43 PM
#13
I knew this one would split opinion. ;)
Posted by Malarkey :: October 5th, 2005 at 09:15 PM
#14
1) I had a hard time discerning what the site was about at first glance. The name "poptones" made me instantly think of ringtones and that this site might be selling them. However, after some browsing, I'm guessing the site is just a music news/reviews/blog site? It's hard to tell right away.
2) The multitued of colors used DOES make it a bit hard to focus on things. Everything is grabbing for my attention and I don't really know where to begin.
3) On the good side, this design is VERY distinct... whether you like it or not, you won't forget it.
Posted by Joshua Lane :: October 6th, 2005 at 01:24 PM
#15
I like and yet I don't. It's certainly not *my* cup of tea so to speak, but I can also see the beauty in it in many respects. The design is clever and very unique.
For the audience it serves, it *seems* like it would be ideal. It is hard to read, but I don't know what its "readers" would think of it as actual site users.
I'm guessing they'd tough it out because they are passionate by its content and thus motived to get their news.
Congratulations on winning an award!
Posted by Mike Cherim :: October 7th, 2005 at 10:20 PM
#16
OK, every couple of weeks I come here.. and the sites are amazing. Always good picks... but this one ?? hmmm Also I've written an article on CSS Purists here that might interest people:
http://www.flash99good.com/?p=85
cheers!
-ka
Posted by Kevin Airgid :: October 10th, 2005 at 02:38 AM
#17
Do I hear people campaigning for the standardisation of design here? Come on, it's one (admirable) thing to strive for more coherent technical structures but quite another to winge on when you see something that challenges a few visual conventions. Don't be so tight.
Posted by Olly :: October 14th, 2005 at 01:48 PM
#18
I waited ages for this site to load. Then I realised it had.
I can appreciate the attempt to deviate from the 'standard' aesthetic, but I don't really think it has, and I don't like it. The boxiness of the layout jarrs with the more organic logotype and swirly image. The news/rss/archive/etc headers are a bit boring -- where's some more of that header font? Or something more evocative? It feels semi-deconstructed -- like the designer(s) has led with the whole 'different' approach, but not followed through.
Possibly more importantly, I have absolutely no idea what 'Poptones' is, or what it does, or why. If it wasn't in the brief to 'explain' Poptones (do the target audience know who poptones are before they arrive?)
Posted by Jordan :: October 18th, 2005 at 11:28 AM
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