Zeldman = Bad Designer
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- 61 Responses
- ChumleyUK0
I jest with you... sometimes things get a little serious in here... Please take my posts with a pinch of salt :P
- jevad0
ah sorry - missed the jest!
^_^
- enobrev0
well, now we have to take your award back, chumley.
- iodine740
http://www.happycog.com/people/z…
I always got the impression from this (especially because of his authoring of "Taking Your Talent to the Web"), that he was a guy with a non-web background, who, when first trying to get into it, got frustrated by the browser wars, and decided there had to be a better way... Thus he stopped trying to code to appease different browsers and instead concentrated on standards and has been trying to push notion to other designers (either new to the web or not) ever since.
- unknown0
I have read his book(s). I think his offering to the web community is un matched. A "web designer" and a "graphic designer" are two completely different things. He and his crew are designing sites by functionality and usuability. I doubt anyone is hiring him to convert photos into vector art in PS, or to create banner ads and image roll overs.
- Meeklo0
I think here there are ovbious personal reason for the statement on the thread.
I have no Idea who was this "internet celebrity" is, (if there is such a thing) but I went to his site and I think its actually not bad. (I might not like it, but that doesnt make it bad) see my point?
- Cadillac0
I've seen quite a few beautifully done standards-based CSS/XHTML sites. Really georgious stuff. Well designed, and well styled.
I think Zeldman is brilliant. He's done for the web what Mr. Davis did for Flash (and Macromedia). He's reformed the web like no one else. Those of you who don't know of him should really read up on the guy. I've read Zeldman's book myself and think it's really brilliant.
I just don't care for Zeldman's visual design asthethic. I find his use of typography obtrusive and difficult to read, and his general design bland and somewhat pretentious.
I still read his blog every day, though.
So let me clarify:
Zeldman the Person = :)
Zeldman the Web Developer = :)
Zeldman the Web Designer = :(BTW, I personally despise 2adanced as well :)
- Cadillac0
I think Dolan stated it best in his very articulate first post.
- BonSeff0
yeah, a little type sensibilty can go a long way.
- unfittoprint0
standards must be destroyed.
- unfittoprint0
_______________ just kiddin'
- shotgunflat0
Here is Happy Cog's latest project.
It has a zeldmanesque flair, but I can tell that they were probably tied down a bit by the client...
- Donvitoviti0
lame thread... lame for you even starting this thread and calling out him as a bad designer. Pretty much just bashing somebody for nothing
- airey0
well i'm no great designer (so my opinion is worth a small grain of salt) and i've never said i am but then neither has he. that's the point.
considering he makes websites to be accessible to the largest audience technically, surely the designs should reflect the same? i think they do. sure his celebrity makes his opinion seem more publicly widespread than it possibly should but he is pretty switched on and well informed.
- shotgunflat0
My take on the kcchiefs site was that, despite a certain amount of restraint from the creative side, they still got a nice site done.
- fate0
Not to hate on the dude, but I found this quote from an old 1999 article amusing...
"The worst of it is the pathetic scarcity of meaningful content. And what do many Web creators substitute for content? Diary entries."
- airey0
that's a good quote but if you google his name and articles there's a fair amount of content going on. i guess to play devil's advocate the site does often run shy of good regular content and become an advert for him and his book. still, at least he's got something worthwhile to say most of the time.
wish i could say as much, crapping on here like my opinion's worth anything...lol.
- fate0
Yeah like I said, I gots no hate for the man. He's good peoples.
- zarayy0
I think what needs to be clarified here in this thread is what you find aesthetically appealing vs. usability, navigation, etc. Design isn't always about graphics. Design always comes down to a user experience and it must provide functionality for one, especially in web design. Making the web compatible for a wide range of users, in my book, makes Zeldman a great designer.
- ganon0
"lame thread" = true