I read this article last year and felt I should do an update. How some of the most visited websites on the internet have aged.
Note:
The 10 year challenge period is between 2009 to 2019 hence the update (plus 3).
Images are in a slide show in order to give the same experience in mobile view.
The most noticeable change is its redesigned 2015 logo. The site has also become less visually cluttered. We now appreciate curve edges, customization of users' location, and language choice. Menu items at the top left corner of the page, have now been sent behind a menus icon.
YouTube
YouTube was only 2 years into its life as a Google subsidiary in 2009. By 2019 it has undergone flattening and simplification like the rest of the web. YouTube pride in trending content rather than recommendations or featured. The content description has been jerked off as well. Introduction of a side menu and rating substituted with a thumbs-up icon.
Amazon
With the addition of countless product lines and services over the last decade, Amazon has made its site simpler and hid most things behind a menu. More HD images of items separated into categories will enhance users' experience. My only concern is why the top menu section isn't fixed while strolling down the page.
I would have wondered "Why that white space" like you while the form filed is congested. Facebook is well-known for being data-driven in its design decision, its homepage is a perfect example. White space or busy background wouldn't matter with Facebook as users get popup containers with form filed now.
Wikipedia
Wikipedia's familiar circular language picker hasn't changed a little in the last decade aside from the list of languages represented. Great choice putting the different language in a click drop-down.
Yahoo
Yahoo may be a new shade of purple and a different logo from that of 2019, but it still maintains its jam-packed layout. Visible improvement is the use of white spaces around each topic and bolder images.
In 2009, Twitter was still competing with Facebook, Myspace, and others in the hot social networking arena. It even has to explain what it does in so many words. Now Twitter needs no introduction, the landing page is simple and to the point.
eBay
eBay has shed a lot of color in its user interface while positioning itself both as an e-commerce site and a way to make money in 2019. Now more emphasis is placed on the former (e-commerce).
Imgur
Imgur was little more than an image host built for Redditors by a college student. It rose to be one of Alexa's top 20 most visited sites in the US. Now you can host and link video content as well.
The New York Times
In 2019, The New York Times website still maintained a print newspaper interface. A 4-column layout, black text separated with simple grey lines. Now the column has been reduced to 2, with contents title stretching across the width of the page to a bold featured image. Contents in the body are now listed in rows, with a sidebar.
IMDB
IMDB has stripped away quite a bit over the years to focus mostly on video content, awards, and openings. It still maintained no description of its video contents, and the movies list has been changed to a front image in the container.
CNN
Just like The New York Times, CNN maintained a simpler layout with more visual hierarchy and bolder text.
Microsoft
The Microsoft of 2009 was a completely different company. A look at the labels on the navigation bar in 2009 and 2019 shows how much the company has shifted its focus from technical software to tools for consumers' lifestyles.
Apple
The iPhone App store was 6months old and was celebrating 500million app downloads in 2009. With over 130bilion apps sold in 2019, the site design language was a larger typeface and full-width imagery. Now, it has reduced its product image to accommodate more on the landing page while the full-width imagery is still on the different product pages.
Walmart
Walmart also simplified its site like others with more whitespace and less content. Its navigation list is sent behind a menu icon.
Github
In 2009, Github was nearly 1 year old and was quickly building it following that would later cement it as the default place for hosting open source repositories. Github has since gone from an entirely static background landing page to be highly interactive with animated gradient background.
Zillow
The importance of spaces on your web pages cannot be over-emphasized and Zillow has clearly demonstrated that with a bold call to action (user input field). My only concern is the footer section, an increased front size with enhanced users experience.
Yelp
Yelp is another example of simplification while focusing on the most popular use case for users or site visitors.
Stack Overflow
Stack Overflow has gone from listing its top questions in 2019 to fully dedicating its landing page to converting new users.
Etsy
Not just a marketplace for handmade items, Etsy has transitioned to an e-commerce site for finding vintage, custom, or unique items. I need to propose a redesign of the Etsy landing page demonstrating the importance of whitespace and placing content right. Kindly let me know what you think about my redesign. Thanks
LinkedIn like many other websites has also gone through major modifications of its website. Being a popular name among professionals the name has been removed from its logo. Contents are now separated with curve edge containers. The interface has also been simplified with spaces on the sides of the pages and the introduction of icons under menu items.
Key Takeaway
The importance of spaces in web pages cannot be overemphasized. When there is enough space in design, it allows users to imagine and roam free. It creates a visual hierarchy to the elements when gaps are created to ensure that the users can find and digest the information presented more easily.
The human brain responds to images almost 50,000 faster than text. Using images enhances the experience for the user by simplifying the complex concepts by reducing them to pictures. The images used at any section of the web page should be relatable and convey the message of the text to the users.
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