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Trends & FashionsJust like in real life, there are many different trends and patterns in teen web site design. However, they aren't really important and as long as your site looks good, it doesn't really matter whether you follow the crowd or not. In fact, many site owners and visitors to sites prefer original, quirky designs that they haven't seen anywhere before. I've found the main emphasis is on creativity and originality.For example, if you submit your site to be reviewed, there is almost certainly going to be a section on how original your web site is. Reviewers get bored going through similar sites with similar designs and content all the time. Originality can also be the key to a popular webpage. Your visitors will only return if they can find something on your site they can't find anywhere else. Otherwise, why would they come back? Chances are they'd go to a similar site instead of yours. There can be a fine line between following a fashion or trend and actually copying someone else's work. People often argue about this, and also about who 'invented' a particular design or technique. This can cause problems where people take sides, and usually one site ends up getting closed as a result. Another reason to devise your own ideas is because, especially with difficult techniques, things can go wrong. If your finished layout or graphic or whatever looks kinda bad or strange compared with another site, then you're going to be embarrassed and people might not think much of your skills! If, however, your design is so unique that no one can compare it to anything else they've seen, then they can't really find a fault. Remember, trends and fashions not only include visuals like layouts and graphics, but also content pages, web tools and web site names. Some fashions (like guestbooks and tagboards) have become essentials rather than fashions. Other fashions change over time, sometimes over a year or two, sometimes over a couple of weeks. Every so often, I often delete or rewrite pages from my site that have become outdated or useless, and replace them with something more interesting and beneficial :) So, to summarise, Internet trends and fashions aren't everything, and it's likely that people will respect you more for being original - as long as you can pull it off! :D Back | Forward Advertised |