NYCPHP Meetup

[Peter Sawczynec]

Google. Has undergone numerous updates to their style.

Changing the logo, the favicon and adding artwork 

across the top 2 inches. Google allows users 

to customize too. 

Craigslist. Looks dated. 

Drudgereport. Looks dated. 

Amazon. Has made many updates to their look. Modernizing 

buttons, product display, text colors, column widths, etc.

 

To follow well-timed and in tune with trends commercial updating 

in action. watch global corp. sites like: Sony, VW, Bugati. Look at 

Las Vegas casino sites. Major hotels, cruise lines, Club Med. 

 

Even never-changing websites likes Microsoft, Apple, NYTimes 

have undergone constant tuning to meet the shifting market 

tastes and style. 

 

I would pose it is still better to stay updated than to see 

just how long a site can look timeless. (Very few, almost none. But 

you could look at Tiffany.)

 

Warmest regards, 

 

Peter Sawczynec 

Technology Dir.

blūstudio 

941.893.0396

ps at blu-studio.com <mailto:ps at sun-code.com>  

www.blu-studio.com 

 

 

From: talk-bounces at lists.nyphp.org [mailto:talk-bounces at lists.nyphp.org]
On Behalf Of Edward Potter
Sent: Monday, March 09, 2009 9:48 PM
To: NYPHP Talk
Subject: Re: [nycphp-talk] Changing your site look - What is the norm

 

>>>
5 Years Is Death

Craigslist
Drudgereport
Google

Still alive and kicking!  

2009/3/9 Peter Sawczynec <ps at blu-studio.com>

I have never read any exact rule on how often to update 

a website look. But, here is my opinion from my experience. 

 

First, it is important to keep in mind, that most all web sites 

get technologically stale every single year. 

 

Updates < 1 Year

Very commercial websites and youth oriented sites (MTV, 

TV shows, shampoo, fast food, bands, high-profile politicians) 

update at least every year. Many aggressive commercial sites 

change 2 or 3X a year. 

 

1.5 - 2 Years Is Sensible, Proactive Time to Update 

If you want to keep the website looking like it is ahead 

of the curve or at least right on the curve; the website 

could use to be updated by 1.5 years. Up to 2 years 

update time is still Okay.

 

3 Years Is Far End of Time to Update

Most standard web sites (govt., high end retail, 

associations, accountants, lawyers, real estate, furniture, 

car dealer, local radio station, local politician) start to get 

totally visually stale at about 3 years. And, of course, 

I feel even a 2-year old web site design 

is showing its age. 

 

5 Years Is Death

It is common though for these types of above noted 

business entities to try to take a website design out 

to 5 years. At 5 years the old design is absolutely expired 

and is hurting the company image, not enhancing. 

 

Even a  great clean corporate-look web site rigidly 

conformed to a classic design grid and using virtually no 

graphic dingbats of any kind would still need a refresh 

at about 5 years max, I think. 

 

The site width and height proportions get stale. 

Color scheme gets stale, font choices get stale. 

Even the widths of the columnar layout 

can get stale.

 

Warmest regards, 

 

Peter Sawczynec 

Technology Dir.

blūstudio 

941.893.0396

 <mailto:ps at sun-code.com> ps at blu-studio.com 

www.blu-studio.com 

 


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