2D Websites

I guess I’m feeling a bit nostalgic this evening. Or perhaps nostalgic is not the right word, maybe confused instead. That’s because I’m on the lookout for new blogs and websites, and I’m stumbling upon a few common patterns; portfolios and single page bio websites. You know the sort. The single line description, the link to other platforms, the emoji that might be animated slightly.

These are the business cards of the Internet. And they’re so utterly boring to me.

When I log onto someone’s website I want them to tell me why they’re weird. Where’s the journal or scrapbook? Where’s your stamp collection? Or the works-in-progress, the failed attempts, the clunky unfinished things? Instead, we find websites that are squeaky clean; minimalist layouts with circle avatars and sans-serif type. These websites can’t have any flaws, or embarrassing posts found lurking within their depths, or unpolished ancient ideas that suggest critical thinking of a subject and development over time.

I guess that’s what I’m looking for tonight; websites that have depth. The sort of website you can throw away a whole afternoon exploring someone’s work, imagining what this distant life must be like.