As web design transitioned from an enthralling and promising artistic medium to its current ultra-optimized facade atop dodgy, rapidly aging practices and protocols, it lost its appeal to those seeking a context in which to innovate, but we don’t think it should be given up on just yet. As global users’ average internet speeds have increased exponentially along with the screen resolutions of the devices which they use to consume content, digital media’s obsession with web page load times and “readibility” has become less and less sensible. The current offering of desktop-class and mobile browsers are capable of much more than just delivering more ads (or blocking them.) While accelerated technologies like Google Amp and Facebook Instant Articles are technically innovative in their own right, the nature of “The Open Web” is such that it will always allow room for unlimited, diverse uses.
Unfortunately, the existing lists you’ll find when searching for “best web design” or “innovative web projects” are populated mostly with the “sleek,” airy minimalism that feels universally overused and… really boring after all this time. So, we’ve created a page dedicated to listing our favorite examples of true web innovation. Within it, you’ll find visually-compelling publications like The Pudding, one-off engineering exercises like Radio Garden, and the occasional show off design house. We’ll keep it updated as we discover more, and encourage you to submit your own — send us an email. (horn@extratone.com)
Some of our favorite projects brought to you by the open web.