Building a timeless website.
As a person who thrives on creativity, I’m always on the lookout for ways to make my work stand out and capture attention.
I used to believe that adding more animations, brighter colors, fancier transitions, sound effects, and embracing the latest technology and design trends would elevate my work.
However, after experiencing burnout from building visually extravagant websites I’ve come to the realization that my role as a creative isn’t about complicating things; it’s about simplifying while preserving essence.
Contrary to popular belief, I’ve discovered through trial and error that adding elements is a straightforward process that lacks significant problem-solving or creativity.
On the other hand, purposefully removing elements demands thoughtful consideration.
Setting constraints that enhance creativity isn’t a simple task; it requires mental clarity.
Without a clear goal, simplification becomes challenging.
To put an example, If you have 20 elements on your website and you don’t know what you want your visitors to take action on, you won’t be able to remove any of the elements.
However, if your goal is to grow your email list, you’ll be able to remove all the elements that aren’t contributing to that goal.
Here are the principles I’ve gathered during my initial exploration of my personal corner of the internet.
- Keep it simple; no plugins, marketing tricks, cookies, pop-ups, or complex analytics.
- Choose Hugo static site generator, not an expensive complex CMS.
- Stick to plain vanilla code; avoid complex frameworks like React or NextJS. In most cases, they’re not necessary. Most people use them because they see everyone using them.
- Prioritize speed and responsiveness to avoid slowing down devices. I’ve used websites in the past that look impressive but turn my MacBook into an oven due to the amount of processing power they require.
- Use short URLs for easy remembrance. Instead of “ashlamb.com/blog/tech/buidling-a-timeless-website” I much prefer “ashlamb.com/timeless”
- Own your site fully, avoiding reliance on fancy website builders or startups.
- Keep it modular; easily adapt to new projects or interests.
- Foster a personal connection through genuine storytelling instead of writing generic SEO-oriented articles just to rank on search engines and make more money.
- Design for timelessness, minimizing the need for constant updates.
- Automatically switch themes based on OS theme settings.
Below are some amazing references that inspire me every day.
They all have slightly different aproaches to web design, but they all have an excellent signal-to-noise ratio.
