web design 90s

The Wild World of 90s Web Design

The 1990s were a time of neon colors, dial-up internet, and the birth of the World Wide Web. Web design in the 90s was a far cry from the sleek and minimalist websites we see today. It was a wild and colorful era, characterized by clashing fonts, animated GIFs, and tiled backgrounds. Let’s take a nostalgic journey back to the early days of the internet when websites were a feast for the eyes, and not always in a good way.

The Birth of the Web

In the early 90s, the World Wide Web was still in its infancy, and web design was a new and exciting frontier. HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) was the language of the web, and it allowed people to create simple text-based web pages. There were no content management systems like WordPress or Wix; if you wanted a website, you had to code it yourself.

The Geocities Era

One of the most iconic web platforms of the 90s was Geocities. Geocities allowed users to create their web pages, and it was home to a plethora of personal websites on a wide range of topics. These personal websites often had eye-popping designs, with bright, contrasting colors, and a heavy reliance on animated GIFs.

Text, Fonts, and More Text

90s web design was characterized by its love for text. Web designers weren’t shy about using a variety of fonts in various sizes and colors. It was not uncommon to see text scrolling across the screen in bold neon colors or blinking to grab your attention. Some websites even had text that trailed your mouse cursor, making it an unforgettable reading experience.

Background Madness

Background images were a big deal in 90s web design. Tiled backgrounds, where a small image was repeated to fill the screen, were all the rage. These images ranged from psychedelic patterns to nature scenes, and they often clashed with the text on the page, making it a real challenge to read the content.

Animated GIFs Everywhere

Animated GIFs were the lifeblood of 90s web design. These small, looping animations added a touch of interactivity to websites. You’d find spinning email icons, dancing babies, and animated “Under Construction” signs on almost every page. It was a time when web designers tried to outdo each other with the wackiest GIFs they could find.

Navigation Nightmares

Navigating a 90s website was often a challenge. Websites had long lists of links in all colors of the rainbow, and users had to hunt for the information they wanted. There were no standard navigation menus, and you had to click on “Welcome” or “Home” to find your way back to the main page.

The Slow and Noisy Web

Remember the days of dial-up internet? 90s web design had to accommodate slow internet connections, so web pages were minimalistic by today’s standards. Large images and videos were a rarity, and if a website had music, it would start playing automatically, much to the user’s surprise.

Endless Experimentation

Despite the chaotic and sometimes headache-inducing designs, 90s web design was an era of experimentation and creativity. People were excited about the possibilities of the web, and there was a sense of freedom in creating websites that expressed individuality.

Goodbye, 90s Web Design

As we fast forward to the present, it’s clear that web design has come a long way since the 90s. Today’s websites are sleek, responsive, and designed with the user’s experience in mind. But let’s not forget the wild and wonderful world of 90s web design. It may have been chaotic, but it was a unique and unforgettable era in the history of the internet.

If you’d like to take a trip down memory lane and explore some examples of 90s web design, feel free to visit our website at www.nairobiairport.pro or give us a call at +254792422480. We’d love to hear from you!