The world’s top 20 web designers, part two
28/08/2009
What makes a world-class designer? It’s a simple question and yet once we started compiling this list we realised it’s not at all simple to answer. Is it about pushing boundaries or holding fast to traditional principles? Should the body of work be judged on aesthetics or usability? Is fame or notoriety important, or just a distraction? Ultimately, we’ve tried to balance all these considerations and more, and picked 20 figures who we all feel act as a beacon of inspiration to web builders everywhere. We hope you agree…
magneticNorth’s creative director is an author, sought-after speaker, Flash guru, a designer whose work has been showcased in the New York Museum of Modern Art, a blogger, a masked vigilante, and a man who admits to being inspired by Waitrose. Only one of those things isn’t true, and it isn’t the Waitrose bit.
net: Where do you find your design inspiration from?
BD: I really wish I knew the answer to that. All I know is I try to notice things that quite often go unnoticed and try to fill my head with lots of disparate crap, usually nothing to do with computers, the web or any such stuff. For instance, wondering around Waitrose is like a master class in typography. It may not be cool, but I’ve never cared about such things. I certainly don’t look around the web that much. I’m not really interested in what’s already been done.
net: Of all the projects you’ve worked on, which are you most proud of and why?
BD: Without a doubt it’s the new site for magneticNorth. We wanted to create something that would provoke a reaction and create debate, born out of our approach to interaction design to communicate the personality of the company. It’s always baffled me why many design companies choose to put “different” stuff in an experimental section, hidden away, almost in an apologetic fashion. That never changes anything. It’s a site that absolutely polarises opinion – and that’s a good thing.
net: Is there any other designer whose work makes your jaw drop, or whose work has been an influence on/inspiration to you?
BD: There’s lots of people that I find inspiring, but I don’t limit them to job descriptions that fall under “designer”. I love the fact that sound and film editor Walter Murch often stands when editing a certain scene in a film, almost like a gunslinger acting on intuition. Dieter Rams’ work for Braun is a lesson in signal versus noise that still resonates to this day. Lust in The Netherlands do beautiful work across many different mediums. Daniel Eatock has a wonderful way of viewing the world, sometimes putting together eclectic collections of the often unnoticed. I could go on and on, but I’d only bore you to death...
net: If you could give up-and-coming designers a single piece of advice, what would it be?
BD: Make lots of things.
“I can do anything,” says the strapline on the Moscow-based art director, designer and advanced programmer’s website. From conceiving, modelling and programming a multi-user musical game to developing websites for MTV, his Flash work is characterised by its vivid visual style.
net: Where do you find your design inspiration from?
AZ: It depends. Sometimes I’m just have an idea. It could be a transformation of an old dream that suddenly pops into my mind. For example when I was a child I had the A2 size sketchbook (which was half my height back then!). I had a dream that I was drawing a whole world on it, everything that I’d ever known and seen. That old dream became the basis of a site for Termit. Sometimes I take inspiration from people with much more advanced skills than me. For example, I’m a bad photographer, but I play at being a professional. Such mimicry is used on the front page of my website.
net: Of all the projects you’ve worked on, which are you most proud of and why?
AZ: I can’t choose one project and tell you that I’m proud of it more than the others. Most of my projects are temporary and very specific. To some extent I’m proud of them all.
net: Is there any other designer whose work makes your jaw drop, or whose work has been an influence on/inspiration to you?
AZ: Sure! A lot of them. As I said before they’re people who can do the things that I can’t. There are also artists whose work makes your jaw drop because they have such a different way of thinking.
net: If you could give up-and-coming designers a single piece of advice, what would it be?
AZ: One of the bitterest enemy of designer in project is doubt. As a rule, such doubts are result of a desire to be liked by everyone. “Everyone” is a faceless nobody with unclear needs. Do not create for him! Imagine one or few people that you know and match them to your project’s target audience.
Cameron Moll is a graphic designer with plaudits from the likes of Jeffrey Zeldman, books such as CSS Mastery (the second edition of which will be out later this year), a must-read blog and a portfolio of beautiful websites under his belt. He’s also a seasoned speaker, and a drummer whose chops are a bit rusty after a seven-year hiatus from playing.
net: Where do you find your design inspiration from?
CM: Just about anywhere. I grew up playing drums. I love astronomy. I did a lot of woodworking when I was younger. I’m enamoured by letterpress. I have four wonderful sons and beautiful wife. All of these people and activities are partly or wholly some form of creativity and ultimately a source of inspiration. It isn’t difficult to draw ideas from these sources that in turn influence my work.
net: Of all the projects you’ve worked on, which are you most proud of and why?
CM: The next successful one. I’m not at a point my career, and perhaps I’ll never be, where I’m satisfied with the body of work I’ve produced. I’m certain I still have much better work to produce. It’s a struggle to make the next project better in some way than those I’ve already completed, but that’s a challenge I hope I never cease imposing on myself. As an example, I just completed a site design for CSS Mastery Second Edition, which is scheduled to be published later this fall. I’m really pleased with how it turned out, both markup and design, and I hope I can say the same about whatever the next project may be.
net: Is there any other designer whose work makes your jaw drop, or whose work has been an influence on/inspiration to you?
CM: I’m constantly inspired by the potential of upcoming designers. I love meeting other designers, especially those just beginning their careers, when I travel to speak at conferences. They’ll often ask how I got where I am today with conference speaking, book writing and the like, and usually at some point in my reply I’ll tell them that I expect to see them doing the same sometime later in their career. Plus, I’m competitive by nature, so it pushes me to be better, knowing some of the best talent we’ve yet to see is just around the corner.
net: If you could give up-and-coming designers a single piece of advice, what would it be?
CM: Master the instrument of design by studying and emulating work from those designers you admire most. Spend less time trying to define who you’ll become and more time studying the greats that have come before you, past and present. Your artistic personality and individuality will emerge more readily and sustainably if you first become a great designer, second one who’s known for a particular style or niche – not usually the other way around.
As if creating Papervision 3D wasn’t enough, Carlos Ulloa also produces beautiful work for firms such as Sony and Absolut.
net: Where do you find your design inspiration from?
CU: I find inspiration in all the things people enjoy, from nature itself, animals and plants to the latest interactive work being created on the PS3 and the iPhone. I’m also very interested in toys and games of all kind.
net: Of all the projects you’ve worked on, which are you most proud of and why?
CU: The upcoming site of my studio HelloEnjoy.com is not only the most technically advanced piece I’ve worked on, but it’s the interaction that makes it very special. After too many months fine-tuning it, I’m very happy with the result. It should be out in September. Also looking forward to the release of HelloRacer, our first iPhone app featuring the rally car from carlosulloa.com.
net: Is there any other designer whose work makes your jaw drop, or whose work has been an influence on/inspiration to you?
CU: I love the work of Media Molecule in LittleBigPlanet, and also Q-Games for their PixelJunk games. On the iPhone, Simon Oliver never ceases to amaze me with the Rolando series. On the web my heart belongs to Hi-ReS! Having worked for them, I admire their work even more. I also like the attention to detail of Unit 9 and Grupo W from Mexico. And looking at the younger generations, I’m a big fan of the work of my friends Barcinski & Jeanjean.
net: If you could give up-and-coming designers a single piece of advice, what would it be?
CU: Hard work is always needed: not only long hours but focus, with no distractions. I find it very important to be self-critical and ready to start again from scratch.
As famous for their irreverent attitude as their skills, it’s perhaps unsurprising that WEFAIL have become the go-to guys for the more interesting bits of the music business, with a client roster including Eminem and the Dixie Chicks. Co-founder Hughes’ own site is a bloody, disturbing mess, and we mean that as a compliment.
net: Where do you find your design inspiration from?
MH: In the early days I found inspiration from print designers and dragged all that into Flash, where I would then ruin it all with my own take on it. But nowadays I’ve become blinkered by my own stuff and haven’t looked beyond it to see what everyone else is doing. That makes me a bad designer, shameful. But the last time I did actually lift my head up and had a look what was going on in design land, it all looked a bit rubbish.
net: Of all the projects you’ve worked on, which are you most proud of and why?
MH: Probably Julian Velard’s site as it was the last job that we pretty much had free reign over, so we could make it in any way we saw fit. Or it would be my own site as I feel I really poured my soul out, you know, losing my hair. It was the most difficult chapter of the site to work on, so many memories and tears came flooding out, and I think it shows.
net: Is there any other designer whose work makes your jaw drop, or whose work has been an influence on/inspiration to you?
MH: Early Hi-Res, the movie sites they made. Donnie Darko and Requiem for a Dream, wonderful sites. I’ll always love Neasden Control Centre and Michael C. Place, too.
net: If you could give up-and-coming designers a single piece of advice, what would it be?
MH: Do your own thing, even if you have an inkling that it’s not going to be very good. Well, you shouldn’t have that inkling really, because if that’s the case then you’re probably right. It’s going to be crap. But do exactly what you want while you can, because further down the line when you get corporate clients, they won’t let you! Ha!
Hello Hello is rapidly running out of room for its various awards, and no wonder: Thierry Loa’s been doing some jaw-dropping things with Flash, ranging from “surrealist presentations” for an architecture website to powerful corporate CMSes. The good doctor is a writer, screenwriter, director, producer and proud user of a Pilot V7 rollerball pen with a 0.7mm tip.
net: Where do you find your design inspiration from?
TL: The inspiration truly comes from many places: from memories, imagination, observation, experiences. There is no one source, really. I always like to say that design is just a subset of what I do. Other creative disciplines inspire me a lot too actually because, to me, design is just one form of creative communication and problem solving, and there are certainly many other, equally fascinating forms and ways of communication and problem solving out there. And I always try to analyse and learn from those other ones to cultivate and maintain a healthy creative mind.
net: Of all the projects you’ve worked on, which are you most proud of and why?
TL: It’s hard to pick one because each project has been a unique experience and journey. But, of course, there are a few I’m most satisfied with. These are the &Co Architects and MIJO Corporation integrated media websites – for being able to explore and undertake interesting approaches to online communication and design – and the Sunbeam TV spot because, in addition to producing and directing, I had the good opportunity to work on the set design, which was a rewarding experience.
net: Is there any other designer whose work makes your jaw drop, or whose work has been an influence on/inspiration to you?
TL: There’s a designer/artist whose philosophy and views of the world and design certainly inspired me. His name is Dan Friedman. The book of his that I bought and read is titled ‘Radical Modernism’. In this book, he speaks about the purpose of design and nature of modernism, amongst other things. He discusses the issues of North American Modern Design, and therefore proposes ‘Radical Modernism’, which seeks to focus on Humanism and Rationalism, the true original essence of modernism according to him. That book and his words made me realise a very important thing: that designers should be above all thinkers!
net: If you could give up-and-coming designers a single piece of advice, what would it be?
TL: My advice would be that to explore and discover oneself is one of the most essential exercises a creative soul must do; then he/she will be able to create and shape his/her own voice, style, vision, approach and so on; hence becoming more precise and intentful in the work as well as in life. How to explore and discover oneself? It’s often easier to do so through personal work, which could be of any artistic discipline. So, always find and devote time to personal projects and not just commercial ones.
From front-end work to hardcore server-side challenges, Jonathan shares tips, tricks and bookmarks on Snook.ca.
net: Where do you find your design inspiration from?
JS: Design influence comes from multiple places. Sometimes that’s from other designers. I do find myself more readily influenced by design in other mediums such as books, magazines and architecture. I’m particularly drawn to multi-storey buildings and how they embrace repetition while providing visual separation at various levels. I’ve always felt a connection to web design and its long, vertical nature.
net: Of all the projects you’ve worked on, which are you most proud of and why?
JS: I’ve enjoyed various projects for various reasons but I’ve been most proud of a design when it solves a problem particularly well. Those problems are usually a combination of the technical and aesthetic.
net: Is there any other designer whose work makes your jaw drop, or whose work has been an influence on/inspiration to you?
JS: I’d certainly say that there are plenty of designers’ work that I’m blown away by; either by the ingenuity or the simplicity or the complexity of a design. From the web design world, I’ve always really enjoyed Jesse Bennett-Chamberlain (http://31three.com/). Not only does he have a nice design aesthetic, I think he also solves technical problems with design very well.
net: If you could give up-and-coming designers a single piece of advice, what would it be?
JS: “Embrace and extend.” By that, I mean, it’s healthy to start the process by mimicking what other designers do. At first, it might look like you’re copying but as you expand your horizons, you begin to develop a style of your own.
You’ll know Jason Santa Maria’s work even if you haven’t gone looking for it. WordPress? That’s one of his. A List Apart? Ma.gnolia’s logo? Dictionary.com? Yep, yep and yep. “For me, inspiration is easy, but motivation is tougher,” he explains. “I get fiercely inspired by print design, specifically editorial and book design. Just walking through a library makes me want to draw for days on end. On the other hand, my creative process is a rollercoaster of determination, self-doubt, sweat and procrastination.”
The best advice he’s ever been given? “Don’t be afraid to say no to a client. You’re not a pair of hands. Stand up for your work.”
The founder of SimpleBits and co-founder of Cork’d is famed for his expertise in standards-based design, attracting clients including Google, MTV and ESPN. He also “plays a mean ukelele and occasionally wears a baseball cap”. From turning MTV’s Flash extravaganza into clean XHTML/CSS to the stunning redesign of Mac audio firm Rogue Amoeba, Cederholm practices what he preaches in his books Handcrafted CSS, Bulletproof Web Design and Web Standards Solutions.
Mark Boulton used to work for Agency.com in London as an art director before working as senior designer for the BBC in Cardiff. “This was before I took leave of my senses and formed my own design consultancy, Mark Boulton Design,” he explains. His recent book Five Simple Steps has been described as a “triumph” (Jon Hicks), “The best web design book you can buy” (Malarkey) and “better than sex” by A List Apart (with the addendum: “Of course, being a magazine, I’ve never had sex”).
Twitter’s creative director is “helping change the world, 140 characters at a time”.
Before joining Twitter, Bowman was visual design lead for an obscure dotcom called Google, and prior to that his Stopdesign firm built acclaimed sites and online applications for the likes of Blogger, Adaptive Path and Cathay Pacific Airways. “In a world where data bits flow abundantly, our minds have developed filters to sift through the overflow of useless and badly designed information,” he writes. “The presence of design should simplify and facilitate our everyday life, enable us to accomplish our tasks more effectively, and help us enjoy them along the way.”
You create the intriguing www.designologue.com, sort out web typography by creating the sIFR (Shaun Inman Flash Replacement), and build the highly rated Mint analytics system. What next? If you’re Shaun Inman, you then create the extraordinary RSS system Fever. And the Shortwave browser add-on. And the Horror Vacui strategy game for iPods and iPhones. And a giant robot horse with laser beams for eyes. We made that last one up.
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Comments
JW / 28/08/2009 / 17:18
Half of these people are not even designers. You would think that a magazine such as .net would know the difference between designers and developers.
Amrinder / 31/08/2009 / 14:22 / http://designbyanaami.com
Only 6 out of 20 in your list are real web designers. Others are flash, graphics and multimedia designers.
Last 5 in 2 part and Veerle, these are the 6 web designers.
I don't know what criteria you had for choosing people in this list. Because more than half in your list can't even write proper HTML/CSS.
Rob / 01/09/2009 / 14:50
Top designers or most famous designers?
Jon / 02/10/2009 / 00:44
"Because more than half in your list can't even write proper HTML/CSS" Since when does this make someone a designer?
"Only 6 out of 20 in your list are real web designers. Others are flash, graphics and multimedia designers."
A top web designer is someone who comes up with concepts, ideas, challenges technology and interaction and thinks of new ways to tackle a design challenge. It isn't only about pushing pixels or coding up pages in fact those two roles could also be said to be graphic designers/artworkers and developers.
Flash graphics and multimedia are part of the web, not separate to it. The tools and tech don't define the role. But its all interpretation.
Lynsey / 04/10/2009 / 18:10
This is a pretty loose criteria for "web designer". This is more like "celebrity" designers.
Seva / 07/10/2009 / 22:19
What are the criteria of selection for 20 world's top designers? Why, say, Anatly Zenkov whose fashionpoint site ("http://fashionpoint.ru/start.html";) crashes Firefox irreversibly is on the top? His own web-site cannot be a good representational sample of one of 20 world's top designers. Thumbs up for Eric Jordan, Roxik, Veerle. Still struggling to figure out the selection criteria. Anyway, thanks netmag for this puzzle.
