Re:Why Japanese Web Design Is So Different
by jjoonathan on Tuesday November 12, 2013 @10:23AM
(#6718288)
Yeah, I suspect this is the major factor. Or maybe I'm just bitter after going to blender.org this morning and finding that they have ditched their orange-on-black color scheme for the "white minimalist + photo" style that's all the rage these days. Bleh.
Re:Why Japanese Web Design Is So Different
by darklajid on Tuesday November 12, 2013 @01:49PM
(#6719930)
I agree - this is 'culture'.
If I look at these sites (picked because I have seen them in use, because I know they're 'important'), I'm having trouble understanding the design decisions as well
So .. isn't this just these sites catering to their local culture? Who cares about people from overseas shaking their head?
On the other hand, you might have a look at the state news broadcaster http://ard.de
In Germany, for example, it's pretty easy to find major websites which are fixed-width, left aligned and looking dated. There's no real geographic or historical reason for how it is, other than the fact that their neighbours have a similar style.
In a similar vein, many startups have similar designs. Even on the Internet, where you can connect with anyone in the world, there's a lot of tending towards those who are closest to you.