Dan of Hivelogic fame is messing about with Google Ads. So is John of Daring Fireball fame. Both have fairly minimal designs on their sites that have inspired many a designer. My portfolio site was inspired by Hivelogic - 1 column, header pic etc - it looks nice (but not yet on IE5 mac, I’m fixing it). Daring Fireball has a great, simple grey design that also ‘just works’. The addition of the Google Ads totally wreck both designs. Desist immediately!
If Google could offer their ad content and designers could style the text (’cos it is ONLY text) that’d be much better. Unfortunately we can’t. So it’s gonna be hideous. I’m all for both these talented people to make a little cash, especially as the ads have the ability to be slightly more intelligent about what the users to these particular sites want, but does it all have to look so bad?
I agree, man. I’m going to beg Google to allow me to change the appearance of the ads. Beg, I say.
June 25th, 2003 at 2:45 pm
Google probably think their ads look so damn good though. You’ll really have to grovel!
June 25th, 2003 at 3:47 pm
Guess what? Sometimes UGLY sells better. If you want people to give you money, you give up your right to design. If you want to keep your right to design, don’t whore out your website to ads.
July 7th, 2003 at 1:55 pm