Our arrival into the digital world was announced in this very organ recently. Now, our views on new sites are deemed of value.
Gosh, internet time does move fast.
The most important launch of the week for us was www.creativebase.com.
Heralded by a couple of groovy screensavers, it promises to connect the visual arts. It's a fine idea that should become a staple site for any creative. Many may have thought of it (us for a start), so it's a pleasure to see that someone's actually done it. And done it well.
Its striking identity uses rainbow colours and simple typography to create a portal that feels distinctively British. Unlike many design-oriented sites, it has made sure that usability and creativity sit together without fighting. It's the stylish and sensible web equivalent of a Paul Smith suit.
Cool ideas include guest editors (first up, Tanya Ling), forums for your particular industry and a useful resources directory.
Teething problems? Some of the navigation is foggy, the copy is pious, and the layout is in danger of becoming repetitive. C'mon people, this kind of work is meant to be fun.
Two final suggestions. If the intention is for creativebase.com to be the portal for creatives, a 'make this my homepage' button should be added. And we're sure the team is working on personalisation as we write.
Anyhow, we've already bookmarked it. So go see for yourself.
www.creativebase.com
Owner: Purplehouse
Site positioning: Aims to bring together all of the visual arts online
Launched: September 2000
Developed: In-house.
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