# Early Web Vernacular

> The amateur web of the mid-1990s to early 2000s, when millions of people hand-coded personal homepages on free hosts such as GeoCities with table layouts, browser-default fonts, tiled backgrounds, animated GIFs, MIDI soundtracks, hit counters and ‘under construction’ signs. Its look came from HTML's limits, slow modems and enthusiastic bricolage rather than professional design; Olia Lialina later named it ‘a vernacular web’.

- Period: 1994–2004
- Where: Global / networked
- Origin: Personal homepages on free hosts such as GeoCities, Angelfire and Tripod
- Branch: Digital native
- Also known as: Web 1.0, GeoCities aesthetic, Amateur web, Under-construction web
- Page: https://stylogeny.com/styles/early-web/

## How it works

- Stack content in a single centred column or nested HTML tables, framed by bevelled borders and horizontal rules.
- Tile a busy background image (starfield, marble, clouds) behind the text, whatever it does to legibility.
- Collect and reuse animated GIFs: spinning globes, flames, mailboxes, under-construction workers and blinking ‘NEW!’ badges.
- Set text in browser defaults (Times New Roman, Arial, Comic Sans MS) and add emphasis with colour, blink, marquee and WordArt-style headings.
- Add community furniture: hit counters, guestbooks, webring navigation, award badges and ‘best viewed in Netscape’ buttons.

## Its design choices

Defining choices make the style, characteristic ones are usual, occasional ones turn up now and then.

### Layout & composition
- [Central symmetry](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/central-symmetry/) (characteristic)
- [Framed panels](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/framed-panels/) (characteristic)
- [Column grid](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/column-grid/) (occasional)
- [Collage & layering](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/collage-and-layering/) (occasional)

### Space & hierarchy
- [Horror vacui](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/horror-vacui/) (characteristic)
- [Flat hierarchy](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/flat-hierarchy/) (characteristic)
- [Repetition & rhythm](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/repetition-and-rhythm/) (occasional)

### Typography
- [Eclectic mixing](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/eclectic-mixing/) (defining)
- [Transitional serif](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/transitional-serif/) (characteristic)
- [Bitmap & pixel](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/bitmap-and-pixel/) (characteristic)
- [Ornamented display](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/ornamented-display/) (characteristic)
- [Grotesque & neo-grotesque](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/grotesque-and-neo-grotesque/) (occasional)

### Colour
- [Full polychrome](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/full-polychrome/) (defining)
- [Complementary clash](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/complementary-clash/) (characteristic)
- [Fluorescent & neon](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/fluorescent-and-neon/) (characteristic)
- [Dark ground](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/dark-ground/) (characteristic)
- [Gradients](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/gradients/) (occasional)

### Form & shape
- [Rectilinear](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/rectilinear/) (characteristic)
- [Squiggles & confetti](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/squiggles-and-confetti/) (occasional)

### Surface & texture
- [Grain & noise](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/grain-and-noise/) (characteristic)
- [Hard offset shadow](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/hard-offset-shadow/) (occasional)
- [Skeuomorphic material](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/skeuomorphic-material/) (occasional)

### Ornament
- [Abundant decoration](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/abundant-decoration/) (characteristic)
- [Rules & bars](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/rules-and-bars/) (characteristic)
- [Emblems & badges](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/emblems-and-badges/) (characteristic)
- [Cosmic & celestial](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/cosmic-and-celestial/) (occasional)

### Imagery
- [Found & vernacular imagery](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/found-and-vernacular-imagery/) (defining)
- [Icons & pictograms](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/icons-and-pictograms/) (characteristic)
- [3D render](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/3d-render/) (occasional)

### Medium & production
- [Web & CSS](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/web-and-css/) (defining)

### Tone & intent
- [Communal & popular](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/communal-and-popular/) (defining)
- [Playful & witty](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/playful-and-witty/) (characteristic)
- [Warm & approachable](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/warm-and-approachable/) (characteristic)
- [Technological & futurist](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/technological-and-futurist/) (occasional)

Avoids: Generous white space, Modular grid, Analogous harmony, Rational & objective, Luxurious & glamorous, Authoritative & institutional

Palette: #000080, #0000ff, #800080, #00ff00, #ff00ff, #c0c0c0

Typefaces: Times New Roman (browser default), Comic Sans MS (Vincent Connare, 1994), Arial, Verdana (Matthew Carter, 1996), Impact

Known for: GeoCities (1994–2009) and its themed ‘neighborhoods’; Angelfire and Tripod free homepages; Space Jam official website (Warner Bros., 1996); Deidre LaCarte, Hampster Dance (1998); Olia Lialina, ‘A Vernacular Web’ (2005); Olia Lialina & Dragan Espenschied, One Terabyte of Kilobyte Age (2009–)

## Where it comes from, and what it’s close to

- Grew out of: [Bitmap & Pixel Graphics](https://stylogeny.com/styles/bitmap-pixel.md) (1977–1995)
- Influenced by: [Punk & DIY Zine](https://stylogeny.com/styles/punk-diy.md) (1976–1986)
- Led to: [Japanese Dense Web Design](https://stylogeny.com/styles/japanese-dense-web.md) (1999–present)
- Led to: [Glitch Art & Datamosh Graphics](https://stylogeny.com/styles/glitch-art.md) (2001–present)
- Led to: [Internet Ugly & Meme Vernacular](https://stylogeny.com/styles/internet-ugly.md) (2003–present)
- Led to: [Danmaku Bullet-Comment Overlay](https://stylogeny.com/styles/danmaku-comments.md) (2006–present)
- Led to: [Vaporwave](https://stylogeny.com/styles/vaporwave.md) (2011–2017)
- Led to: [Brutalist Web Design](https://stylogeny.com/styles/web-brutalism.md) (2014–present)
- Alike in its design choices: [Jeepney Art](https://stylogeny.com/styles/jeepney-art.md) (1946–present), 50% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [VTuber Avatar and Stream Graphics](https://stylogeny.com/styles/vtuber-graphics.md) (2016–present), 44% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Rave & Acid House Graphics](https://stylogeny.com/styles/rave-flyer.md) (1988–2000), 44% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Guna Mola](https://stylogeny.com/styles/guna-mola.md) (1900–present), 44% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Nollywood Video Jacket & Film Poster](https://stylogeny.com/styles/nollywood-video-sleeve.md) (1992–present), 43% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Hong Kong Neon & Beiwei Shop-Sign Lettering](https://stylogeny.com/styles/hong-kong-neon.md) (1950–present), 42% alike

## Real works

- [Athena's Advice Page (geocities.com/athenaa21)](https://oneterabyteofkilobyteage.tumblr.com/post/112304711124): 'Athena & Beth' (anonymous GeoCities authors), last modified 20 September 1999, One Terabyte of Kilobyte Age (Olia Lialina & Dragan Espenschied), from the Archive Team GeoCities rescue
- [Homepage of the CUHK Government and Public Administration Students' Society (geocities.com/Athens/Crete/4730)](https://oneterabyteofkilobyteage.tumblr.com/post/112303235079): Student society of the Department of Government and Public Administration, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, updated 21 September 1999 (file last modified 20 September 1999, US time), One Terabyte of Kilobyte Age (Olia Lialina & Dragan Espenschied), from the Archive Team GeoCities rescue
- [Dejan Curovic fan page ('Deze pagina is nog in opbouw!!!', geocities.com/Colosseum/Midfield/4197)](https://oneterabyteofkilobyteage.tumblr.com/post/84084229564): Anonymous Dutch-speaking football fan, last modified 29 January 1999, One Terabyte of Kilobyte Age (Olia Lialina & Dragan Espenschied), from the Archive Team GeoCities rescue
- [Space Jam official website, home page](https://web.archive.org/web/19970124032137/http://www.spacejam.com/index.cgi): Warner Bros. Online, 1996 (HTML comment 'Copyright 1996 Warner Bros. Online'; archived 24 January 1997), Internet Archive Wayback Machine

## Sources

- Olia Lialina, ‘A Vernacular Web’ (2005), art.teleportacia.org/observation/vernacular
- Olia Lialina & Dragan Espenschied, One Terabyte of Kilobyte Age (oneterabyteofkilobyteage.tumblr.com)

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From Stylogeny (https://stylogeny.com/), an atlas of graphic-design styles by Van Riel Online Services. How it is made: https://stylogeny.com/about/. Cite as: Stylogeny, “Early Web Vernacular”, https://stylogeny.com/styles/early-web/