Is it just me or do ALOT of bitcoin sites look just awful?

[SlickTheNick]

At least half the time I go to a bitcoin related website, service, whatever, it feels like im in like at least the year 2003 or something. Like some of the sites out there are just atrocious to look at and hard as hell to figure out/navigate.

What do you guys think?

[Gabi]

I think that you are right

[SlickTheNick]

I also think a lot of people don't know that a lot is two words! 

force of habit

True, there are alot a lot of really bad looking websites on the web in general. Kind of interesting though because bitcoiners tend to me more technically inclined and avid internet users, but I guess that doesnt really say anything about design skills anyways :p

really, doesn't even have to look good, but having a easy to understand navigation and UI goes a long ways.

[mccorvic]

Kind of interesting though because bitcoiners tend to me more technically inclined and avid internet users, but I guess that doesnt really say anything about design skills anyways :p

Exactly. My experience is that technical people can create a very utilitarian web page that does exactly what it needs.  If the users don't like it that's their fault!   On the other hand, a lot of professional web design folk couldn't tell you the difference between IP address and a printer. 

Since most BTC sites are solo or small groups that are working in their free time they don't really want to shell out for web design and, thus, goofy lookin' websites.

This will rectify itself as BTC gains more popularity and BTC stores can go from part-time to full-time gigs for their owners.

[btcven]

It seems like most of bitcoin related websites are developed by coders and no designer get involved.

[Stephen Gornick]

What do you guys think?

Bitcoin sites serve a small subset of the population and aren't necessarily big earners.

Good design is expensive with costs are incurred up-front.   A few Bitcoin-related services are generating profit right off the block (e.g., SatoshiDICE) so as to be self-supporting but most others would require the investment to be able to pay for UX and design help.  Bitcoin businesses don't have the same type of investor base as most other e-commerce and online businesses, so even if a programmer who launched a service wanted to get a better design and is willing to give up equity to do so, there might not be any investors willing to make that leap of faith as well.

When there's money to be made, better design will be a component that differentiates services.    In the meantime, a service that competes by being lean and functional trumps being beautiful.

[hamdi]

best coders love 1999 style sites

[giantdragon]

Also I have noticed that many Bitcoin sites use Twitter Bootstrap (I am one of them who use BTW ), so they don't look ugly but some users are a bit annoyed seeing the same design 1000 times!

[Lethn]

Anything that is made by a programmer will make an average persons eyes bleed or their head hurt from my experience so we'll have to wait until Bitcoin becomes more mainstream before we see some prettier sites.

[btcven]

If you don't want to spend hundreds of dollar in design, but you want your Bitcoin related site to look different drop me a message at contacto@mekat.es and I compose a price for you (in Bitcoins, I want some Bitcoins as I don't have many).

Some examples:

http://bitcoinvenezuela.com
http://consumiblesokane.com
http://randybrito.com

Take a look at some shots at dribbble http://dribbble.com/randybrito

[sega01]

I think there are two types of ugly websites. Those that are simple and ugly, not trying to look good. And those where the designer tries to make them look good and really doesn't know what they're doing.

I've personally grown more and more apathetic with my webdesigns.

Look at this time line, starting with my oldest sites:
http://old.go-beyond.org/sites/go-beyond.org/oldfiles/
http://old.go-beyond.org/
http://notquiteasold.go-beyond.org/
http://go-beyond.org/

On the other hand, you have sites that try to look good and end up dreadful.

http://uglyisnotgood.com/ gives a good list of these.

And I guess there's another category. Sometimes, they just try to organize the information terribly. Too much on one page, too scattered. I'm sure you guys have seen some more examples of that.

[Foxpup]

[Chief Satangkai]

Anything that is made by a programmer will make an average persons eyes bleed or their head hurt from my experience

Fking A right!  There are very few developers who have enough of a "design eye" to produce good looking websites.
On the other hand chefs are never expected to repair cars but almost every developer or programmer in the world
has had to design/build a site himself at one time or another. 

[paulie_w]

someone i know saw mtgox and bitinstant and said:

"it looks russian-legit"

[cbeast]

someone i know saw mtgox and bitinstant and said:

"it looks russian-legit"

Considering Russia is the only country with a space program capable of launching people to the ISS, that sounds like a complement.

[paulie_w]

it actually was a compliment, it just wasn't a straightforward one.

[S3052]

perhaps we should run a contest for the best bitcoin related website and award the top 10. just an idea

[phelix]

perhaps we should run a contest for the best bitcoin related website and award the top 10. just an idea

or for the ugliest. 

I am sure my old site would have won. the new one at least looks great on a smartphone: http://blockchained.com   

[S3052]

perhaps we should run a contest for the best bitcoin related website and award the top 10. just an idea

or for the ugliest. 

I am sure my old site would have won. the new one at least looks great on a smartphone: http://blockchained.com   

+1 nice and simple

[kokojie]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Craigslist's site style is 1995, yet it's one of the most popular site on the Internet.