Sure, no parades will be thrown, but it’s a great excuse to reflect on the journey we’ve all been on, raise a glass, and toast the incredible digital evolution of the past 30+ years.
The luster of iFactory
I remember graduating from college and enrolling in a Web Designer professional development certificate program at Boston University. It felt so exciting, so new. HTML tables and transparent GIFs were all the rage for getting layouts just so, and don’t even get me started on animated GIFs!
At the time, I was familiar with iFactory. They were a Boston staple. With taxi-top ads and WBUR (our local NPR station) sponsorships, the company had the luster of a cutting-edge firm. It’s been part of the digital landscape here for decades. Founded in 1994, back when CD-ROMs were high-tech and “going online” at home meant enduring the iconic, scratchy dial-up tone, iFactory has seen it all.
Ahh, the slow old days. Here’s a screenshot of one of iFactory’s first company websites (note the name was originally Interactive Factory):
Since then, the web, and the role of web designers, has transformed in ways we couldn’t have imagined. What was once optional is now absolutely essential. Websites have become the front doors to institutions, the primary way they tell their stories, engage their communities, and deliver real-world services.
Remember Flash?
Over the years, we’ve ridden wave after wave of change. From static pages to responsive design, from pixel-perfect print-inspired layouts to Flash (and then, thankfully, the death of Flash), to immersive and accessible experiences that actually serve people. All the while, we’ve chased the ever-shifting rules of SEO and learned, sometimes the hard way, that great websites are built with strategy, empathy, and iteration.
What’s next for web design?
Now, here we are again, staring down another shift. AI is rapidly changing how we create, manage, and personalize content. So, what’s next? In five years, will we even have websites? Or will we be crafting invisible, contextual experiences that live behind the scenes, surfaced by AI in response to a question?
Whatever the answer, one thing hasn’t changed: the need for thoughtful, user-centered digital design. That need is as strong as ever.
So today, we raise a glass to the designers, strategists, developers, writers, and curious problem-solvers who keep asking better questions, making smarter decisions, and shaping the web, one interaction, one pixel at a time.
Beth Carron is a Partner and the Director of Higher Education Services at iFactory/RDW Group. She loves a good celebration. She also loves to talk all things web. Please reach out to her at hello@ifactory.com.