Happy 22nd Birthday!

Happy 22nd Birthday to Your Plan B!
Oh to be 22 again 😉

After a few years of freelancing, we decided to launch ourselves
into the business world back in January 1997….
Thank you for your continued support!
We look forward to what the future of web design holds!

That was Then (1997)
AOL was all the rage with its own browser, chat and email tools… and those CDs!
Americans spent fewer than 30 minutes a month surfing the web. What we were surfing? Amazon for books, Salon for articles and Epicurious for recipes! We searched using WebCrawler and Yahoo on Netscape. And built homemade websites on Geocities or by hand using good old HTML with Macromedia’s Dreamweaver. Big names were Tim Berners-Lee (he is credited for inventing the web) and Marc Andreesen (Netscape). AMD releases their K6 processor line in April 1997, with speeds of 166 MHz to 300 MHz and a 66 MHz bus speed. If you want to see internet use in film – check out 1995’s Hackers or The Net for a good giggle.

Things you may have forgotten about:
  • Screech of your modem logging in
  • Hamster dance
  • Having to disconnect your phone line so you could connect your modem (if you didn’t have 2 phone lines)
  • Websites with little to no formatting
  • The beginning of Netiquette (avoid ALL CAPS!)
  • Hotmail
  • Cyber-everything!

If you want a good look at the past, visit the Waaayback Machine and look at popular site designs of days gone by 🙂

This is Now (2019)
We have the internet in our hands! You can surf, chat and take photos from your mobile device letting you work just about anywhere there is WiFi. There are many browsers to choose from just as there are as many types of code to create a website. And you can still make your own site, this time with a Content Management System (CMS) like WordPress or Drupal or Squarespace. Google is our favorite search engine and social media took off (the question is – is it about to crash?) With an estimated 3.6 Billion people spending 5.9 hours a day with home internet access you can connect and shop for just about anything you need. Your workspace looks very different than 22 years ago – flat screens, tablets and wireless accessories litter your desk. The potential future of our internet is highlighted in 2018s Ready Player One and Ex Machina…is this really what we have to look forward to?

Trend predictions for this year:

  • AI will get personal
  • Voice interfaces are more popular
  • Accessibility is a requirement
  • Web apps and AR
  • Developing for the web has more programming options
  • Applications are going small again
  • Internet is catching up to TV in terms of hours watched
  • Live videos are increasing (80% of internet users watched live videos in 2018)
  • Chatbots will become “normal”

(Even more details and stats on trends.)

2018 highlights!
What does your Top 10 include?

  1. StarNetRegionII.org #madewithd8
  2. VicksterMedia.com WP launch
  3. JVSChicago.org #madewithd8
  4. NEW! SpookyInc.com WP
  5. DocLauncher.com remodel
  6. JCFS Therapeutic Day School#madewithd8
  7. GreensbyWhite.com WP launch
  8. HERO microsite
  9. Working with great clients like you!
  10. Spooky fun on YouYube “In the Lab”videos

What’s in store for 2019?
What’s on your bucket list?

  1. Client launches galore! First one is in 3 weeks, counting down…
  2. Will they or won’t they go on another road trip?
  3. Development, consulting, brand identity and more!
  4. Star Wars Celebration Chicago!
  5. Creating art, art and more art with Lego

Your Plan B Company keeps you
up-to-date about web design, upgrades, marketing and more! 

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We are ready to brainstorm
your upcoming web projects
Thank you again for the past 22 years! 
Here’s to many more!! xoxo