Recently I was asked to design a site for a major international pharmaceutical distributor. Now, my knowledge of major international pharmaceutical distribution is about extensive as my interest in it - but it's a paying gig so I did the research. First step as always is a quick surf through the relevant subgroups in Yahoo and AltaVista as I find this usually gives you a feel for an industry.
After about ten minutes of surfing I was laughing so much I had to be restrained. It is rare to find such a super-dense collection (a singularity if you will) of design aberrations in one place. The important thing to remember is that these are genuine companies who have gone to the trouble of building a site to enhance their business. Here are a few of my particular favourites. Strap yourself in...
I have a lot of respect for my fellow European designers but I'm sad to say that Hungary is letting the side down. This rainbow of ill-considered delights earns it the
MY FIRST WEB PAGE AWARD.
I think this one speaks for itself.
MOST LITERAL USE OF BROCHUREWARE AWARD
This little gem is in a class of its own though. Quite a lot of words thrown together so that they don't make a memorable or coherent .com. Meet the winner of
BEST DOMAIN NAME.
Got no content? Then scan a postcard! What could be more friendly than a postcard on the front door of your site? Meet the winner of the
MOST TACKY USE OF A SCANNER AWARD.
I think the moral here is that just because you have got the tools, it doesn't make you a designer. I am aware that I have all the tools to deliver a baby (i.e hot water and towels) but I'm also aware that there are people I can contact who are far more qualified to do this than me. Get a professional.
