The Ideal Website Goes Open Source
We first announced our plans for a web toolbox back in February, with the intention of launching our inaugural product a few weeks later. Soon after, however, we had to shift all of our energy to the wiki project. With that safely launched, we now have a little breathing space and have found the time to polish off our first product: The Ideal Website. After some hesitation, we decided to give it out for free.
Download it here (64k)
Initially it was priced at $1,500, which we still believe is the right price, but we have now decided to give it out for free.
Why the sudden change of mind?
- Basically, no-one wanted to buy it for the price we thought it was worth. So rather than going down into the price-range where all the other dirty templates are fowling along, we decided to forget about the money and make people happy.
- We believe that no-one can get close to any ideal alone. The concept of an “ideal website” (as ironic as it was intended to be) doesn’t go anywhere, as long as it is developed hermetically.
- It’s just more our style to be open, fun and wasteful than greedy, strict and profitable.
Download it here (64k)
Please tell us if you use it, develop it,. like it or hate it. But don’t expect us to help you with the installation.
I love you guys… but when someone says a “web toolbox” I don’t know. I expect more than a small screen shot and a $1500 Wordpress theme. How is that a toolbox? Do I get the HTML? What does the site actually look like?
Its a really expensive WP theme that I pay at least $1500 for and is not exclusive to me. What if I don’t use WordPress? It’s a nice blogging tool, but WP hardly qualifies for anything more than a blog.
I’m not trying to be negative or poo-poo your idea, I’m just giving you my honest initial reaction, for whatever that’s worth. Best of luck! I’m really curious to see how people will respond.
Ies:
Interesting offering…
Judging from all the blogs and sites out there with incomprehensible site layouts and tiny text, making a readable site seems to be a challenge for most people.
Your tip a few months ago on increasing the article font size was great… I’ve spent a ton of time tuning my site’s look and feel to make it readable and easy to navigate. Now I get email from readers saying they love my site. Thanks!
So, basically, you are selling an Armani suit of the rack, if I get it right. But… do you really sell your own website? Aren’t you afraid that you lose your uniqueness? What happend to your claim that the brand is the interface?
Feodor,
We are not afraid at all.
…and I have no trouble that it looks similar. Why should I bother? Because we are not so special anymore? The fibonacci works well for us und it works well for him.
My brother in law started blogging the very first day he got it and he is very happy with it. No design agency or home bureau will make it that easy or cheap for you. That is what design is all about, not being perculiar.
We believe that the interface is important for the brand experience but not — as usually assumed — in terms of layout uniqueness, but in terms of ease-of-use. Whatever logo is placed in the top left corner, whatever colors are chosen for links and text and background colors, the brand using the fibonacci interface will profit from the fact, that it is easy to use. Certainly, the brand guidelines have to apply, but the Fibonacci is flexible enough to comply to many brand requirements.
However, if you are a major corporation, you certainly need to work your interface a little bit more. In that case you certainly won’t go for either wordpress nore a standard theme. But let’s not loose out of sight that this is the cheapest solution a corporation can get.
The Fibonacci is not intended for regular blogger. There are many free themes out there that will do a good job for you if you just want to blog. We will son post a more corporate example that illustrates how well the Fibonacci works for a Japanese Architect.
iA,
I think you could charge the price you were asking for. But it should be for a ‘toolbox’ a functional set of interactive programs/scripts that work along with the proper ‘designability’ of the site itself - i.e. interactive comments, forums, social links,blog, etc… I believe that was your initial goal but people might have had the impression you guys were trying to charge that money for just a well-designed wordpress theme.
Hi Oliver, this theme is great. It is what I have been looking for years. Thanks.
great design: simple, clear & tidy!
But I am unlucky: I use Drupal. Any idea to get it done with Drupal.
wolfgang
I think that this is a brilliant concept and unique to boot. Pardon me if I have missed Jakob doing this but it’s the first time that I have seen a scientific approach to web usability that actually works. I am going to see whether I can apply the styles to an elgg template.
MarkP
Open Source?
All right, the source is open, however, you have not licensed your theme as open source I am afraid, not even under a Creative Commons license…
Free?
All right, for some uses, your theme is actually free, however, only free as in free beer…
Has anyone ever tested this design to see if it’s better than other sites? I’m curious.
I like the alignment of this site, but it may be too white or too clean-cut. Something about this site hurts my head. Although, I’d still play with it and use it. I’ll come back and add more if I ever figure it out.
Since I’m not running a Wordpress blog I’m not allowed to port it to my software. Why don’t you go all the way and release it under the GPL, or at least a Creative Commons non commercial, by attribution licence?
After visiting this site for a month, I realize that there’s nothing wrong with the amount of white. My head was hurting in general that day. I think we’re all used to websites with so much loud design that we fail to appreciate simplicity in design.
Cheers.
I am a bit of a newbie here. When I download this. Am I downloading a replica of your website or am I downloading something that looks like the one displayed on wordpress theme viewer. It is a bit confusing to me because the preview on wordpress isn’t anything like this site.