Top ten websites
There is something to be learned, surely, from lists of Top Ten Websites. They must all have something good about them. The challenge is to discover what: is it low prices, interesting text, good graphics, beautiful people - or commercial deals with the people who compile the lists?
Top ten websites in 1000+ categories - but they are judged by volunteer editors which is 'less than transparent' http://www.top10links.com/. See also http://www.toptensites.com/. Buddhanet maintains a list of the Top Ten Buddhist websites http://www.buddhanet.net/10_best.htm. Or one can view the Top Ten Websites about Cats http://www.wisecat.com/pages/cats.htm
David Siegel (author of Creating Killer Websites) sticks his neck out and gives links to websites he admires. http://www.killersites.com/
The lack of design conventions is immediately evident from the Top Ten lists. An inspection of the magazine shelf in large newsagent reveals design similarities between, for example, the covers of auto magazines, home interest magazines, lifestyle magazines and women's magazines. There is something of a convention for corporate websites and retail websites but the Top Ten lists reveal more exceptions than trends. Some of the Buddhanet websites look very corporate; others aim for spirituality. Art gallery websites range from corporate to gallery-wall metaphors to the downright amateurish. University websites range from the business directory to the business brochure. The fact that newspapers are unable to decide whether their websites are separate businesses or ancillary to their print editions is reflected in the design styles they adopt. Some airlines use splash pages resembling adverts; most airlines have felt the necessity to replace such extravagancies with online booking forms. It will be interesting to see whether the diversity continues or conventions become established.