Gone were the days when HTML was just a mark up. Gone were the days when putting together a basic website could be achieved without following strict rules. With the advent of HTML5, there is a segregation of sissies from the real men, of dorks from real geeks.
With HTML5, I dare say designing websites takes a real programming approach. Many web developers who escaped the fine art of proper layout of CSS in HTML will be recalled sooner or later.
The newer and competing browsers have laid their grounds for HTML5 viewing. The most interesting features of HTML5 is its media playback and offline storage capabilities. It allows for websites to directly embed audio or video with the <video> or <audio> tags. Prior to now, that was the work of Flash embed codes or javascript.
For the user, what this means is that with HTML5, you don’t have to worry about installing yet another plugin just to watch the animation on a website or to listen to music from your favorite blog. Companies like Scribd have already adopted it. Youtube has created an experimental version.
Yesterday, the new logo was unveiled. I think the logo is simple and attractive. I also think it reminds me of Superman, He-Man, Star Wars or one of those fantasy images.
According to the Honolulu based company who was commissioned to design the logo, identity and accompanying logos, they thought of something hot, fast and sexy.
The HTLML5 logo goes beyond simply representing the HTML5 spec to embody the technology, and the open web movement, at its core. This starts with standardization — the logo and its progeny follow very strict geometric rules providing an incredibly adaptable yet stable and stylish identity. As you’ve hopefully seen out on the web, the logo, the icons, the colors and the type all work, and work well, in nearly every imaginable context (and probably contexts beyond our imaginations). From favicons to billboards, this mark was designed to hold together in the face any manipulation. Through simple adjustment of hue, the logo conveys incredible depth and dimension without dated or awkward flourishes. With just two shades of orange and two shades of gray, the standard logo offers a thoroughly refined and assuredly lasting visual impact. The container for the logo is shaped as a badge, implying both the formality and respect an undertaking of this magnitude demands, but also as a homage to the progressive community that proudly, and relentlessly, ushers in the future of web technologies. Simultaneously a badge of honor and a coat of arms, this crest represents the spirit and substance of the open web platform and the forward thinking community making it a reality. –read more
Formal and fun, forward and fully evolved, this HTML5 logo is imminently extensible yet refreshingly complete — the W3C encourages you to use it as-is or build on it to make it even better. Just like the technology it lives amidst, setting a common and comprehensive baseline is just the beginning.
Why orange? Orange is a very hot, fast, and striking color, but not nearly as intimidating or aggressive as red. Orange implies excitement, yet with undertones of caution. Orange grabs your attention, but doesn’t scream for it. In Chinese color theory, orange is the color of organization. In medieval heraldry, orange was symbolic of strength and endurance. Sexy with a safety net, organized, powerful and lasting. HTML5, this logo, and orange go quite well together.
I may be hating on this logo with no just cause but I think it they had colored this other logo, it would have been better. For me, it would look a lot formal, serious. I need to even ask why W3C hasn’t changed their logo. It’s still an 80’s design.
In all, I guess this branding puts into our conscious the huge prospects the web has for us in the near future.
According to the W3 website, the 8 different standards of HTML5:
: SEMANTICS
Giving meaning to structure, semantics are front and center with HTML5. A richer set of tags, along with RDFa, microdata, and microformats, are enabling a more useful, data driven web for both programs and your users.
: OFFLINE & STORAGE
HTML5 apps can start faster, and work even if there is no internet connection, thanks to the App Cache, Local Storage, Indexed DB, and the File APIs.
: DEVICE ACCESS
With geo-location just the beginning, HTML5 will help apps to access devices outside of your browser and connected to your computer.
: CONNECTIVITY
More efficient connectivity means more real-time chats, faster games, and better communication. Web Sockets and Server-Sent Events are pushing (pun intended) data between client and server more efficiently than ever before.
: MULTIMEDIA
Audio and video are first class citizens in the HTML5 web, living in harmony with your apps and sites. Lights, camera, action!
: 3D, GRAPHICS & EFFECTS
Between SVG, Canvas, WebGL, and CSS3 3D features, you’re sure to amaze your users with stunning visuals natively rendered in the browser.
: PERFORMANCE & INTEGRATION
Make your web app, and the web, faster with a variety of techniques and technologies such as Web Workers and XMLHttpRequest 2. No user shall ever wait on your watch.
: CSS3
CSS3 delivers a wide range of stylization and effects, enhancing the web app without sacrificing your semantic structure or performance. Additionally Web Open Font Format (WOFF) provides typographic flexibility and control far beyond anything the web has offered before.
To read more and to download the new logo in various formats, and the other icons, go to http://www.w3.org/html/logo/
