Scobleizer - Latest Comments in The role of anti-marketing design

Re: The role of anti-marketing design

Don — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:16:17 -0000

This article is ridiculous the claim that because something is ugly it does well. Check out DateandRate.com just started looks way better than them, probably doesnt make as much money. But im willing to bet in 2 years theyll be bigger than PlentyofFish.com. The fact of the matter is it does matter how your website looks and how its designed. Im sure their income comes from some job or old money that some guy feels like spending on his website. Its all about outcome of advertising dollars and the competition, free dating sites??? How many of them are really out there? I can tell you not alot.. and definitely alot of them arent like the site I told you about(DateandRate.com) so it leaves for little competition until recently. All I have to say is I predict this site will expand faster then POF has thus far with the same amount of time

Re: The role of anti-marketing design

petter — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:54:35 -0000

yes, simple design is too great for sites because its open time is too few and its better for sites....some of the other sites have too simple but they are popular like that plentyoffish sites.

Re: The role of anti-marketing design

Charles Yarbrough — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 04:04:59 -0000

The design isn't rel event and hurts the site if anything. I heard about it from a friend that it looked bad but its free.

Its just popular same with craigslist

google works better the any search.

get real people

Re: The role of anti-marketing design

dantel — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 15:27:04 -0000

Myspace is popular because any moron can use it and feel accomplished.

This is complete crap. It is the content and usefulness that pulls the users in. Having a great design is not going to deter users.

Re: The role of anti-marketing design

Yak — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:25:36 -0000

Hey Scoble, it would be nice to know if you changed your opinion on this one since you changed your design...

Re: The role of anti-marketing design

Fazz — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 16:53:19 -0000

Wow, thanks for the excellent information!

Re: The role of anti-marketing design

sharp aquos — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 15:56:44 -0000

The reason for the success of plentyofffish doesn’t have to do with ‘how ugly the design is’… the design is functional, but if it were to be just as functional and great looking, would it be succeeding less ? I don’t think so … it’s kind of 1-sided to attribute this everything good about plenty off fish to ‘an ugly web design’ ….

Re: The role of anti-marketing design

Maya Stickers — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 06:02:34 -0000

i would say the popularity of the site has nothing to do with design or antimarketing..
he was just lucky what else could be said...

Re: The role of anti-marketing design

lex G — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 18:45:31 -0000

One of the few people I agree with is Larry ... (search for him somewhere in this list .. ;) ) ..

Scobleizer, I've read this post today and it has been bothering me that you're hyping this 'anti-marketing, ugly design' concept. I think your being too 1-sided in this. It's just not so ...

I've worked in many corporate projects where design has really been a key player in the success of a project. Also, I've worked with MANY people (designers AND marketing experts) who wanted to develop something beautiful because they were passionate about the projects that they were involved in...

The reason for the success of plentyofffish doesn't have to do with 'how ugly the design is'... the design is functional, but if it were to be just as functional and great looking, would it be succeeding less ? I don't think so ... it's kind of 1-sided to attribute this everything good about plenty off fish to 'an ugly web design' ....

Mind you ... I am not trying to attack your opinion here but I need to speak out on behalf of all people (including myself) that have dedicated years of study and have worked very hard to bring everyone beautiful looking designs.... Just imagine that everything would be ugly looking ;) wouldn't you then just want to have the best 'ugly looking design ?' ... Sorry ... I really and I mean REALLY have to disagree with you here...

- Lex G

Re: The role of anti-marketing design

dtstyle — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 09:18:45 -0000

Hmm.

Realy strange. You are right, but what could be the problem. I mean I really prefer beautiful design, but at the same time functional. Because really there are some designs with bad functionality and there are others with good functionality and bad design.

May be people really prefer information than fancy stuff.

Cheers!
http://www.goaddsite.com/

Re: The role of anti-marketing design

Adam — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 23:06:43 -0000

my site is also a dating site which i'm growing by my self, the traffic is growing steadily

I'm concidering anti-marketing version as a secondary version for my site

my question is if there is a benefit of creating a simple version of the site along side of the regular design would be equally effective

Re: The role of anti-marketing design

Sharkie — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 10:40:20 -0000

Myspace is popular because any moron can use it and feel accomplished.

This is complete crap. It is the content and usefulness that pulls the users in. Having a great design is not going to deter users.

Re: The role of anti-marketing design

Nikolai — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 12:29:56 -0000

I have always wondered about this. I often see sites that are just plain ugly but get a lot of hits. I guess functionality comes before beauty. I would still go for a combination though. I just have to.

Re: The role of anti-marketing design

Jason — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 20:34:48 -0000

Plenty of fish website is the worst moderated site on the net. Bunch of fucking assholes running it. Marcus should clean house!

Re: The role of anti-marketing design

Josh H — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 13:57:13 -0000

This all lies under the argument of design versus efficiency, Sure if we built every building exactly the same in the same shape with the same color, it would be cheaper and faster and of course, more efficient, but who can argue that it would not suck? And why would it suck, because we are not all machines we have things called feelings and emotions. Would you rather have a cheaper crappier looking house?, or a more expansive time invested unique eye pleasing emotional design.

Re: The role of anti-marketing design

Trent — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 00:01:14 -0000

Bland looking text ads don't blend well with 2.0 designs..... why bother with a nice design if it costs bandwidth, cpu, and ad revenue? Go with what works.

Re: The role of anti-marketing design

Seychelles Web Design — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 04:13:13 -0000

Great post. Great read. All so so true.

Re: The role of anti-marketing design

steve connor — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 21:02:11 -0000

What about vois.com is it the new plentyoffish?

Re: The role of anti-marketing design

Michael — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 20:20:03 -0000

Hey, George I kind of agree with you. Good, 'sucessful' design does not ever merely embellish. I think this is an idea that has come out of a lot of 'Web Designers' not having a good, solid Graphic Design background.
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Almost a decade ago when we had the first 'Dot Com' boom, designers that knew Photoshop and maybe Flash were in massive demand. I think a lot of people fell into these jobs because they knew how to use these programs, not because they were design experts. So many developers ended up having to work with these 'designers' who only knew how to embellish and not how to add real value to a project. This seems to have sadly become the norm for a lot of these 'ugly' sites, many of whom, I imagine, are constantly doing their utmost to be rid of these 'photoshop/flash monkeys'.

Re: The role of anti-marketing design

George Beinhorn — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 12:58:25 -0000

Trouble with much design is that it splits attention. (Just like Powerpoint.)

People enjoy sites that (a) offer content that they, personally, can use, learn something deeply desired from (and me a writer), grow, etc. In other words: expansive content. Design that serves that end, adds; design that merely embellishes, detracts.

Content-heavy "ugly" sites that work: Jerry Pournelle's Chaoes Manor, Joe Henderson's Running Commentary, Digg, Fark, Arts & Letters Daily, Bloglines, Cool Tools, Desktoplinux.com, etc.

Re: The role of anti-marketing design

Boicozine — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 12:56:23 -0000

I only just found this. It's a good and valid point. Design by committee, and especially by marketing biased committee always yelds muddy results no matter what area of design you work in. I think it's a shame the focus has shifted some what to the subject of 'pretty' vs 'ugly'. A hardcore Graphic Design enthusiast knows that making something 'pretty' or 'cool' or whatever is no where near enough of a brief. There are many, many angles to cover that don't come close to this.
—
What I personally feel is lacking in a lot of the design you see on these big sites is input from traditionally educated Graphic Designers. All too often design decisions are made by 'Photoshop Monkeys' calling themselves Graphic Designers.

Re: The role of anti-marketing design

Max — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 01:07:53 -0000

How is his site not corporate? He is making money, the site doesn't look bad and he is not doing it for free. Maddox wasn't "corporate" until he had a book deal.

Re: The role of anti-marketing design

Don — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 20:55:03 -0000

Mr. Frind,
I forgot to tell you that you can contact me anytime at x2751@hotmail.com
Don

Re: The role of anti-marketing design

Don — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 20:51:44 -0000

Below is a letter I have been trying to get to Plentyoffish management. It has been a great site up until now. Obviously Mr. Frind has a few issues he needs to work out. I KNOW I have done nothing wrong, yet he has blocked me from his site probably at the behest of a "female" user that wanted to cause problems for me (as explained in the letter below that it seems he will never see)
Thanks,
Don
Mr. Frind,
It appears that you have blocked my access to your website. While you certainly have that right, I would like to ask you why. You are not obligated to discuss this with me but I would like to say that if you check your records you will find that I have used your site for quite some time and have never had a problem. There have been some disagreements with some of the other members from time to time, but as far as I know I have never done anything to warrant this.
I do suspect however that a female I blocked because she continued to solicit me to solve electrical problems for her is the cause of this. I have no idea what she may have said, but if you checked your records and found that I was in violation of your agreement, I would appreciate you letting me know what it was. I have tried to contact you after you have blocked my access when I try to re-establish a profile but you do not respond.
The only other incident was one female who was not expecting one of my photos to be shirtless, however I do not view that as a violation since I see women in skimpy clothing all the time and I saw nothing in your agreement that stated that a man without a shirt on was in violation. Furthermore, in this last instance, this particular lady continued to talk with me via instant messaging and had no issue with the photo after we talked. However, I doubt it was her but who knows? People do strange things.
So, I have no idea why you are blocking me. Would you care to explain or at least let me know what is going on?
Don

Re: The role of anti-marketing design

Yura Filimonov — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 07:44:04 -0000

Good to hear such a thing.

Then my site is doomed for success, eh?

It is just disheartening to be abused to develop and market a beautiful website, which loads in 20 seconds, is barely crawlable and with no navigation.

Our own projects we (SEOs) go for.

To the previous comment.
I'd say Markus deserves what he gets. He has put hours, weeks, months and years into what he has created. So, why not?

If someone is jealous about Markus, I'd rather not imagine how they feel about Bill Gates.