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Semantic Web Trending in 2008

If Web design and development were fashion, linguists would be the new black in 2008. Beyond the confines of traditional Web vehicles, the need for smart applications is staking its’ claim. Leading this push, are the fledgling efforts of several Web applications, now touting something akin to good old Sci-Fi artificial intelligence.

In a sense, we’re seeing the beginnings of a quasi-Marxist ai, finding more and more space on the web. I’m guessing we’ll see an explosion (poof) in semantic web applications in 2008, even if only from behind the private beta curtain. A fair number of semantic applications are well into development and a few have even made the break into the public domain. But are we ready?

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Years ago, while I was studying art at the Baskin Visual Arts Center, we were tasked with constructing an on-the-spot, interactive art piece. We had about 20 minutes to come up with a compelling art piece that embodied the fundamental principals of interactivity.

For this project I partnered up with one of my classmates. Five minutes later, we had our masterpiece. It was simple and direct. We stood before the class with two cardboard signs, a box of chewing gum and a stack of singles. The sign around my neck read, “Scream in my face for a dollar.” The sign by my partner read, “For a dollar, I’ll put another stick of gum in my mouth.”

It was the most beautiful play on an age old child’s game. We started out with 100 $1 bills and finished with close to $160, not that that was our aim by any means. Don’t ask me how he fit all that gum in his mouth; I really couldn’t tell you.

The reason I bring this up, is because this silly little piece has a lot in common with web design. Don’t believe me?

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There is one common and fundamental key to good user experience, the user should never have to guess. This becomes even more important when you are asking the user to divulge personal information by creating a user account. A few months ago, I wrote an article on the importance of branding and design for registration forms. For an industry growing around web applications, user interaction has taken on a new role. Those points of interaction within a website, the programming and scientific elements have also taken a new role. In essence, this challenges the user. As a user interface designer, I want to reduce that challenge and make the experience as seamless and direct as possible.

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