A micro-understanding of microformats

Here’s a quick study in why good blog design matters. Compare and contrast Rblg.org with Microformats.org. Both launched this week and concern microformats, a topic explained by Anil Dash.

I can’t figure it out what Rblg is and, as Molly noted to me in an quick conversation, “the
contrast is so low on the page even with very good (but aging) eyes I couldn’t read it.” Now, check Microformats. Much mo’ betta, with a welcoming design. I want to try and understand what a microformat is and why it matters. The blog offers an about box right up front with lots of resources. Even if microformats don’t matter to me, I want to know more. Like, “are there micropayments in microformats or are people getting paid?”

While developers are applauding themselves for the wonders of the new internet, they also need to spend some time explaining what all these newness does and is. Well, unless they’re just coding it for their geek friends. Plazes is another example, it could be cool, looks cool, but whatever, “a navigation system for your social life is,” I don’t quite get.

With this resurgence in web technologies, designers and developers need to do more to avoid a micro-understanding of microformats.

I’ll talk more about blog design at the next Blog Business Summit and I’m sure microformats will be discussed as well.

Update

Check Simplebit’s discussion of the Microformats’ design.