
A couple of years ago, I wasn't completely sure what
Web 2.0 was and sought an education.
Robert Scoble, here to keynote for
ConvergeSouth, sat at my kitchen table and answered the elusive question in a single word. "
What's Web 2.0?
Widgets." Suddenly, it made sense.
Web 2.0 is the interactive Web (so
sayeth Dave Winer and he should know) and
widgets – a play on our old Econ 101 class' finest example – are the glue that holds Web 2.0 together.
In the Web 2.0 world, it's a lot less about design and a lot more about place and experience. You want your content and not just your Web site to be identified with your brand. Find a designer who thinks like a programmer and your site can reflect the changes of Web 2.0. If your designer talks about a "Flash intro," think about hiring a new one. And find out what's free online.
Are Web 2.0 logos free?Web 2.0 logos can be free if you're willing to build your own from a step-by-step tutorial. If you've been thinking of redesigning your Web site, now is a good time to go 2.0 ("two-oh").
Learn how to make a 2.0-ish logo (Photoshop tutorial). Take a look at the free 2.0-style buttons for your site
here. There are even
blank buttons you can use on your new site here (or get a graphics designer to build custom).
Besides, it's time for your site to transition to XML and use an RSS feed for updates and news. You might as well start out with new 2.0-ish site buttons.
What's free to make 2.0 buttons and icons?If you don't have $1,200 to spend on the newest incarnation of Photoshop, get
Gimp. It's free, very Photoshop-like and runs on Windows. If you're not a do-it-yourself'er, you can get previews of
free Web icons and buttons suitable for the Web 2.0 theme here.
Visit free online button-generating sites and create some 2.0-ish graphics for your site that use your colors. There are
button makers and
more button makers and even
more button makers that are free.