Is it time to go back in time? Retro designs and repeatable backgrounds
Apr 24, 2008 
I remember seeing the earlier websites when I was very young. Most of those websites had repeatable tile background. Which in most cases looked pretty darn ugly. Well looks like now most designers are turning back to a retro look of the design and some are even coming back with their repetitive background designs and purely web 2.0. I know most of the design requests that I am getting now are people asking that their websites to be web 2.0, and Half of those people don’t even know what Web 2.0 is when they first ask me. Maybe it is just a hype right now that people wanting such designs.
Well in this post, I am asking my users what do they prefer? A more techy looking website, or a more simplistic retro style website? I will find about what my users prefers, but I know that most designers and their clients are liking retro style because css collection sites are now getting more and more entries of websites with such style. I think Gone are the days of the techy complicated designs.
I just spent a few minutes and there were too many examples to pick from. I picked these ones because they clearly demonstrate the use of retro/web 2.0 designs.
An extremely nice looking website featuring wooden repeatable background.
Active web directory is a true example of simplicity and beauty.
Reviver is an upgraded look of the stony ugly tiles which they made look pretty.
Another stripes background.
One of the good looking retro sites.
Now that you have seen the above examples of beautiful use of retro sites. You can check out my web proxy as well. I launched it yesterday just for an experiment to see how well does proxies do with adsense. In my later posts, I will share my experience.
Well I just can’t let my readers go away by giving them nothing. Below are some of the cool repeatable free backgrounds that I found over the web.
Full list of these backgrounds can be found here.
Are you going to get your next website designed in a web 2.0 style? Maybe it is time to give Balkhis a new redesign … Bah 
Not yet. But I think if anyone is thinking of starting a new site, they should get a retro design. I personally like them. What do you think?
Well I looked at all the sites listed there. If I had to pick my favorites they would be the first and the last ones. The others I did not personally like all that much.
hehe there is a reason why i put them on those places too
hehe
Your just too sly! lol
wow, great designs.
I love the first one the most.
indeed they have done a great job
yeah, i appreciate their work.
Wish i knew designing and coding!
More than designing its the graphic editors job to come up with the themes but you’re right the designing and coding play a big part in making it look good.
I’m using a very similar one on my blog. But I think it doesn’t look nice in grayscale. Using two contrasting colours can really make a bg stand out. I’ve used a combi of two shades of blue. Blue always sells!
Your defenately right syed they have gone back to the old designs, but i myself like the new high graphical lookin designs.But there is nothing wrong with old designs.
The first one and the second to last one were my favorites. I think all types of retro designs are coming back in fashion although I have always suggested using solid backgrounds to make it more pleasing to the eye.
This is the img I’m using right now. If you like it, feel free to use it.
http://www.angadsodhi.com/wordpress/wp-content/themes/tigo/images/bg_body.png