In This Edition

Stylized and Designed

Refreshingly Simple

Matters of Opinion

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Image by Jerrad Pierce

Peruse the Web sites from the Class of 2005 and you'll find the character behind the HTML coding. Embellished with creative writing, multimedia clips, and recipes, the pages of graduating students reveal the passions surrounding their professional and personal lives. Audrey M. Roy shares her love of oranges in both design and content. Other students express a fondness for French cuisine or creating amateur special effects videos.

Photos galleries of friends and vacations remain widespread, but they assume other roles as well. Stefan Marti displays a clever illustrated biography with roll-over thumbnail images. Another student provides mobile cam photos as part of his blog. Indeed, many blogs included photos and graphic images.

OpenDOOR editors selected samples that illustrate the individuality, charm, and appeal of the Class of 2005 after reviewing hundreds of Web sites from graduate and undergraduate students. From Issel Anne L. Lim's original personality tests to Kevin Fu's time-lapsed video of the MIT tennis bubble collapsing during a blizzard, there is much to admire.

This year, the Web sites fell into three categories:

Stylized and Designed: Content-rich sites with a focused design aesthetic.

Refreshingly Simple: Organized and clean, these sites provide visual and textual clarity and essential information with a strong sense of purpose.

Matters of Opinion: Blogs that offer articulate expressions of the author's opinions and thoughts.

Poll: What Web site elements most interest you? Audio clips Blogs Flash animation Photos/graphics Surveys