DS + R - http://www.dillerscofidio.com
GRAFT - http://www.graftlab.com
KPF - http://www.kpf.com

Wooo- go diller+scofidio!!!!!!

I have an observation less about websites and more about the logos on them...What's with the Red Square? I'm a consultant so I talk to a lot of different architects + firms and I must say- a vast percentage of firms out there have a red square lingering around their graphics. I want to document all of the red square firms out there and try to contextualize the significance of the R.S. Any insight would be welcomed!

red square: it's a shout out to frank lloyd wright (and architects' subliminal love of communism ooooh!)

haha nice! It's been on my mind for awhile- Thanks!

This isn't Architecture firms, but it's the same idea-graphically.

My firm's logo is a red square. We put it on everything! Never knew it was so prevalent in the business.

My least favorite thing about any web site is when you get there and the page is blank.... because the home page is all javascript and i have to unblock it before i get to see anything. Architect web sites seem to do that more often than others.

Also, too much Flash, where you can't bookmark a particular page. Very annoying.

Oh, and lots of shit floating around the page waiting for you to chase it down and click on it. Chill out with all that fancy shit! Okay, some of those buzzing, flashing, floating sites are really damned cool, but most are just difficult to navigate.

flash + chase down

http://www.michelesaee.com/

floating stuff + red circle "logo"?

http://www.masastudio.com/

chase it down and click (but really damned cool)

http://www.lucestudio.com/

there is a russian restaurant infront of my house called red square

The Russian bit makes sense w/ the Red Square, although I don't think that's what firms are referencing...

Jackalope: What was it about the red square that made you commit to it? Was it inspired by something or did it just seem right? I personally like the red square, but I wonder how it became such a popular-almost iconic- architecture/design logo.

study russian suprematism (malevich and lissitzky among others) for one origin of contemporary graphic design.

you could also look at chinese 'chop' seals which are almost always square and use red ink. it was a way to sign documents and calligraphy/art.

maybe FLW was combining the two and that's why he used the red square.

emaze - you got those labeled correctly. Just show the dang photo & for Gawd's sake, can we all just dispense with the "Enter Site" page?

Then, what ever happened to the simplicity of an outline layout (you know, a logical 1,2,3 order). It ain't gotta be boring, just easy to connect to what you want, or is important.

...and 'lo.a..d...i....n.....g page' , 'Skip Intro' (just skip it automatically). Why does anyone think people are 'dazzled' by this mess?

Michele Saee's page w/ the user-generated scribble is kinda interesting, I think.

Diller + Scofido + Renfro was cool, but a bit 'vertiguous' (copyright on that word).

Caution: if you have an office in a non-English-speaking country but want to have your web site in English...at least have someone who can actually speak English write your Home page introduction....yikes!